Morgan Harper | |
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Personal details | |
Born | Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | July 1, 1983
Political party | Democratic |
Education | Tufts University (BA) Stanford University (JD) Princeton University (MPA) |
Website | Official website |
Morgan Harper (born July 1, 1983) is an American attorney, community organizer, [1] and political candidate. [2] [3] After working as a senior advisor at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, [4] in 2020 she campaigned against incumbent Joyce Beatty to represent Ohio's 3rd congressional district, which includes Columbus, in the United States House of Representatives. [5] Also in 2020, she founded the non-profit Columbus Stand Up. [6] In 2022 she ran for the United States Senate to succeed Rob Portman. She lost in the Democratic Primary to congressman Tim Ryan 69-17%.
Born in Columbus, Ohio on July 1, 1983, Harper lived in a foster home for nine months before being adopted by a public school teacher. Raised in Columbus, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Tufts University and a Juris Doctor degree from Stanford Law School. She later earned a Master of Public Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. [4] [7]
After law school, Harper first served as a law clerk to Judge Algenon L. Marbley on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and then worked at the law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP in New York. Harper would go on to work for three years at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, serving as a senior advisor to director Richard Cordray under President Obama. [4] Afterwards, she served as vice president of knowledge management and strategy for the Local Initiatives Support Corporation. [2]
In 2020, Harper founded Columbus Stand Up. After organizing volunteers to drive voters to polls, in 2021 Columbus Stand Up began donating masks and transporting Columbus residents to get COVID-19 vaccines. [6]
On July 1, 2019, [4] she challenged Democratic incumbent Joyce Beatty to represent Ohio's 3rd congressional district, which includes most of Columbus. [8] [2] Endorsed by Justice Democrats [9] in August 2019, [7] she was endorsed by the Sunrise Movement in December 2019 and the Working Families Party in February 2020. [10] Harper raised $323,000 during the campaign's first quarter, [3] [11] with her platform focused on "universal child care, tuition-free public college, Medicare for All, reparations, affordable housing, and a Green New Deal." [11] On April 29, 2020, it was announced that Beatty had won the primary, with Harper earning 32% of 66,000 votes. [5]
In August 2021, Harper declared her candidacy for 2022 United States Senate election in Ohio. Harper faced Congressman Tim Ryan and Traci Johnson in the Democratic primary. [12] [13] Her campaign ad "My Ohio Story" was released on April 4, 2022 and claimed that she has been the only candidate who always supported "Medicare for all", a "$15 minimum wage", and "supports expanding the Supreme Court." [14] She lost to Ryan in the Democratic Primary 69-17%.
Harper lives in Columbus, Ohio. [4]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Joyce Beatty (incumbent) | 44,995 | 68.1 | |
Democratic | Morgan Harper | 21,057 | 31.9 | |
Total votes | 66,052 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Tim Ryan | 359,941 | 69.55% | |
Democratic | Morgan Harper | 92,347 | 17.84% | |
Democratic | Traci Johnson | 65,209 | 12.60% | |
Total votes | 517,497 | 100.0% |