Morgan Harper
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| Personal details | |
| Born | (1983-07-01) July 1, 1983 (age 41) Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Tufts University (BA) Stanford University (JD) Princeton University (MPA) |
| Website | Official website |
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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]In2022 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 AffairsatPrinceton 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 two other candidates 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 | ||
