Marcia Fudge

Marcia Louise Fudge (born October 29, 1952) is an American attorney and politician serving as the 18th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development since 2021.

Fudge was born in Cleveland Ohio, on October 29, 1952.

A 1971 graduate of Shaker Heights High School, she earned her Bachelor of Science in business from the Ohio State University in 1975.

In 1983, she earned a Juris Doctor from the Cleveland State University College of Law.

After college, she worked as a law clerk and studied legal research.

She also worked in the Cuyahoga County prosecutor's office as Director of Budget and Finance.

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.

Her 1999 campaign was her first run for any elected office.

She was the town's first female and first African American mayor.

Fudge served as chief of staff to U.S. Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones during Jones's first term in Congress.

She has also served on the board of trustees for the Cleveland Public Library.

A member of the Democratic Party, she served as the U.S. representative for OH's 11th congressional district from 2008 to 2021.

The district included most of the black-majority precincts between Cleveland and Akron.

Following the death of Stephanie Tubbs Jones in 2008, Fudge ran unopposed in the special election to replace her.

Fudge was the mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, from 2000 to November 18, 2008.

After Stephanie 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.

Fudge won the November4 general election, defeating Republican Thomas Pekarek with 85% of the vote.

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.

She was sworn in on November 19, 2008, giving her almost two months' more seniority than the rest of the 2008 House freshman class.

She was chair of the Congressional Black Caucus in the 113th Congress.

She considered running for Speaker of the United States House of Representatives at the start of the 116th Congress but eventually announced she would back Nancy Pelosi.

During a presentation at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's 44th Annual Legislative Conference in September 2014, Fudge said the CBC would mobilize Black voters in the 2014 midterm elections by underscoring Republican attacks on President Obama, such as claims that he was not born in the United States.

After the 2018 midterms, Fudge considered running for Speaker of the House in the 2019 election.

She later abandoned the bid and supported Nancy Pelosi.

Then president-elect Joe Biden nominated Fudge as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development on December 10, 2020.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs advanced her nomination by a vote of 17–7 on February 4, 2021.

She was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 10, 2021, by a vote of 66–34.

She was virtually sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris on March 10, 2021.

Upon taking her oath of office, she became the second African-American woman to serve as secretary of housing and urban development.

After the 2020 United States presidential election, Fudge and allies including Representative Jim Clyburn argued that she should be appointed as Secretary of Agriculture in the Biden administration.

Fudge was quoted as saying, "You know, it's always 'we want to put the Black person in Labor or HUD'."

Biden eventually selected Tom Vilsack as his agriculture secretary; he chose Fudge as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Fudge resigned from the House of Representatives after being confirmed by the Senate as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development on March 10, 2021.

A special election to replace her was held on November 2, 2021, with Shontel Brown elected to the seat.

On December 10, 2020, President Biden announced his plan to nominate Fudge for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

She appeared before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on January 28, 2021.

On February 4, committee chairman Sherrod 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 President Kamala Harris hours after her confirmation.