Paula Hicks-Hudson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paula Hicks-Hudson
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| Member of the Ohio Senate from the 11th district |
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| Assumed office November 16, 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Teresa Fedor |
| Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 44th District |
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| In office January 7, 2019 – November 16, 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Michael Ashford |
| Succeeded by | Elgin Rogers Jr. |
| 63rd Mayor of Toledo | |
| In office February 1, 2015 – January 2, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | D. Michael Collins |
| Succeeded by | Wade Kapszukiewicz |
| Member of the Toledo City Council from 4th district |
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| In office January 2011 – February 1, 2015 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Paula Hicks
May 28, 1951 Hamilton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Freeman Hudson |
| Children | Patricia and Leah Hudson |
| Alma mater | Spelman College (BA) Colorado State University (MA) University of Iowa (JD) |
| Website | https://paulahickshudson.com/ |
Paula S. Hicks-Hudson, born on May 28, 1951, is an American politician. She currently serves in the Ohio Senate, representing the 11th district since November 2022. Before that, she was the Mayor of Toledo, Ohio.
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Early Life and Education
Paula Hicks-Hudson was born in Hamilton, Ohio. She went to college and earned several degrees. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Spelman College. She also earned a Master of Arts from Colorado State University. Later, she got a law degree (Juris Doctor) from the University of Iowa College of Law.
Public Service Career
After finishing law school, Paula Hicks-Hudson became a lawyer in Ohio in 1982. She worked in different areas of law. These included business law, education law, and helping people with Social Security and disability claims.
Joining the Toledo City Council
In 2011, Paula Hicks-Hudson was chosen to join the Toledo City Council. She represented the 4th district. This happened after Michael Ashford left the seat to join the Ohio General Assembly.
She then ran in a special election in May 2011 to keep her seat. She won that election. She ran again in the general election in November 2011 and won again. In 2013, her fellow council members voted for her to become the President of the City Council. This happened when the previous president, Joe McNamara, resigned.
Becoming Mayor of Toledo
While she was the Toledo City Council President, something unexpected happened. The mayor at the time, Mike Collins, became very ill. Paula Hicks-Hudson was sworn in as the acting mayor. She served in this role for a few days.
When Mayor Collins passed away, Paula Hicks-Hudson officially became the Mayor of Toledo. She made history as the second woman to lead the city. She was also the first African American woman to serve as Toledo's mayor.
Mayoral Elections
Toledo held a special election in November 2015 to choose a mayor for the rest of the term. On March 18, 2015, Paula Hicks-Hudson announced she would run in this election.
She won the special election on November 3, 2015. This allowed her to finish the mayoral term. However, she ran for re-election on November 7, 2017, and lost. Wade Kapszukiewicz, another Democrat, won that election.
Serving in the Ohio House
After her time as mayor, Paula Hicks-Hudson continued her public service. She was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives. She represented the 44th District from January 2019 to November 2022.
Joining the Ohio Senate
In November 2022, Paula Hicks-Hudson was elected to the Ohio Senate. She now represents the 11th district. She continues to work for the people of Ohio in this role.
