Cortney
Peterson
Independent for Congress — OH-11
Unbought. Unafraid. Unwavering Loyalty to the Working Class.
"I am not a politician. I want to be a policymaker — someone who fights for fairness and equity for the working class."
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Meet Cortney
A nurse and mom fighting for working families in Ohio's 11th district. Cortney grew up downtown Ashtabula, Ohio in a hardworking family. She's spent the last 12 years working as a licensed practical nurse — caring for patients, fighting for the vulnerable, and learning firsthand what it looks like when a system fails the people it's supposed to serve.
A rare condition required a stent to be placed in her brain to restore normal pressure and blood flow. After her procedure in October 2025, she's feeling better than she has in years — and that radical change in her life fueled her passion to help people on a larger scale.
"I spent most of my life in a political coma. Then, a life-changing procedure restored blood flow to my brain, and I awoke. Suddenly, I became fully aware of the corruption and inept leadership representing the American people. I realized that members of Congress were casting votes not on behalf of their constituents, but for the lobbyists who lined their pockets. In that moment, I knew that if I want my sons to inherit a sustainable future, I will have to fight for it myself."
Cleveland's 11th District is majority-Black, deeply working class, and built on generations of resilience. Cortney has spent her nursing career in this community — caring for the families, the elders, the children who deserve representation that actually fights for them. She once believed nursing was her true calling. But as national crises deepen, she's come to realize her lifelong defense of the "little guy" has been preparing her for public service all along.
Why Independent?
Because the two-party system has failed working people. The incumbent in Ohio's 11th takes 59% of her campaign funding from PACs — corporate money, foreign-interest money, Super PAC money. Party loyalty is how they keep you from demanding better.
I'm not a spoiler. I'm the alternative. When both parties answer to the same donors, voting for either one isn't a choice — it's an illusion. An independent candidate funded entirely by working people is the only vote that actually threatens the machine.
Cleveland deserves a representative who answers to Cleveland — not to AIPAC, not to Big Pharma, not to the party bosses who decide which candidates get funding and which get crushed.
Every dollar in this campaign comes from real people. When I get to Congress, I answer to you — not to the groups that wrote the checks. That's the difference.
Real-World Experience
My greatest accomplishment is motherhood. I am raising two extraordinary young men with respect, compassion, and unwavering moral values. Overcoming the challenges of guiding them on my own is a true reflection of my character and determination. Managing my household independently has honed my ability to run a tight ship — a skill that will translate seamlessly into managing a national budget.
With twelve years of nursing experience, I take great pride in building strong relationships and delivering exceptional care. My career includes 2 years as an Anesthesia Technician, 5 years as a Pediatric Outpatient Nurse, and 5 years as a Cardiac Data Abstractor for the National Cardiovascular Data Registry CathPCI Program.
We're Taking Back the American Dream
Our Campaign
While we were busy building this nation, the ultra-wealthy stole the American Dream from us. We've been funding corporate welfare for too long. It's time to make our taxes work FOR US AGAIN. It's time for the working class to RECLAIM OUR POWER.
I believe the United States is a land of opportunity — that with hard work, there should be an opportunity for upward mobility, freedom & equity for people of all classes.
Billionaires and corporations have convinced Americans to fight among ourselves, left against right. But make no mistake — the real fight is the working class against the ruling class. Cleveland is a union town — nurses, steelworkers, teachers, building trades. It's time we had a representative who stands with labor, not with the corporations trying to crush it. And that fight starts right here.
Our Priorities
Fighting for everyday Americans with bold, commonsense solutions.
End Foreign Influence in Politics
End Corporate Influence in Politics
Tax the Rich & Corporations
Medicare for All
Reproductive Freedom
Affordable & Accessible Daycare
Free Pre-K through College
Paid Family Leave
Green New Deal & Data Center Threats
Affordable Housing
Livable Wages & UBI
Common Sense Gun Laws
Human Rights for All
Abolish ICE
End the Prison Industrial Complex
End the Military Industrial Complex
This is a Grassroots Campaign
I will NOT be accepting donations from Foreign PACs (AIPAC/Pro-Israel PACs/etc), or Corporate PACs (Big Tech, Crypto, Big Oil, Big Pharma, etc).
I am going to fight FOREIGN and CORPORATE influence in US Government Policy.