Businesswoman Laverne Gore wins Republican nomination for Ohio's 11th Congressional District election She was also the nominee in last year's election, when she lost to now-HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge by more than 60 percentage points. Author: Tyler Carey Updated: 11:07 PM EDT August 3, 2021 CLEVELAND — EDITOR'S NOTE: The above video originally aired back in March, before the primary The Republicans officially have their nominee in the race to succeed longtime Northeast Ohio U.S. Rep. Marcia L. Fudge. Businesswoman Laverne Gore won the party's special primary Tuesday night in the state's 11th Congressional District, with the Associated Press calling the race just before 8:50 p.m. Gore has been endorsed by the Ohio GOP, and is expected to defeat former Democrat Felicia Washington Ross by a wide margin.