You might not think that a Democratic Party congressional primary fight between two House incumbents in Ohio would matter to northeast Indiana. Particularly one that includes former longshot presidential candidate and former Cleveland mayor Dennis Kucinich.
US Representative Dennis Kucinich announced that he would challenge US Representative Marcy Kaptur (D - Toledo) for the Democratic nomination in Ohio's new 9th District. Representative Kaptur is the longest serving woman in the US House of Representatives.
The Ohio congressional map was redrawn by that state's legislature to stretch the district Ms. Kaptur represents in a long arc along Lake Erie from Toledo to Cleveland. The new district will emphatically favor the Democrat nominee. The Republican nominee may be Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, more widely known as "Joe the Plumber." Mr. Kucinich had earlier explored moving to the Seattle area to run in Washington State or to challenge US Representative Marcia Fudge in her Cleveland district.
So, if the district is going to be represented by a Democrat, northeast Indiana should hope that the Democrat nominated is Toledo's Marcy Kaptur.
Ms. Kaptur has been instrumental in working with former Representatives Long, Souder and Gillmor on the Fort to Port highway improvements. Further, she knows the watershed issues regarding the Maumee Valley and she has supported efforts to focus more attention on the historic and cultural heritage of the Maumee Valley. I have had the opportunity to speak at some length with US Representative Kaptur on those Maumee River valley matters; she is a resource for improving transportation and economic development between Fort Wayne and Toledo.
I agree on this one. Marcy Kaptur has been the ninth representative a long time and has always supported local issues. Her immediate predecessor, Ludlow Ashley, actually gave me my nomination to the Air Force Academy back in 1977.
Posted by: Jim Howard | December 31, 2011 at 07:18 PM