Paula Hicks-Hudson

Good-Paying Jobs and Economic Development

Paula Hicks-Hudson will continue to work to bring good paying jobs and economic development to Lucas County.

Lake Erie and The Environment

Paula Hicks Hudson will continue to protect Lake Erie, one of our region's greatest assets, and fight for clean water and air to preserve our environment for generations to come.

Safe Neighborhoods

Paula Hicks-Hudson will continue to invest in keeping our neighborhoods and communities safe and livable.

Healthcare and RIghts

Paula Hicks-Hudson will continue to lead the charge to ensure women have the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions, and she will continue to fight for the rights and freedom of all citizens.

Delivering Results

Paula Hicks-Hudson was the first black female mayor of Toledo. She served Lucas County and Northwest Ohio as a State Representative and is the current State Senator for District 11. Paula Hicks-Hudson has the experience and relationships needed to bring investments back to our district to create jobs and improve our roads, bridges, schools and public service facilities. Let's re-elect Paula Hicks-Hudson as our State Senator so she can continue delivering results.

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About Paula Hicks-Hudson

Paula Hicks-Hudson has dedicated her life to public service and to improving Toledo and Lucas County for everyone.

After graduating from Spelman College with a B.A., Colorado State University with an M.A., and earning a degree from the University of Iowa College of Law, Paula Hicks-Hudson worked to help small business owners, disabled workers and seniors at the Toledo Legal Aid Society.

As Toledo's 4th District Councilwoman and Toledo City Council President, and then as Toledo's first black female mayor, Paula Hicks-Hudson focused on programs to improve educational and job opportunities in Lucas County. She also has been a diligent advocate for programs geared toward helping neglected and underrepresented youth.

As a state representative and a state senator, Paula Hicks-Hudson has fought to return our tax dollars sent to Columbus back to Lucas County and Northwest Ohio to invest in roads, bridges, rail safety, and much needed infrastructure, and to restore funding for the Ohio Maritime Assistance Program and to ease unnecessary restrictions on urban farming.

Paula Hicks-Hudson has been a strong advocate for protecting women's reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, majority rule in Ohio, fair legislative districts and voting rights. She has also fought for educational independence in our public schools and our universities.

A friend of labor and working people, Paula Hicks-Hudson has fought to protect collective bargaining rights, prevailing wage, project labor agreements to ensure trades women and men are paid and treated fairly, and to provide unemployment benefits to striking workers.

Paula Hicks-Hudson with her late husband, Freeman W. Hudson.

Paula Hicks-Hudson continues to contribute to the community's empowerment and revitalization by serving on boards and organizations like the NAACP, the YWCA, the Frederick Douglass Community Center, Toledo Youth Hostel, the African American Law Enforcement Agents, Lucas County Land Reutilization Corporation, and the national Federations of Business and Professional Women, Inc.

Paula Hicks-Hudson was married to her loving husband, Freeman W. Hudson, from 1973 until his passing in 2018. She is the proud mother of two adult daughters, Patricia Hope and Leah Free Star, and the grandmother of seven grandchildren. And in all her spare time, she is an accomplished musician, serving as minister of music at Redeemer Lutheran Church.