Long-serving Ohio Democrat Kaptur heads back to Congress

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Democrat Marcy Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in U.S. House history, won another term Tuesday, defeating Republican J.R. Majewski after his campaign was derailed by reports that he had misrepresented his military service.

Kaptur, who faced her toughest challenge since first being elected in 1982, beat Majewski, a political newcomer backed by former President Donald Trump, in a congressional district redrawn this year and considered a political toss-up.

Majewski was forced to defend himself in September after The Associated Press reported that he had misrepresented key elements of his Air Force service, including his story of being a combat veteran who served a tour of duty under “tough” circumstances in Afghanistan.

He denied lying about his record and said he proudly served his country. But the National Republican Campaign Committee canceled TV ads it had booked to support his campaign.

Kaptur, a popular Democrat in her hometown of Toledo, seized on that and other questions about Majewski’s resume. She branded him as a past devotee of QAnon conspiracy theories who passed by police barricades during last year’s deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

She also distanced herself from President Joe Biden during the campaign, releasing an ad that said she didn’t work for him. Majewski’s campaign sought to link Kaptur to the president’s sinking approval ratings and inflation at every turn while also highlighting his backing from Trump.

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The story has been updated to correct that Gibbs decided to retire this year.

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