Thread by @TaylorPopielarz

The #OH11 special primary is 4 days from today, so time for a 🧵

Back on July 1, I met with @ShontelMBrown in her Cleveland campaign office for a 20-min interview.

In this thread, I'll walk through the transcript.

You can watch the video version here ⤵️
spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/po…

Most pressing issue facing #OH11?

@ShontelMBrown says pandemic recovery and gun violence.

What qualifies her to address them?

She says her experience as a Cuyahoga County Council member.

If elected, what would legislative priority #1 be?

@ShontelMBrown says expanding the public option under the Affordable Care Act, which she says is "the most immediate and effective way to get to that place of universal health care."

Does @ShontelMBrown view her race against @ninaturner as establishment vs. outsider, like the national media narrative says?

"People are very clear about who's been here and who's been getting things done. And that is what the narrative ought to be," she told me.

Does @ShontelMBrown think the national support she's receiving from @HillaryClinton, @ClyburnSC06 and others will help?

Yes, "but I think the ones that probably...resonate with the people here...[are the]...over 100 local elected officials that have endorsed my candidacy."

How does @ShontelMBrown gauge how progressive #OH11 currently is, as @ninaturner campaigns to the left of her?

"...to say that one of us is more or less progressive than the other is really, I think, more about the labels than the actual work that we've been doing."

What does @ShontelMBrown say to #OH11 constituents who may question her incremental approach to policymaking, instead of thinking bigger?

"All or nothing, you usually end up with nothing. You have to find ways to compromise or we end up with nothing at all.”

Toughest part of the campaign so far?

@ShontelMBrown told me fundraising at a national level.

"I raise money every year for the [county] party, so this is not foreign territory. It's just the level and the amount of time that it takes, to again, to be competitive."

While former #OH11 Rep. @mlfudge can't endorse in the race because of her current job, her mother is backing @ShontelMBrown.

Brown told me she fully embraces carrying on the legacy Fudge and the late Stephanie Tubbs Jones and Louis Stokes created while representing the district.

#OH11 includes the city of Akron and other parts of Summit County, but residents there have often felt a lack of representation in the Cleveland-anchored district.

I asked @ShontelMBrown how she would approach making Summit County residents feel fairly represented.

Apologies, again, for those who were waiting for this thread for the last two days...the Hill has been keeping me busy, so I appreciate your patience!

The #OH11 special primary is next Tuesday, August 3.

🧵 End of thread 🧵