Marcy Kaptur facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Marcy Kaptur
Official portrait, 2018

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 9th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 1983
Preceded by	Ed Weber

Personal details
Born	Marcia Carolyn Kaptur (1946-06-17) June 17, 1946 (age 78) Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	University of Wisconsin–Madison (BA) University of Michigan (MUP)
Website	House website

Marcia Carolyn Kaptur (/ˈkæptər/ KAP-tər; born June 17, 1946) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative from Ohio's 9th congressional district. Now in her 21st term, she has been a member of Congress since 1983.

A member of the Democratic Party, Kaptur is the longest-serving woman in congressional history (having surpassed Barbara Mikulski in 2023) and the dean of Ohio's congressional delegation.

Early life and education

Kaptur was born on June 17, 1946, in Toledo, Ohio, the daughter of Anastasia Delores (Rogowski) and Stephen Jacob Kaptur. Her parents were both of Polish descent. Her mother was an automobile union organizer and her family operated a small grocery. Kaptur started volunteering with the Ohio Democratic Party when she was 13.

Kaptur graduated from St. Ursula Academy in 1964 and became the first person in her family to attend college. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1968 and a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Michigan in 1974. She did doctoral studies in urban planning development finance at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1981.

Early career

Kaptur served on the Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions from 1969 to 1975. She was director of planning for the National Center for Urban Ethnic Affairs (1975–1977), founded by Geno Baroni. She later served as a domestic policy advisor during President Jimmy Carter's administration.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

Portrait of Kaptur from the 1985 Congressional Pictorial Directory

While at MIT, Kaptur was recruited to run for Congress in 1982 against freshman Republican Ed Weber, who had upset 26-year incumbent Lud Ashley two years earlier. Despite being outspent by almost 3–1, she defeated Weber 58–39%.

In 1984, Kaptur faced a strong challenge from Republican Frank Venner, longtime anchorman and weatherman at WTVG, but defeated him 55–44%, even as Ronald Reagan carried the district. From 1986 to 2002, she won every election with at least 74% of the vote. In 2004, she faced her strongest challenger in 20 years in Lucas County auditor Larry Kaczala, but won the election 68–32%.

2006

Kaptur won her 13th term with 74% of the vote.

2008

Kaptur won her 14th term with 74% of the vote.

2010

Shortly after achieving fame during the 2008 election, conservative figure Samuel "Joe the Plumber" Wurzelbacher announced that he was considering challenging Kaptur in the 2010 election, but chose not to run. Kaptur was instead challenged by Republican Rich Iott, a Tea Party movement favorite. She was reelected to a 15th term with 59% of the vote, her closest victory since 1984.

2012

Ohio's 9th district, as configured from 2013 to 2023

For her first three decades in Congress, Kaptur represented a compact district centered around Toledo. Redistricting after the 2010 census extended the 9th district to western Cleveland. The new map put the home of incumbent 10th district congressman Dennis Kucinich into the 9th, so they ran against each other in the Democratic primary. Graham Veysey, a small-business owner from Cleveland, also ran in the primary. Retaining over 60% of her former territory, Kaptur won the primary with 56% of the vote to Kucinich's 40%. In the general election, she won a 16th term against Wurzelbacher and Libertarian Sean Stipe. The reconfigured 9th was no less Democratic than its predecessor, and Kaptur had effectively clinched reelection by defeating Kucinich in the primary.

2014

Kaptur's 2014 opponent was Richard May, a longtime Republican activist from west Cleveland, who beat Lakewood resident Robert C. Horrocks Jr. in the May 6 primary. Kaptur won 68–32%.

2016

Kaptur's 2016 opponent was Donald Larson, who defeated Steven Kraus and Joel Lieske in the Republican primary on March 15. Kaptur won 68–31%.

2020

Kaptur's 2020 opponent was Rob Weber, who defeated Charles W. Barrett, Tim Connors, and Timothy P. Corrigan in the Republican primary on March 17. Kaptur won 63–37%.

2022

Kaptur was seemingly placed in a vulnerable position when redistricting shifted her district to the west in order to take in territory previously in the neighboring heavily Republican 5th district. While Joe Biden carried the old 9th with 59% of the vote, the new 9th would have voted for Donald Trump with 51% of the vote. Despite this, Kaptur defeated Republican nominee J.R. Majewski, 56% to 43%.

Tenure

In 1996, Ross Perot asked Kaptur to be his vice-presidential running mate. She declined.

Kaptur voted with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time in the 117th Congress, according to a FiveThirtyEight analysis.

Patent reform

Kaptur opposed the America Invents Act that passed into law and changed the U.S. Patent System. She opposed changing from a "first to invent system" to a "first to file system", saying it hurt small businesses and "Our patent system is the finest in the world... the proposed solutions are special fixes that benefit these few giants at the expense of everyone else."

Kaptur co-sponsored the Restoring America's Leadership in Innovation Act. In order to strengthen inventors' property rights, the bill would remove the administrative review process that allows the public to challenge patent filings' validity; the process exists to prevent misuse of the patent system.

World War II memorial

The World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

On December 10, 1987, Kaptur introduced the World War II Memorial Act in the House. The bill authorized the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a World War II memorial. It was not voted on before the end of the session and so failed to be enacted. Kaptur introduced similar legislation twice in 1989 but these bills also failed to become law.

Kaptur introduced legislation for the fourth time on January 27, 1993. This time the legislation was voted on and passed in the House on May 10, 1993. After a companion bill was passed in the United States Senate, President Bill Clinton signed the bill into law on May 25, 1993.

Kaptur later said that she felt "a great sense of fulfillment" that the memorial was built. "This generation was the most unselfish America has ever seen," she said. "They never asked anybody for anything in return."

Free trade

Kaptur opposes free trade agreements. She helped lead opposition to the North American Free Trade Agreement, permanent normal trade relations for the People's Republic of China, and fast track authority for the president.

2008 economic crisis

Kaptur opposed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which provided a bailout for U.S. banks. Her opposition to the bailout was highlighted in Michael Moore's 2009 documentary Capitalism: A Love Story.

On April 12, 2011, Kaptur introduced H.R. 1489 to restore the Glass–Steagall Act, "To repeal certain provisions of the Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act and revive the separation between commercial banking and the securities business, in the manner provided in the Banking Act of 1933, the so-called 'Glass–Steagall Act', and for other purposes." There were 30 co-sponsors.

Immigration reform

Kaptur was one of 38 Democrats to vote against the DREAM Act in December 2010. It passed the House but failed in the Senate.

In 2021, Kaptur voted for the DREAM Act.

2016 presidential election

Kaptur endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary, and introduced him at a rally in Toledo. On October 3, 2016, she endorsed the nominee, Hillary Clinton, who had won Ohio and her district in the primary, at a rally in Toledo.

Gun control

In 2022, Kaptur voted for H.R. 1808: Assault Weapons Ban of 2022. The legislation would ban semiautomatic rifles, including AR-15s, the most popular rifles in the U.S.

Syria

In 2023, Kaptur voted against H.Con.Res. 21, which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.

Ukraine

Kaptur co-chairs the Ukrainian Caucus. She has been a vocal supporter of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Kaptur has said Ukraine "voted for her own independence and has been laboring to be free with continued Russian meddling in her country all these decades." In February 2023, Kaptur signed a letter advocating for President Biden to give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

Committee assignments

Committee on Appropriations
- Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development (Ranking member)
- Subcommittee on Defense

Caucus memberships

Congressional Arts Caucus
Congressional Ukrainian Caucus (co-chair)
Congressional Caucus on Poland
Congressional Caucus on Central and Eastern Europe
Congressional Caucus on Hungary
Congressional United Kingdom Caucus
House Baltic Caucus
Climate Solutions Caucus
Blue Collar Caucus

Electoral history

Ohio's 9th congressional district: Results 1982–2022
Year	Democratic	Votes	%	Republican	Votes	%		Third Party	Party	Votes	%		Third Party	Party	Votes	%	Third Party	Party	Votes	%
1982	Marcy Kaptur	95,162	58%	Ed Weber	64,459	39%		Susan Skinner	Independent	1,785	1%		James Somers	Independent	1,594	1%	Brian Muir	Libertarian	1,217	1%
1984	Marcy Kaptur	117,985	55%	Frank Venner	93,210	43%		Other		3,714	2%	*
1986	Marcy Kaptur	105,646	78%	Mike Shufeldt	30,643	22%
1988	Marcy Kaptur	157,557	81%	Al Hawkins	36,183	19%	*
1990	Marcy Kaptur	117,681	78%	Jerry Lammers	33,791	22%
1992	Marcy Kaptur	178,879	74%	Ken Brown	53,011	22%		Edward Howard	Independent	11,162	5%	*
1994	Marcy Kaptur	118,120	75%	Randy Whitman	38,665	25%
1996	Marcy Kaptur	170,617	77%	Randy Whitman	46,040	21%		Elizabeth Slotnick	Natural Law	4,677	2%
1998	Marcy Kaptur	130,793	81%	Ed Emery	30,312	19%
2000	Marcy Kaptur	168,547	75%	Dwight Bryan	49,446	22%		Galen Fries	Libertarian	4,239	2%		Dennis Slotnick	Natural Law	3,096	1%
2002	Marcy Kaptur	132,236	74%	Ed Emery	46,481	26%
2004	Marcy Kaptur	205,149	68%	Larry Kaczala	95,983	32%
2006	Marcy Kaptur	153,880	74%	Bradley Leavitt	55,119	26%
2008	Marcy Kaptur	222,054	74%	Bradley Leavitt	76,512	26%
2010	Marcy Kaptur	121,819	59%	Rich Iott	83,423	41%
2012	Marcy Kaptur	217,771	73%	Samuel J. Wurzelbacher	68,668	23%		Sean Stipe	Libertarian	11,725	4%
2014	Marcy Kaptur	108,870	68%	Richard May	51,704	32%	*
2016	Marcy Kaptur	193,966	69%	Donald Philip Larson	88,427	31%	*
2018	Marcy Kaptur	152,682	68%	Steve Kraus	73,183	32%	*
2020	Marcy Kaptur	190,328	63%	Rob Weber	111,385	37%
2022	Marcy Kaptur	150,655	56%	J.R. Majewski	115,362	43%

*In 1984, all 3,714 votes for other candidates are considered write-in ballots. In 1988, 72 write-in ballots were cast. In 1992, 50 write-in ballots were cast. In 2014, write-in candidates Cory Hoffman and George A. Skalsky received 112 votes and 29 votes, respectively. In 2016, write-in candidate George A. Skalsky received 5 votes.

Personal life

Kaptur is a Roman Catholic. In her letter to NETWORK Lobby, she wrote: "The Roman Catholic faith is a central pillar of my being, particularly as an American of Polish heritage". She describes her Catholicism as an element of her Polish heritage, stating that the Catholic Church gave her "ancestors worth and hope — during times of bondage, repression, punishment, war, illness, and harrowing economic downturns". Kaptur also expressed her admiration for Catholic social teaching, especially the option for the poor. Because she mixes Political Catholicism with her progressive persona, The Washington Post described her as "an economic populist from America’s heartland with progressive values and a conservative disposition".