Toledo’s Paula Hicks-Hudson was officially elected and sworn in today as the state senator for Ohio's 11th Senate District to serve out the unexpired term of Senator Teresa Fedor, which will end December 31. Hicks will then begin serving the four-year term to which she was elected earlier this month.

"Serving the City of Toledo as the representative for Ohio's 44th House District was an incredible honor, and I am so grateful for the support of my constituents," said Hicks-Hudson. "Now, I have the privilege of serving much of Lucas County as the Senator for Ohio's 11th Senate District, and I could not be more excited to get to work."

During Senator Hicks-Hudson's 35-year professional career, she has served as the first black female mayor of Toledo and worked as assistant Lucas County prosecutor, assistant public defender and assistant state attorney general. From 1998-2002, she served as the legislative director of the Toledo City Council. Following that, she served as the director and deputy director of the Lucas County Board of Elections and chief legal counsel to the Ohio Office of Budget and Management under Governor Ted Strickland. Most recently, she represented Ohio's 44th House District. 

"As a Senator, I promise to keep advocating for legislation that will benefit not only the people of Lucas County but all of Ohio," Hicks-Hudson said. 

An accomplished musician, Hudson serves as the minister of music at Redeemer Lutheran Church. She is the proud mother of two adult daughters, Patricia Hope and Leah Free Star, and grandmother of seven grandchildren. She was married to Freeman W. Hudson from 1973 until his death in 2018.

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