Stephanie Tubbs Jones

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Stephanie Tubbs Jones

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 11th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 1999–
Preceded by	Louis Stokes
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	September 10, 1949 (age 57) Cleveland, Ohio
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Mervyn L. Jones, Sr. (1950-2003), Married 1976
Religion	Baptist

Stephanie Tubbs Jones (born September 10, 1949) is a Democratic politician who currently serves as a member of the United States House of Representatives, for the 11th District of Ohio. Her district encompasses the East Side of Cleveland and many of the eastern suburbs in Cuyahoga County including Euclid, Cleveland Heights, and Shaker Heights. The first African American woman to be elected to Congress from Ohio, she is generally described as a liberal Democrat.

On December 19, 2006, Tubbs Jones was named Chairwoman of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct for the 110th Congress.

1 Personal details
2 Early career
3 U.S. House of Representatives
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Personal details

Born in Cleveland, Jones graduated from the city's public schools. She received her undergraduate degree from Case Western Reserve University, graduating with a degree in Social Work from the Flora Mather College in 1971. In 1974, she received her J.D. from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

On November 27, 1976, she married Mervyn L. Jones, Sr. They had a son, Mervyn Leroy Jones, II. The couple remained married for 27 years until October 2, 2003, when Jones, Sr. died.

Jones is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

[edit] Early career

Jones was elected a judge of the Cleveland Municipal Court in 1981, and subsequently served on the Court of Common Pleas of Cuyahoga County from 1983-1991. She then served as the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor from 1991 until resigning in early 1999, upon her election to the House of Representatives. She was succeeded as prosecutor by William D. Mason.

She was also presented the award of Alison's Soul Sista of the Year.

[edit] U.S. House of Representatives

In 1999, Jones was elected to Congress for the 11th District, succeeding Louis Stokes, brother of former Cleveland Mayor Carl B. Stokes, the first African American mayor of a major American city. Jones is a co-chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee. Some argue her actions angered the White House and her district suffered with the loss of federal jobs.

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-California) in objecting to the certification of the 2004 U.S. presidential election results for Ohio. In 2005, she came under fire after being named the congressperson with the fourth-highest (59) 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. During a speech delivered April 13, 2006 to Mayfield High School students she indicated that she will support Hillary Clinton for President in 2008.

Tubbs Jones is popular in her district, and is routinely reelected against nominal Republican opposition. She received 83.44% of the vote in the recent 2006 elections, against Republican Lindsey String.

Tubbs Jones appeared on The Colbert Report's "Better Know a District" in an episode airing November 3, 2005.