Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones (OH-11), the first African-American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives from Ohio, suffered a brain aneurism while driving Tuesday and died yesterday.  The Congresswoman was a lifelong resident of the 11th District, which encompasses most of the East Side of Cleveland, some of the West Side, and includes parts of 22 suburbs.  She was 58 years old. 

A supporter of national service, Tubbs Jones had a flawless voting record in support of AmeriCorps since she entered Congress in 1999.  Four years ago, the Congresswoman served alongside her colleagues on The Hill at a bipartisan Habitat for Humanity build led by two dozen AmeriCorps members. 

Tubbs Jones was also a tireless champion for U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton during the Presidential primaries.  She would have been a superdelegate at the Democratic National Convention in Denver next week.

The Clinton family released a statement saying Tubbs Jones was a “one-woman force for progress in our country” and that they shared a friendship with her that “deepened through every trial and challenge.”

“Over the course of many years, with many ups and many downs, Stephanie was right by our side — unwavering, indefatigable,” the statement said.

Obama called Tubbs Jones “an extraordinary American and an outstanding public servant.”

“It wasn’t enough for her just to break barriers in her own life. She was also determined to bring opportunity to all those who had been overlooked and left behind — and in Stephanie, they had a fearless friend and unyielding advocate,” Obama said in a statement.

President George W. Bush, whose re-election she refused to certify in 2004 because of questionable electoral results in her home state, also had kind words.

“She was an effective legislator who was dedicated to helping small businesses, improving local schools, expanding job opportunities for Ohioans, and ensuring that more of them have access to health care,” Bush said Wednesday. “Our nation is grateful for her service.”

Congresswoman Tubbs Jones is survived by her sister and a 24-year-old son.