Kaptur vows to win another term

SANDUSKY — A defiant Marcy Kaptur said she plans to run for re-election next year and get another term, even though her district has been redrawn to make it easier for a Republican to win. In a telephone interview with the Register, Kaptur said she'll run on her record and talk about what she has done for her Congressional district, the 9th. "There isn't a place where we haven't made a difference," she said. Kaptur, 79, won her first election for the U.S. House in 1982 and has won every election since then. Ohio currently has 10 Republican U.S. House members and five Democrats. The state's redistricting commission recently redrew lines for Ohio's U.S. House districts that apparently will be in place through the 2030 elections. They appear to protect three Democrats representing Cleveland, Columbus and Akron but made re-election in 2026 harder for two Ohio Democrats by making their districts more Republican: Kaptur and U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, a Cincinnati Democrat. The new 9th District retains Erie and Ottawa counties, although Sandusky County was removed from Kaptur's district and moved into U.S. Rep. Bob Latta's 5th District. Latta retained Huron County in his district. Asked what she thinks about why she was injured in the redistricting process when other Democratic lawmakers weren't, Kaptur said that Toledo and the other parts of her district generally are neglected. "It's not a surprise for me that the Other Ohio is always forgotten," she said. Erie County projects Kaptur said she'll spend her campaign discussing what she's done for constituents in the 9th District. Her office released a list of projects funded with the help of Kaptur, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, to show how Erie County has benefited from Kaptur's tenure in Congress. Here is some of the funding on the list: • $11 million for harbor maintenance in Huron • $3.9 million to Growers Mineral in Milan to expand fertilizer production • $3 million to help restore Sandusky State Theatre • $3 million to Erie County for the Sawmill Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant • $2 million to the Erie County Health Department for transitional housing for people getting mental health treatment • $1.8 million to the Erie County Health Department for behavioral health • $1 million to the Erie County Health Department to provide health services for people involved with the criminal justice system • $1 million apiece for harbor maintenance in Sandusky and Vermilion • $960,000 to Sandusky for drinking water infrastructure for the MacArthur Park neighborhood • $572,000 for runways and taxiways at Erie-Ottawa International Airport Kaptur's office also listed two major awards for projects near Erie County: $6 million for the restoration of Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area in Sandusky County and $1.9 million for a new terminal for Put-in-Bay's airport, in Ottawa County. "I'm very proud of what we have been able to do," Kaptur said. "I will match this record with anybody in the state or country." How the race is shaping up Republicans who have announced that they are seeking their party's nomination to oppose Kaptur are former state Rep. Derek Merrin of Monclova Township; state Rep. Josh Williams, R-Sylvania; and Alea Nadeem, Sylvania, a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard and an Air Force veteran. Merrin narrowly lost to Kaptur last year. It's widely believed that state Sen. Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, the president of the Ohio Senate, also might enter the race. McColley hasn't returned the Register's calls asking about his plans. Reports posted by the Federal Election Commission show that so far, Kaptur has raised more money than her opponents. As of Sept. 30, she had about $1.1 million on hand. Derek Merrin for Congress reported about $400,000, Josh Williams For Ohio reported about $265,000. Nadeem has raised about $320,000. Kaptur said, however, that when "dark money" and PAC spending are taken into account, she is being outspent. Negative TV ads already are running on TV, she said. "We were outspent in the last campaign," said Kaptur, noting that billionaire Elon Musk went after her in 2024. Musk's America PAC spent about $170,000 to attack her and aid Merrin. Kaptur said the contrast between who she represents and who any Republican opponent backed by Musk represents could not be greater. "I live in the same house where I grew up," she said. Kaptur has a campaign website at marcykaptur.com that explains how Democrats can volunteer to help her campaign or make a campaign contribution.