Stephanie Tubbs Jones

For Stephanie Jones, the reality TV contestant, see Britain's Next Top Model.
Stephanie Tubbs Jones
Chairperson of the House Ethics Committee
In office
January 3, 2007 – August 20, 2008
Preceded by Doc Hastings
Succeeded by Gene Green
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Ohio's 3rd district
In office
January 3, 1999 – August 20, 2008
Preceded by Louis Stokes
Succeeded by Marcia Fudge
Personal details
Born Stephanie Tubbs
(1949-09-10)September 10, 1949
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Died August 20, 2008(2008-08-20) (aged 58)
East Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Mervyn Jones (1976–2003)
Alma mater Case Western Reserve University

Stephanie Tubbs Jones (September 10, 1949 – August 20, 2008)[1][2][3] was a Democratic politician and member of the United States House of Representatives. She represented the 11th District of Ohio, which encompasses most of downtown and eastern Cleveland and many of the eastern suburbs in Cuyahoga County, including Euclid, Cleveland Heights, and Shaker Heights. She was the first African-American woman to be elected to Congress from Ohio.

On December 19, 2006, Tubbs Jones was named Chairwoman of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct for the 110th Congress. She was also a member of the House Ways and Means Committee.

On August 19, 2008, Tubbs Jones was found unconscious in her car, having suffered a cerebral hemorrhage caused by a burst aneurysm. She was taken to an East Cleveland hospital, where she died the next day.[4]

Early life, education, and family

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Tubbs Jones graduated from the city's Collinwood High School. She earned an undergraduate degree from Case Western Reserve University, graduating with a degree in Social Work from the Flora Stone Mather College in 1971. In 1974, she earned a Juris Doctor from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

On November 27, 1976, she married Mervyn L. Jones. Less than a year before they married, Mervyn Jones had been charged with aggravated murder and robbery. He eventually pleaded guilty to a lesser count of manslaughter and received "shock probation."[5] The couple were married for 27 years until Mervyn's death, October 2, 2003. They had one son, Mervyn Leroy Jones, Jr. Tubbs Jones was a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. She was actively involved in the National Five Point Thrust Programs of her sorority, particularly Social Action and Political Awareness as an integral part of "Delta Days at the Nations Capital".

Tubbs Jones was Golden Life Member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Political and legal career

Tubbs Jones was elected a judge of the Cleveland Municipal Court (1981) and subsequently served on the Court of Common Pleas of Cuyahoga County (1983–91).

In 1990, she ran for Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio replacing Mary Cacioppo, the winner of the Democratic Primary, who withdrew for health reasons. She narrowly lost that race to Republican incumbent J. Craig Wright.[6]

She then served as the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor from 1991 until resigning in early 1999 to take her seat in Congress. She was succeeded as prosecutor by William D. Mason.

Tubbs Jones served as board member of The Hawken School from 1996–2004.

U.S. House of Representatives

Stephanie Tubbs Jones (left) with fellow congresswomen Laura Richardson of California (center) and Yvette Clarke of New York (right).
Marc Katz (left), President of the North-American Interfraternity Conference presents Tubbs Jones with the NIC Silver Medal.

In 1998, Tubbs Jones won the Democratic nomination for the 11th District after 30-year incumbent Louis Stokes announced his retirement. This all but assured her of election in the heavily Democratic, black-majority 11th. She was reelected four times with no substantive opposition.

Tubbs Jones was a co-chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. She opposed the Iraq war, voting in 2002 against the use of military force. Despite representing a heavily unionized district, she was a strong proponent of free trade. Tubbs Jones most recently took a lead role in the fight to pass the United States – Peru Trade Promotion Agreement in November 2007.

In 2004, she served as the chairwoman of the platform committee at the Democratic National Convention and as a member of the Ohio delegation. She strongly supported Sen. John Kerry in his campaign to become President of the United States. On January 6, 2005, she joined U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) in objecting to the certification of the 2004 U.S. presidential election results for Ohio.

As the sponsor, she was one of the 31 who voted in the House to not count the electoral votes from Ohio in the 2004 election.[7]

In 2005, she came under fire from certain individuals after being named the congressperson with the fourth-highest (59)[8] total trips sponsored by lobbyists. She was selected by Speaker Nancy Pelosi as chairperson of the House Ethics Committee to watch over the standards of ethical conduct for members of the House. Tubbs Jones was popular in her district, and was routinely reelected against nominal Republican opposition. She received 83.44% of the vote in her final general election in 2006, against Republican Lindsey String. She faced no opposition in the 2008 Ohio Democratic primary.

Tubbs Jones appeared on The Colbert Report's "Better Know a District" in an episode which aired November 3, 2005. In the skit, Colbert suggested she create a spin-off vehicle for herself as "Judge Tubbs." She became a good friend of the show after the broadcast. Colbert paid tribute to Tubbs Jones at the close of his August 27, 2008 broadcast by airing her "Judge Tubbs" footage.[9]

Tubbs Jones was a strong and early supporter of Hillary Clinton in Clinton's run for president in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary. She later supported Barack Obama after Clinton conceded.

Death

Wikinews has related news: US Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones dies at age 58

On August 19, 2008, while driving her car, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones suffered a cerebral hemorrhage due to a burst aneurysm in her brain. Police had noticed erratic driving and identified the unconscious Tubbs Jones after her vehicle left the roadway and came to a stop in a field.[10][11][12] She was taken to the intensive care unit of Huron Hospital, a satellite of the Cleveland Clinic, where she was put on life support. Due to hemorrhaging, she remained in unstable and critical condition.[13][14][15]

Tubbs Jones died August 20 at 6:12 p.m. EDT of complications from the brain hemorrhage.[2][3] A special election was ordered by Ohio Governor Ted Strickland for November 18, 2008, to elect a successor to serve out the remainder of her term.[16][17] Warrensville Heights Mayor Marcia Fudge, the Democratic nominee, won the election.[18]

Electoral history

Ohio's 11th congressional district: Results 1998–2006[19]
Year Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct
1998 Stephanie Tubbs Jones 115,226 80% James Hereford 18,592 13% Jean M. Capers Independent 9,477 7%
2000 Stephanie Tubbs Jones 164,134 85% James J. Sykora 21,630 11% Joel C. Turner Libertarian 4,230 2% Sonja Glavina Natural Law 3,525 2%
2002 Stephanie Tubbs Jones 116,590 76% Patrick Pappano 36,146 24%
2004 Stephanie Tubbs Jones 222,371 100% (no candidate)
2006 Stephanie Tubbs Jones 146,799 83% Lindsey N. String 29,125 17%

See also

References

  1. ↑ M.R. Kropko (2008-08-20). "US Rep. Tubbs Jones of Ohio dies after hemorrhage". MSNBC. Archived from the original on 2008-08-22. Retrieved 2008-08-20.
  2. 1 2 Cleveland Clinic: Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones has died, WKYC, 2008-08-21
  3. 1 2 "Cleveland, Nation Mourn Loss Of Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones". WOIO. August 20, 2008. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  4. ↑ Jessica Ryen Doyle (2008-08-20). "Tubbs Jones Likely Had No Warning of Aneurysm, Doctor Says". Fox News. Retrieved 2008-08-20.
  5. ↑ See case No. CR-76-023712-ZA against defendant No. 25759; criminal docket and case summary.
  6. ↑ Election Results, sos.state.oh.us, URL Retrieved 23 December 2007
  7. ↑ Final Vote Results For Roll Call 7 – Motion – Yea-And-Nay – 6-Jan-2005 – Question: On Agreeing to the Objection – Retrieved 18 December 2010.
  8. ↑ Power Trips – How private travel sponsors gain special access to Congress – An investigation into congressional travel – © 2008, The Center for Public Integrity. Retrieved 18 December 2010.
  9. ↑ "Funny TV Shows & Comedy Television Series - Comedy Central". Comedy Central. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  10. ↑ "Clev. Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones has died". wtol.com. 20 August 2008. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  11. ↑ "U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones is stable, office says". cleveland.com. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  12. ↑ "News Archive". TheHill. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  13. ↑ Cleveland Plain Dealer Blog
  14. ↑ Statement From the Office of Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones Congresswoman's office statement, per MarketWatch
  15. ↑ "Ohio Lawmaker Dies After Brain Hemorrhage". cbsnews.com. 20 August 2008. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  16. ↑ Ohio Gov. Orders Election to Replace Tubbs Jones, ohio.com (Akron Beacon Journal), August 27, 2008
  17. ↑ Strickland Calls Special Election To Fill Tubbs Jones Vacancy, WCPN news, August 27, 2008
  18. ↑ "Ohio Democrat wins special congressional election". Associated Press. 2008-11-18. Retrieved 2008-11-19.
  19. ↑ "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved 2008-01-10.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stephanie Tubbs Jones.
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Louis Stokes		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Ohio's 11th congressional district
1999–2008 		Succeeded by
Marcia Fudge
Preceded by
Doc Hastings		 Chairperson of the House Ethics Committee
2007–2008 		Succeeded by
Gene Green
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