Two Ohio Republicans announced campaigns on Monday to challenge Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur from her battleground district seat, setting up a crowded primary in a race Republicans are targeting.
Former state Rep. Derek Merrin is seeking a rematch after winning the GOP nomination in the Toledo-area district but narrowly losing to Kaptur in 2024.
State Rep. Josh Williams, the first Black majority whip in the Ohio legislature, also launched his campaign on Monday.
They join Alea Nadeem, an Air Force veteran who filed to run last week, in a primary battle to unseat Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in Congressional history. Kaptur, 79, was first elected to Congress in 1982 and has served for over 42 years.
Republicans are hoping to flip the northwest Ohio district to capitalize on the broader statewide trend favoring Republicans. Last year, Merrin lost by less than 1 percent to Kaptur, who outperformed former Vice President Kamala Harris by more than 7 percent.
In 2022, Kaptur defeated J.R. Majewski, the controversial Trump ally who reportedly lied about serving in combat in Afghanistan. Ahead of last year’s election, Republicans mounted an aggressive effort to block him from winning the nomination again.
Republicans may gain an advantage in the district through Ohio’s redistricting process, which mandates the legislature redraw Congressional lines ahead of the 2026 midterms. Ohio Republicans have indicated they will seek to redraw Kaptur’s district to lean more in their favor.
Merrin, 39, served in Ohio’s legislature for eight years before leaving to run for Congress, and promised to make up for his close defeat last year.
“I’m officially running for Congress in Ohio’s 9th District — and this time, we’re going to FINISH THE MISSION,” he wrote in a post on X.
Williams, 41, was elected to the state legislature in 2022. He dropped out of high school at 18 due to homelessness and was disabled for six years after an injury to his spine before earning a law degree from the University of Toledo College of Law.
In an interview with a local Toledo radio station, Williams highlighted Kaptur’s age and extensive tenure as a reason to push her out of office.
“She’s been in Congress longer than I’ve been alive, and every bad thing you’ve read about me happened under her leadership,” he said. “It’s time for her to go.”
Katie Smith, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, conveyed confidence that Kaptur will retain her seat in a statement to POLITICO.
“The clown car of a Republican primary has already devolved into infighting and backstabbing – and no matter which corporate lap-dog who wants to gut Medicaid and Social Security comes out the other end, Marcy will defeat their special interest agenda again because Ohioans know she fights for them,” Smith said.
