Marcia Fudge | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2021 | |
| 18thUnited States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development | |
| In office March 10, 2021 – March 22, 2024 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | Adrianne Todman |
| Preceded by | Ben Carson |
| Succeeded by | Scott Turner (permanent) Adrianne Todman (acting) |
| Chair of theCongressional Black Caucus | |
| In office January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Emanuel Cleaver |
| Succeeded by | G. K. Butterfield |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromOhio's11th district | |
| In office November 19, 2008 – March 10, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Stephanie Tubbs Jones |
| Succeeded by | Shontel Brown |
| Mayor ofWarrensville Heights | |
| In office January 16, 2000 – November 18, 2008 | |
| Preceded by | Clinton Hall |
| Succeeded by | William Pegues |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Marcia Louise Fudge (1952-10-29)October 29, 1952 (age 73) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Ohio State University (BS) Cleveland State University (JD) |
Marcia Louise Fudge (born October 29, 1952) is an American attorney and retired politician who served as the 18thUnited States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 2021 to 2024. A member of theDemocratic Party, she served as theU.S. representative forOhio's 11th congressional district from 2008 to 2021. The district included most of the black-majority precincts betweenCleveland andAkron.
Following the death ofStephanie Tubbs Jones in 2008, Fudge ran unopposed in thespecial election to replace Jones.[1] She was chair of theCongressional Black Caucus in the113th Congress.[2] She considered running forSpeaker of the United States House of Representatives at the start of the116th Congress but eventually announced she would backNancy Pelosi.[3]
Then president-electJoe Biden nominated Fudge as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development on December 10, 2020. TheU.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs advanced her nomination by a vote of 17–7 on February 4, 2021.[4] She was confirmed by theUnited States Senate on March 10, 2021, by a vote of 66–34.[5] She was virtually sworn in byVice PresidentKamala Harris on March 10, 2021.[6] Upon taking her oath of office, she became the secondAfrican American woman to serve as secretary of housing and urban development.[7]
Fudge was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 29, 1952.[8] As a 1971 graduate ofShaker Heights High School,[9] she earned herBachelor of Science in business from theOhio State University in 1975.[10] In 1983, she earned aJuris Doctor from theCleveland State University College of Law.[11]
After college, she worked as a law clerk and studied legal research. She also worked in theCuyahoga County prosecutor's office as Director of Budget and Finance.[12] Fudge has also worked as an auditor for the county's estate tax department and has occasionally served as a visiting judge and as a chief referee for arbitration.[13]
Fudge was the mayor ofWarrensville Heights, Ohio, from 2000 to November 18, 2008.[14][15] Her 1999 campaign was her first run for any elected office. She was the town's first female and first African American mayor.[16]
Fudge served as chief of staff to U.S. RepresentativeStephanie Tubbs Jones during Jones's first term in Congress.[17] She has also served on the board of trustees for theCleveland Public Library.[16]
AfterStephanie Tubbs Jones's death on August 20, 2008, a committee of local Democratic leaders selected Fudge as her replacement on the November ballot. This virtually assured her election in the heavily Democratic, black-majority district.[18][19] Fudge won the November 4 general election, defeatingRepublican Thomas Pekarek with 85% of the vote.[20] She was unopposed in a November 18 special election for the balance of Jones's fifth term, and won with fewer than nine thousand votes cast.[21] She was sworn in on November 19, 2008, giving her almost two months' more seniority than the rest of the 2008 House freshman class.[22][23]
After the2018 midterms, Fudge considered running forSpeaker of the House in the2019 election. She later abandoned the bid and supportedNancy Pelosi.[24]
After the2020 United States presidential election, Fudge and allies including RepresentativeJim Clyburn argued that she should be appointed asSecretary of Agriculture in theBiden administration. Fudge was quoted as saying, "You know, it's always 'we want to put the Black person inLabor or HUD'."[25][26] Biden eventually selectedTom Vilsack as his agriculture secretary; he chose Fudge asSecretary of Housing and Urban Development.[26][27]
Fudge resigned from the House of Representatives after being confirmed by the Senate as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development on March 10, 2021.[28][29] Aspecial election to replace her was held on November 2, 2021, withShontel Brown elected to the seat.[30]
During a presentation at theCongressional Black Caucus Foundation's 44th Annual Legislative Conference in September 2014, Fudge said the CBC would mobilize Black voters in the2014 midterm elections by underscoring Republican attacks onPresident Obama, such asfalse claims that he was not born in the United States.[31]
On December 10, 2020, President Biden announced his plan to nominate Fudge for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.[35] She appeared before theSenate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on January 28, 2021.[36] On February 4, committee chairmanSherrod Brown advanced her nomination after a 17–7 vote in favor.
On March 10, 2021, Fudge was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 66–34, garnering the support of every senator caucusing with the Democratic Party and 16 senators from the Republican caucus. She was sworn in by Vice PresidentKamala Harris hours after her confirmation.[6]
In March 2021, during a White House press conference, Fudge made comments on the upcomingSenate election in her home state of Ohio suggesting that Democrats could win it. As a result, she was accused of violating theHatch Act of 1939.[37][38] After an investigation, theOffice of Special Counsel determined she had violated the Hatch Act. Fudge received a warning.[39]
In one of her first acts as secretary, Fudge discussed the effects ofhomelessness on people of color,evictions in the United States, and creating avenues for fair housing with civil rights leaders includingMarc Morial andAl Sharpton.[40][41]
On March 11, 2024, Fudge announced herresignation to take effect on March 22, stepping down from public life.[42] She is now a partner at the law firm ofTaft Stettinius & Hollister.
| Year | Election | Subject | Party | Votes | % | Opponent | Party | Votes | % | Opponent | Party | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Special | Marcia Fudge | Democratic | 8,597 | 100% | ||||||||
| 2008 | General | Marcia Fudge | Democratic | 212,485 | 85.2% | Thomas Pekarek | Republican | 36,705 | 14.7% | Craig Willis | Independent | 144 | 0.1% |
| 2010 | General | Marcia Fudge | Democratic | 139,693 | 82.9% | Thomas Pekarek | Republican | 28,754 | 17.1% | ||||
| 2012 | General | Marcia Fudge | Democratic | 258,378 | 100% | ||||||||
| 2014 | General | Marcia Fudge | Democratic | 132,396 | 79.2% | Mark Zetzer | Republican | 34,769 | 20.8% | ||||
| 2016 | General | Marcia Fudge | Democratic | 233,285 | 80.1% | Beverly Goldstein | Republican | 58,066 | 19.9% | ||||
| 2018 | General | Marcia Fudge | Democratic | 206,138 | 81.9% | Beverly Goldstein | Republican | 48,866 | 14.9% | ||||
| 2020 | General | Marcia Fudge | Democratic | 242,098 | 80.1% | Laverne Gore | Republican | 60,323 | 19.9% | ||||
Fudge was the president of theDelta Sigma Theta sorority from 1996 to 2000,[45][46] co-chair of the sorority's National Social Action Commission, and a member of its Greater Cleveland Alumnae Chapter.[47][48][49] In 2003, she was a member of the Shaker Heights Alumni Association's Hall of Fame Class.[9]
Fudge has been a member of the Glenville Church of God and is currently a member of Zion Chapel Baptist Church.[50][13]
In 2015, Fudge wrote a letter asking for leniency in the sentencing of Cleveland politicianLance Mason on felony assault and domestic violence charges.[51] Fudge described Mason as "kind", and wrote that "Lance [...] has assured me that something like this will never happen again."[51] Mason subsequently attacked and killed his ex-wife, in 2018, stabbing her 59 times.[52] After the murder, Fudge released a statement saying she condemned the crimes committed by Mason.[53]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromOhio's 11th congressional district 2008–2021 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theCongressional Black Caucus 2013–2015 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Permanent Chair of the Democratic National Convention 2016 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 2021–2024 | Succeeded by Adrianne Todman Acting |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Cabinet Member | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Cabinet Member | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Cabinet Member |
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