Marcia Louise Fudge was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 29, 1952. She attended The Ohio State University, graduating in 1975, and then received her law degree from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University in 1983. In her early career, she worked at the Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s office. In 1999, Fudge served as chief of staff to Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio’s 11th congressional district. That same year, she was elected mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, becoming  the first female and first African American mayor of the city. 

In 2008, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones died suddenly, and Fudge won the special election to finish out her term. Fudge served as the representative for the 11th congressional district until 2021. When Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, he chose Fudge to serve as the 18th secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The US Senate confirmed her on March 10, 2021, by a vote of 66 to 43, and she was sworn in that day. As secretary of HUD, Fudge will focus on national policy related to homeowners and housing needs.