Marcia Fudge

Marcia Fudge
Name	Marcia Fudge
Birth date	October 29, 1952
Birth place	Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Office	18th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Term start	March 10, 2021
President	Joe Biden
Predecessor	Ben Carson
Office1	Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus
Term1	2013–2015
State2	Ohio
District2	11th
Term start2	November 18, 2008
Term end2	March 10, 2021
Predecessor2	Stephanie Tubbs Jones
Successor2	Shontel Brown
Party	Democratic
Spouse	Gayle Fudge
Alma mater	Ohio State University (B.A., J.D.)

Marcia Fudge

Marcia L. Fudge is an American attorney and politician who has served as the 18th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Biden administration. She represented Ohio's 11th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2008 to 2021 and led the Congressional Black Caucus as chair from 2013 to 2015. Fudge's career spans local and national roles connecting Cleveland municipal leadership, Ohio Democratic politics, and federal housing policy.

Early life and education

Fudge was born in Cleveland, Ohio, where she attended local Cleveland Heights High School and was influenced by community figures including leaders associated with NAACP, Urban League, and clergy from churches such as Greater Mount Olive Church. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio State University, where she participated in campus organizations tied to Alpha Kappa Alpha traditions and met faculty from the Moritz College of Law. Fudge completed a Juris Doctor at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, connecting her with alumni networks including judges from the Eighth District Court of Appeals (Ohio), attorneys in the Cuyahoga County Bar Association, and public officials linked to the Ohio Democratic Party.

Early political career and Cleveland tenure

Fudge began practicing law in Cleveland and served as a prosecutor and as an attorney in municipal settings, interacting with officials from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office and legal professionals who later worked with state entities like the Ohio Supreme Court. She was elected to the Cleveland City Council in 1990, where she worked alongside council members connected to initiatives with the Greater Cleveland Partnership, the Cleveland Clinic, and the University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. In 2000 Fudge was elected mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, collaborating with regional bodies such as the Cuyahoga County Council, regional planners affiliated with NOACA (Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency), and community development organizations including Habitat for Humanity affiliates and local chapters of the United Way. Her municipal tenure involved interactions with state legislators from the Ohio General Assembly and federal representatives from the U.S. House of Representatives representing northeastern Ohio.

U.S. House of Representatives

Fudge won a special election in 2008 to succeed Stephanie Tubbs Jones in Ohio's 11th congressional district, joining a delegation including members of caucuses such as the Congressional Black Caucus and the House Democratic Caucus. In the House she served on the House Committee on Agriculture, the House Committee on Education and Labor, and the House Committee on Agriculture subcommittees that engaged with agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture and programs tied to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. As a member of the Congressional Black Caucus she collaborated with figures such as Hakeem Jeffries, Maxine Waters, and John Lewis on civil rights, urban policy, and criminal justice measures that intersected with the Department of Justice, the Civil Rights Division, and national advocacy groups including NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Fudge sponsored and supported legislation addressing healthcare access, workplace protections, and federal appropriations, working with committees tied to the House Appropriations Committee and engaging in oversight of agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

In 2021 President Joe Biden nominated Fudge to be Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, succeeding Ben Carson. Confirmed by the United States Senate, she oversaw HUD programs including partnerships with the Federal Housing Administration, initiatives coordinating with the Department of Treasury and the Department of Veterans Affairs for veteran housing, and collaborations with local entities such as city housing authorities and nonprofit developers like Enterprise Community Partners and Local Initiatives Support Corporation. Her tenure addressed pandemic-era housing stability, eviction prevention policies that intersect with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention orders, and efforts to enforce fair housing laws rooted in the Fair Housing Act. Fudge engaged with congressional appropriations processes involving leaders from the Senate Banking Committee and the House Financial Services Committee, and with federal programs including Community Development Block Grant funding and Section 8 rental assistance.

Political positions and legislative initiatives

Fudge has emphasized priorities that include affordable housing, racial equity, and neighborhood revitalization, working with policymakers from entities like the National Low Income Housing Coalition and advocacy groups such as Housing Choice Partners. On healthcare she supported measures aligned with proposals from Affordable Care Act proponents and collaborated with members of the Black Maternal Health Caucus addressing disparities tracked by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. On economic relief she voted for stimulus packages advanced by leaders including Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, and supported labor policies in coordination with unions such as the AFL–CIO and advocacy from groups like the Center for American Progress. Fudge has also engaged in foreign policy-related votes that intersected with sanctions and trade measures overseen by the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the U.S. Department of State.

Personal life and recognitions

Fudge is married to Gayle Fudge and is a member of community organizations including chapters related to Alpha Kappa Alpha and faith communities tied to prominent Cleveland congregations. She has received honors from institutions such as Cleveland State University, local bar associations like the Cuyahoga County Bar Association, civic groups including the Urban League of Greater Cleveland, and national bodies that recognize public service. Fudge maintains ties to Ohio legal and civic networks including alumni associations at Ohio State University and collaboration with philanthropy entities such as The Cleveland Foundation.

Category:1952 births Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio Category:United States Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development Category:Ohio State University alumni Category:People from Cleveland, Ohio