Election 2018: Kaptur Faces Challenge Over Tenure In 9th District

Marcy Kaptur is the longest serving woman in congress and among the longest serving representatives in the House. Her opponent in the Democratic primary, as well as three Republicans hoping to face her in November, all point to that very issue as her biggest fault.

Kaptur is running for her 19th term in Congress. Her 9th District is a sprawling swath of northern Ohio, reaching from Toledo, her home, across Ottawa, Erie and Lorain counties, and to Cleveland. It's also a predominantly Democratic district, which will give her an edge come November.

In March, she was celebrated as the longest serving representative in the House. At that time, she touted her record of advocating for working people, “whether it is pension and retirement security, peace and stability throughout the world or fighting for a fair playing field where working people have a chance to get a leg up and achieve the American dream.”

Kaptur in the May Democratic primary faces 29-year-old Joshua Garcia of Lorain. During an interview with Patch, Garcia rambled off several claims against Kaptur: She’s not done enough on immigration, she’s ignored gay rights, and has not done enough for women’s rights. But it is Kaptur's tenure in Washington that rattles him the most.

"She been there too long," Garcia said. "Our forefathers did not foresee lifetime politicians."

Garcia, an Uber driver, believes in term limits and promises, if he's elected, he'll spend no more than four terms in the House. And while there, Garcia said he would promote educational programs for young adults, especially for vocational training for skilled laborers such as plumbers and electricians. He also will push for housing programs in small towns.

Meanwhile, three Republicans also are vying for the seat: Keith Colton, of Sheffield Lake, W. Benjamin Franklin, of Fairview Park, and Steven W. Kraus, of Sandusky. Each of the Republicans are outspoken supporters of President Trump.

Kraus, a former state representative who was removed from his seat in 2015 after being convicted of theft in Ottawa County, has argued that he was unjustly convicted. And, a conviction won't prevent him from pursuing his political ambitions. "I’m legally allowed to run for federal office," Kraus said in an interview with Patch, jokingly adding, "That's where all the crooks are."

Kraus differentiates himself from the two other Republicans in the primary with his experience as a veteran of the first Gulf War veteran (he served in Saudi Arabia in the Air Force) and as a state legislator. Among issues he is championing is job growth via an updated tax code, supporting the 2nd Amendment, and preserving and protecting the Great Lakes.

"I’m a problem solver and I go into into things and make them better," Kraus said. "I’m exactly what we need in government right now."

Colton, a builder who worked on Trump's presidential campaign in 2016, is a proponent of tax cuts, building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and prosecuting Hillary Clinton and President Obama for selling uranium to Russia, an unfounded allegation floated by the Trump campaign in 2016.

The third Republican, also a Trump supporter, Franklin is an advocate of closed borders, property rights and gun-owner rights. He also argues that there is no such thing a "living Constitution" and there is no room for interpretation of the words it contains.

The 9th Congressional District is a predominantly Democratic district. According to data at the Federal Elections Commission, Kaptur gigantic campaign advantage over all of her rivals, with $638,805.22 in her campaign coffer as of April 18. Meanwhile, Colton has $112 as of March 31 and Kraus $1,287.62 as of March 31. There were no records for Garcia or Franklin.

Below are videos for each of the candidates posted to YouTube. A video from Franklin, however, could not be located.

Meet the candidates via their YouTube videos:

Photo: U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) lectures members of the news media while heading into a closed Democratic caucus meeting in the House Visitors Center on Capitol Hill June 14, 2011 in Washington, DC. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), President Barack Obama and other Democratic leaders have called on U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) to resign from the House after disclosures that he sent lewd personal images over the Internet. 'None of us, not anybody here, has the power to force somebody out of office,' Pelosi said. 'That person has to decide himself as to whether he will stay or he will go.' (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)