EXCLUSIVE: NRCC takes on ‘Liberal Marcy Kaptur’ in ads to propel Derek Merrin

Republicans haven’t been coy about their plans to knock off Marcy Kaptur, who has served in the U.S. House since Ronald Reagan was president, and have promised to launch an all-out blitz.

Now, they’re making good on their promise, with the National Republican Congressional Committee launching paid digital ads in the district to help propel Derek Merrin.

“Liberal Marcy Kaptur has spent over 40 years in Congress voting to make life more expensive under every president since Reagan,” the ad’s narrator says. “She voted for open borders, allowing illegals to vote in our elections, and impeaching President Trump not one, not two, but three times. Now liberal Marcy wants to do it all again. Tax hiker, Trump hater, career politician Marcy Kaptur too liberal for Ohio.”

They point to new polling showing Merrin is leading Kaptur. And, Ohio’s new congressional map, passed last year, shifts the district further toward Republicans.

“The new OH-09 district shifted nearly four points towards Republicans and now has the most significant margin of victory for President Trump of any seat held by a Democrat in Congress,” the NRCC said in a Nov. 10, 2025, memo. “OH-09 now includes Paulding, Putnam, and Henry Counties, three of the most Republican counties in the state.

“A Republican won all three counties with more than 80 points in 2024,” the memo added. “Among all members of Congress, none represent a district that favors the opposite party as much as the new OH-09 in terms of presidential margin, with President Trump winning the seat by over 10 points.”

Kaptur, who served as an urban policy advisor during Democratic President Jimmy Carter’s one term in office, has faced questions in recent months about her record and her funding.

Kaptur has accepted money from a pro-transgender PAC for several years, and she has consistently pushed the ideology by either voting or not voting for different bills.

Additionally, while a liberal-leaning group argues that U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, has “voted in favor of retirees each and every time,” an examination of her voting record shows a different story.

Critics note that in March 1983, shortly after she entered Congress, Kaptur voted for H.R. 1900, the Social Security Amendments of 1983. The measure introduced a provision allowing up to 50% of Social Security benefits to be included in taxable income if a taxpayer’s income exceeded specific thresholds.

A decade later, in August 1993, Kaptur voted in favor of H.R. 2264, which increased the portion of Social Security benefits subject to taxation from 50% to 85%.

The NRCC has launched similar ads in Ohio’s First Congressional District, targeting Democratic U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, and the 13th Congressional District, targeting Democratic U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes.