Democrat Marcy Kaptur defends Ohio House seat against GOP challenge

Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D) is projected to win reelection in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, fighting off a challenge from embattled Republican J.R. Majewski.

The Associated Press called the race around 11 p.m. ET.

It is a key win for House Democrats trying to keep control of the chamber. The Toledo-area district became more Republican-leaning after redistricting due to the 2020 census. President Biden lost voters in the new lines by nearly 3 points in 2020, according to data from Daily Kos, making the seat a top target for Republicans at the start of the midterm season.

But Majewski, who defeated multiple establishment candidates in his primary, was abandoned by national Republicans after an Associated Press investigation found that he misrepresented his military service and was never stationed in Afghanistan as he had claimed. Majewski maintained he traveled to Afghanistan multiple times while he was based in Qatar.

After the report, the National Republican Congressional Committee slashed nearly $1 million in ad reservations for Majewski.

Kaptur and the House Majority PAC, which is aligned with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), ran ads highlighting that Majewski was part of the rally outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Majewski also tweeted references to the QAnon conspiracy theory.

Kaptur, 76, is the longest-serving woman in Congress, having first been elected to Congress in 1982. With her reelection, she is set to become the longest-serving woman in congressional history. Kaptur sits on the powerful House Appropriations Committee.