Pictured is Ohio Senator Nina Turner (D-25), the Democratic candidate for Ohio Secretary of State

Cleveland Urban News. Com and The Cleveland Urban News.Com Blog, Ohio's Most Read Online Black Newspaper and Newspaper Blog. Tel: (216) 659-0463. (www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)

By Judith Pugsley, Cleveland Urban News.Com Contributing Writer

I am a retired registered nurse and a White woman who resides with her husband in Rocky River, Ohio, a city in Cuyahooga County. My name is Judith Pugsley and every now and then I write a few lines about  State Senator Nina Turner, the Democratic candidate for Ohio Secretary of State who has a good chance of winning in November, and who would be the first Black Democrat to win election in a statewide office if she wins.

I write about her primarily because the weather is too warm for me, the election cycle too slow, and she is on my mind because I respect her for her courage and for the credentials she possesses. And I have to admit that when I was her age and a lot younger than I am now, I really didn't have it in me to take a stand against that White male establishment called my government. Why wasn't I more like she is, I often think to myself? (Editor's note: Among other responsibilities, the Ohio Secretary of State sets voting polices and monitors voting in Ohio).

Had I been more like Nina Turner, we might have had more people in their elective offices because of the content of their character rather than the color of their skin. So I write now to remind myself that I did not do my part in promoting diversity among elected officials in Ohio as I could have done.

In my younger years, the seasons came and went, and our governments at all levels remained filled with mostly White, mostly affluent,and mostly male public servants. And for that, I am truly sorry.

Pictured are 11th Congressional District Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge of Ohio (in blue-green suit), who is also chair of the Congressional Black Caucus of Blacks in Congress, United States President Barack Obama (in Black suit and striped grey tie), the country's first Black president, television judge Greg Mathis (in orange shirt and patterned suit), Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph (in red blouse), Media mogul and TV One and Radio One founder Cathy Hughes (in lavender blouse), and Civil Rights activist Wade Henderson (in grey suit and black tie)

By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, Cleveland Urban News. Com and The

Cleveland Urban News.Com Blog, Ohio's Most Read Online Black Newspaper

and Newspaper Blog Email:editor@clevelandurbannews.com, Tel: (216) 659-0473).

Kathy Wray Coleman is  a community activist and 20 year investigative

journalist who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper.

(www.clevelandurbannews.com) /

(www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)

WASHINGTON, D.C.- As the Republicans continue efforts to wrestle control over the U.S. Senate from the Democrats this year, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) of Blacks in Congress, led by Democratic 11th Congressional District Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge, will host the foundation's 44th annual legislative conference, which began today and will go on until Saturday, September 27, 2014 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in downtown Washington. D.C. CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS FOUNDATION WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION ON ITS 44TH ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE

President Obama, America's first Black president, will participate in the events, organizers said yesterday.

A Warrensville Heights, Ohio Democrat, Fudge is leading an effort by the CBC to mobilize Black churches and Black leaders to try and stop a takeover of the Senate with scheduled campaign stops in future weeks in Louisiana, Arkansas, and North Carolina. She will be honored on Thursday by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) at an event relative to the four-day conference.

The congresswoman says that if the Republicans gain control over the Senate they will do everything possible to seek to arbitrarily "impeach President Obama."

While Democrats control the 100-member U.S. Senate, the Republicans are in the majority in  the 435-member U.S. House of Representatives.

The CBCF is the leading conference on public policy and other legislative matters impacting the Black community. This week's legislative conference includes issues forums led by Blacks in Congress and others, a town  hall meeting, an annual prayer breakfast, and the Saturday evening Phoenix Awards Dinner.

Black celebrities attend as do ordinary people, many of them of whom travel from across the country in support of Black congress persons from their respective congressional districts.

Obama is the keynote  speaker at the Phoenix Awards dinner where television judge Greg Mathis and actress Sheryl Lee Ralph will serve as master and mistress of ceremonies at the black-tie affair.

This year's Phoenix award recipients are media mogul Cathy Hughes, founder of Radio One and TV One, and Civil Rights leader Wade Henderson, the president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.

Pictured are Richmond Heights Mayor Miesha Headen and Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Chairman Stuart Garson

By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, Cleveland Urban News. Com and The Cleveland Urban News.Com Blog, Ohio's Most Read Online Black Newspaper and Newspaper Blog. Email:editor@clevelandurbannews.com, Tel: (216) 659-0473). Kathy Wray Coleman is  a community activist and 20 year investigative journalist who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper. (www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)

RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Ohio- Democratic Richmond Heights Mayor Miesha Headen, the city's first Black female mayor and the only Black female mayor in Cuyahoga County, was recalled by voters on Tuesday after Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Chairman Stuart Garson would not support her, and after the Cleveland Plain Dealer Newspaper, led by Reporter Sara Dorn, went on a mission to seek her removal from office.

The recall election was close with Headen losing by only a 410 vote margin,

Voters supported the recall 1573 votes to 1163 votes, according to unofficial results by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, which will certify the outcome on Oct 7.

Headen had only been in office for 10 months and was elected in a four way non-partisan race last year where none of the candidates got the majority vote, and where incumbent Republican 24-year Republican mayor Daniel Ursu lost with some 75 percent of the voters casting ballots for other candidates.

By the city’s charter, Republican Council President David Roach will serve as mayor for the remainder of Headen's four-year unexpired term.

Headen told Cleveland Urban News.Com during an interview that the county Democratic party needs to do more for Black elected officials and those seeking office, a sentiment supported by the Cleveland NAACP, which has taken on Garson in the past year.

The local Cleveland NAACP says that not enough Blacks work for the county Democratic party, and that Democratic Black candidates seeking office or those running for reelection often are not getting enough support.

"The Cuyahoga County Democratic Party has not given me support and they have not supported state Senator Nina Turner in her race," said Headen, 42, and married with two young children.

A Cleveland Democrat, Turner is running for Ohio Secretary of State in a close race against the well-funded Republican incumbent Jon Husted.

A middle class Cleveland suburb, Richmond Heights has a population of some 10,000 people, and is roughly half Black and half White.

A group of residents had submitted enough signatures for certification by the county board of elections for the special recall election, which cost taxpayers about $23, 000.

Democratic operative Charles E. Bibb Sr, a member of the East Cleveland Public Library Board of Trustees and a former East Cleveland city councilman, blamed the Tea Party for Headen’s loss.

An Internet website dubbed www.recallmayorheaden.com, genuine or not, sought the Black mayor’s ouster, and names Husted as pushing for the recall.

“The Tea Party is behind this,” Bibb told Cleveland Urban News.Com, Ohio’s most read digital Black newspaper.

Also gunning for Headen was the powerful law firm of Walter Haverfield.

Among others, Headen fired city law director F. Scott Hunt and city prosecutor Jonathan Greenberg, both of whom are attorneys with the Haverfield law firm, a law firm that Headen says represents more municipalities, townships and villages of Cuyahoga County than any other law firm.

The mayor's job is a part-time position that pays $15,000 annually.

Headen told supporters at a rally on Sunday that she had enhanced outcomes for the city in the short time that she has been mayor, including economic development, effective personnel changes, and initiatives that have served to raise the credit rating in the city so that it can function financially.