Fresh off of 2022 loss, Majewski announces another run against Kaptur

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Next year’s race for Ohio’s ninth Congressional district is heating up. Democratic Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur’s last opponent in the November general election is looking to run against her yet again.

Republican JR Majewski, of Port Clinton, announced Tuesday he is running for the newly-drawn OH-09 Congressional seat. He lost to Kaptur in November, garnering 43% of the vote.

“In 2022, we started a movement,” Majewski said in a tweet. “While Kaptur ran one of the most dishonest campaigns in history, we came closer flipping OH09 than anyone has in 41yrs. This time we win.”

You can watch a video Majewski posted Tuesday in the tweet below.

BREAKING: Today I am formally announcing my Congressional Campaign for #OH09.

In 2022, we started a movement. While Kaptur ran one of the most dishonest campaigns in history, we came closer flipping OH09 than anyone has in 41yrs.

This time we win.https://t.co/oBzQKoxQir pic.twitter.com/l1lLK9KhQE
— JR Majewski (@JRMajewski) April 12, 2023

Several other northwest Ohio Republican politicians threw their hat into the ring in recent weeks, including Craig Riedel, a former state representative from Defiance, Dan Wilczynski, a former mayor of Walbridge and Steve Lankenau, a former mayor of Napoleon. Democratic Congresswoman Kaptur intends to run again in 2024.

Majewski, the Trump-backed conservative, became a controversial candidate in the months leading up to the general election when the Associated Press reported that Majewski had misrepresented his military service.

AP obtained military documents that indicate Majewski never deployed to Afghanistan and instead completed a six-month stint loading planes at an air base in Qatar. Majewski had depicted himself as a combat veteran who deployed to Afghanistan after 9/11. A listing of his postings that his campaign provided to AP did not list Afghanistan.

Majewski denied allegations that he lied about his military service. Majewski said he flew in and out of the region during his time serving overseas. He worked to load planes and landed at other bases to transfer passengers and supplies.

“I flew into combat zones often, specifically in Afghanistan, and I served by country proud,” Majewski said in a press conference last September. “Let me be clear, anyone insinuating that I did not serve in Afghanistan is lying.”

An Air Force spokesperson told the New York Times there’s no way to verify whether he served in Afghanistan.