Ohio’s messy redistricting process may have left a longtime Democratic lawmaker newly vulnerable in the midterm elections as Republicans attempt to flip control of the seat.
Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio’s 9th Congressional District is the longest-serving woman in the history of the House of Representatives, according to her biography. First elected in 1982, Kaptur has represented the Toledo-area district for nearly four decades, overcoming previous shifts in its demographics and boundary lines.
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But the district’s new lines present a district friendlier to Republicans than she has faced in other elections: FiveThirtyEight ranked it as an R+6 lean, and the Cook Political Report labeled the race as a “toss up.” The district was previously considered a safe Democratic seat.
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Republicans vying for their party’s nomination to represent the district include state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, state Rep. Craig Riedel, veteran J.R. Majewski, who painted a mural of former President Donald Trump in his yard, and Beth Deck, whose website reads: “I have no political experience, but I feel God has led me to challenge those in leadership and become fully engaged to Change the direction our Country is heading.”
The National Republican Congressional Committee recently added Kaptur to its list of Democrat-held or newly created seats it will target in the 2022 midterm elections.
“Republicans have the message, the candidates, and the resources needed to take back the majority,” NRCC Chairman Tom Emmer said in a statement announcing the list last month. “Vulnerable Democrats who chose not to retire will be shown no mercy.”
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Kaptur’s decision to seek reelection in a changing district stands in contrast to several of her longtime Democratic colleagues who opted against seeking office again. Twenty-one House Democrats are retiring after the 2022 elections, and another nine are running for other offices.
Kaptur told NBC News in January that one reason she would seek reelection was because “I’m going to help Joe as much as I can,” praising President Joe Biden as in tune with the working class. A FiveThirtyEight analysis found that Kaptur voted with Biden’s position 100% of the time.
