GOP hopes to challenge Kaptur

SANDUSKY — Nobody knows what the 9th U.S. House district will look like next year. But the uncertainty hasn't stopped a crowd of Republican hopefuls from lining up to run against incumbent U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo. The district's boundaries will be redrawn again in the next few months, so it's anybody's guess whether Sandusky, Port Clinton and other local communities will remain in the district, which includes much of northwest Ohio, including Toledo. Republicans are making a major effort to unseat Kaptur, 79, who won her first election to the U.S. House in 1982, taking her seat in 1983. She's confirmed her plans to seek another two-year term next year. Who wants to defeat Kaptur? With the election well over a year away, four Republicans have announced that they are running, and it wouldn't be a surprise if more GOP candidates jumped in. The current president of the Ohio Senate, state Sen. Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, has been discussed as a possible candidate for months. Another big uncertainty is whether President Donald Trump will endorse a candidate. Trump's stamp of approval has been decisive in other Republican primaries in Ohio. All of the announced candidates so far have been careful to mention Trump. Here are the four announced candidates so far: • Former state Rep. Derek Merrin of Monclova Township, in Lucas County, was the Republican nominee in 2024 but narrowly lost to Kaptur. He's trying again. "We must finish the mission because Marcy continues to turn her back on the people she claims to serve. That's why I'm running: to stand up for the America First agenda, support President Trump's priorities and deliver real results for hardworking Ohio families," Merrin said. • State Rep. Josh Williams, 41, R-Sylvania, was elected to the Ohio House in 2022 and was the first Black Republican to be elected to the Ohio House in 50 years. He is an attorney. "We don't need more career politicians interested in lining their own pockets and getting re-elected. We need people willing to stand up for what's right, no matter the cost," Williams said. • Wayne Kinsel, an Air Force veteran, is a Sylvania resident. He retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel in 2021. He is the director of Voodoo Brewery Toledo, a taproom and restaurant. • Alea Nadeem, a Toledo native who now lives in Sylvania, is a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard and an Air Force veteran. "I am running for Congress to solve problems where career politicians have failed the good, hardworking people of northwest Ohio," Nadeem said. "In the military, our focus is on completing the mission and getting results. I'll fight for Ohio's factories, farms and families along with President Trump's America First policies that will protect the American Dream for future generations." Nadeem's official biography says, "As a child, she was kidnapped and spent nearly four years in Iraq. Her mother fought for her return, and Alea was eventually rescued by the FBI. This experience gave Alea a deep love for her country and inspired her to serve in the military to protect freedom." A filing from the Kaptur for Congress Committee at the Federal Election Commission shows that as of June 30, Kaptur had about $941,000 of cash on hand for her 2026 campaign. During the first half of 2025, she raised about $642,000. When will the district be redrawn? The makeup of the 9th District likely won't be known for a couple of months. By law, the process must be completed by the end of October. New Congressional maps were drawn up after the 2020 census. The 9th District was redrawn to give it a more Republican tilt and provide Kaptur's GOP challengers a better chance. But the new maps only applied to the 2022 and 2024 elections because they did not get bipartisan support that included Democrats. The Ohio General Assembly has until the end of September to approve new U.S. House districts. The new districts must get approval with three-fifths support in both the Ohio House and the Ohio Senate. If that doesn't take place, the Ohio Redistricting Commission must adopt a plan by Oct. 31, according to a Ballotpedia summary of the process. Ohio's U.S. House delegation currently has 10 Republicans and five Democrats. Democrats have accused Republicans of planning to redraw the U.S. House districts to reduce the number of Democratic lawmakers.