Nina Turner, the oldest of seven children, grew up in a working-class family in Cleveland’s Lee-Harvard community. After working her way through college and graduate school—she earned an associate’s degree from Cuyahoga Community College and a bachelor’s and a master’s from Cleveland State University—she started a career dedicated to keeping Ohio working families afloat.

Turner made history in 2005 as the first woman to represent ward one on the Cleveland City Council, and again in 2008 as the first African American woman to serve as a state senator in Ohio’s 25th District. She went on to serve as the chair of party engagement for the Ohio Democratic Party, leading the effort to build a more robust and inclusive organizing infrastructure and support for local Democratic candidates across the state.

Turner took her record of accomplishments and commitment to justice to the nation when she became a national surrogate for Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign and national co-chair for Bernie 2020. Her extensive travels showed her the commonality of the struggles faced by people in communities across the country. Between those two campaigns, Turner served as the president of the national grassroots political organization Our Revolution. When the Congressional Seat in Ohio’s 11th Congressional District became open, she ran a grassroots campaign focused on advancing progressive ideas and policies that would lift the working families of Northeast Ohio.

Turner is a wife and mother and a proud grandmother. She is a former assistant professor of history at her alma mater, Cuyahoga Community College; a member of Sigma Gamma Rho; and the host of the “Hello Somebody” podcast on iHeartRadio. When she is not speaking truth to power, she enjoys traveling, working out, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends.

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