Ohio Democrat Marcy Kaptur extends tenure as longest-serving woman in US House with election win

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur won another term in the U.S. House on Wednesday, after defeating a Republican state lawmaker endorsed by President-elect Donald Trump.

Her victory in northwest Ohio over fourth-term state Rep. Derek Merrin allows Kaptur to continue her streak as the longest-serving woman in House history. The outcome emerged from final results certified by the Lucas County Board of Elections in Toledo.

The Associated Press had previously said the race was too early to call, despite Kaptur declaring victory just before 2 a.m. the morning after Election Day. AP called the race for Kaptur on Wednesday. Final results were slightly outside the 0.5% margin that would have triggered an automatic recount, with libertarian candidate Tom Pruss scoring about 4% of the vote.

Kaptur, 78, was viewed as among the year’s most vulnerable congressional incumbents, placing Ohio’s 9th Congressional District in the middle of a campaign battle where spending topped $23 million, according to figures compiled by OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan tracker of campaign finance data.

Her campaign said in a statement that Kaptur had overcome millions spent by special interests to distort her record.

Kaptur thanked her constituents for trusting her to return to Washington in what will be her 22nd term.

She pledged to continue to work to increase jobs, strengthen the manufacturing sector and “ensure dignity and stability for everyone who works hard and plays by the rules.”

“It is time to put partisanship aside and get back to work for America’s ‘Big Middle,’” she said in a statement.

Merrin, whose caucus at the Statehouse was preparing for a tense speakership vote scheduled for Wednesday night, did not immediately issue a statement.

Merrin had been endorsed by Trump and his defeat marks Trump’s first loss in a state that went for the president-elect three times.

Kaptur prevailed over Merrin, 38, who aligned a GOP faction against Republican Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens in 2023 after Merrin failed to win the speakership he had been promised in an unofficial caucus poll. The infighting, which continues, has risen to the level of litigation and contributed to an historic lack of legislative action this session.

During the House campaign, Merrin and his Republican allies targeted Kaptur on immigration and the economy. Democrats targeted Merrin on his support for abortion restrictions, including his work on a bill that would have made certain abortions felonies.

House Speaker Mike Johnson had recruited Merrin into a roller coaster GOP primary.