'Left behind': Vulnerable Dem incumbent in key swing state slammed for putting 'knife in back' of workers

TOLEDO, Ohio – Ohio GOP State Rep. Derek Merrin, who is running for Congress against vulnerable Democrat incumbent Marcy Kaptur, spoke to Fox News Digital about why the issues affecting Northwest Ohioans in 2024 are putting Kaptur’s 41-year tenure in Congress in jeopardy.

"Northwest Ohio has been left behind for many years because of Marcy Kaptur and Marcy Kaptur’s values do not represent northwest Ohio," Merrin told Fox News Digital at the Lucas County GOP Headquarters about why he decided to enter the race to try to unseat the longtime Democratic congresswoman. 

"I felt there's a real opportunity to win this race. There's a real opportunity to change and I really believe that the future of our country is at stake and we have to stop the liberal policies of Joe Biden and Marcy Kaptur of the Democratic Party to save our country."

Kaptur, currently serving her 21st term in Congress representing Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, is considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the House. While the Cook Political Report ranks her race as "Lean Democrat," redistricting following the 2020 census has Republicans believing the seat is a prime opportunity to ensure control of the House and that they can flip the seat.

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Merrin told Fox News Digital that he expects a significant number of Independents, and some Democrats, to support his candidacy pointing to the "ineffectiveness" of Congress and unpopular Democrat policies.

"The vast majority of Americans are fed up with the Democratic Party but guess what?" Merrin said. "Not everyone's a Republican. People want policy. They want to lower the cost of living. They want secure borders, and they're tired of the political class. I'm going to pick up votes from Democrats. I'll pick up a lot of votes from independents because my message and policies are aligned with what they want to see happen."

"They want to pay less money at the pump. They want their health insurance to go down. They want their housing costs to go down. They want their insurance costs to go down. They want to be able to take their family out to eat for under $100 every time they go out to eat. And I'm going to work on policies that are going to get our country moving again, that are going to bring back American jobs and to lower the cost of living and to secure our border." 

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Kaptur is one of eight Democrats running in 2024 in a district that voted for Trump in 2020. Trump won the state of Ohio by 8 points in 2020 and is expected to equal or surpass that in 2024.

"This is a new district," Merrin said. "This is a Republican-leaning district and Marcy Kaptur’s values are being exposed for what she's actually done in Washington, D.C. She doesn't believe anyone should be allowed to drive a gas-powered car. She believes basically everyone needs to pay more taxes. She puts illegal immigrants ahead of United States citizens. And when people realize her record and her failure, she's been one of the most ineffective Congress people passing legislation in our country. People want change. They're worse off than they were four years ago, and I think they're looking for a new change and I'm going to deliver it." 

Merrin told Fox News Digital that when he goes around his district talking to voters, it’s clear that the economy and inflation are the number one cause for concern.

"The cost of living, I mean, you look, you can't take a family of four out in northwest Ohio at a restaurant for under $100 and people can't afford it," Merrin said. "You look at car insurance, you look at home insurance, you look at the cost of living overall. It's hurting people and people are very uncertain on where we're at and they're looking for policies that are going to lower the cost of living, lower the cost of energy and make their lives better. People want their kids to be able to experience the American dream that they were able to experience. And I think most families believe that's in jeopardy right now."

Pro-Merrin ads running on television in northwest Ohio have highlighted Kaptur’s record of voting with the Biden administration 90% of the time, and Kaptur has also faced criticism from Merrin for introducing just 5 bills that have become law in 41 years, which her campaign pushed back on citing hundreds of bills that she has cosponsored.

"Yes, they do," Merrin told Fox News Digital if voters in his district are in favor of term limits. "People want term limits for members of Congress. I support term limits. I've signed a pledge to support legislation that would limit members of Congress in the House to three terms and I think that's a winning message that's resonating with voters."

Merrin also hit Kaptur on illegal immigration and said that Ohioans are "fed up" with the negative consequences stemming from the millions of illegal immigrants who have entered the country over the last four years.

"Crime has surged among our community and a large part of it's due to illegal immigration," Merrin said. "I mean, tens of thousands of people are in northwest Ohio here illegally and it's just we're tired and fed up with it."

"We want to put American citizens first. They're burdening our health care system, our education system and our criminal justice system. And it's not too much to ask to say, hey, our federal government needs to secure our borders and put American citizens first and Marcy Kaptur, she's put a knife in the back of the American people, in union workers, allowing illegal immigrants to come in and take their jobs. It's an outrage. It's outrageous. She's not a proponent of the working man in middle class America. She's doing everything she can to undermine the traditional values of our country in the working class of our country."

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Merrin, who had over 20 supporters at the Lucas County GOP HQ making calls for him on Saturday, told Fox News Digital he is encouraged by the enthusiasm he sees from Republicans voting early in his district and said there is "more enthusiasm" on his side than Kaptur's.

"Republicans are fired up," Merrin said. "And people that are fed up with Marcy Kaptur and the Democratic policies are fired up. We got a lot of momentum. Listen, they are pouring millions of dollars against me right now to defeat me and to try to hold me back because they know we're very close to winning this race."

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Kaptur's campaign called Merrin a "puppet" politician and referenced Merrin's past support for convicted politician Larry Householder.

"Unlike Congresswoman Kaptur, who has stood up to her own party and worked across the aisle to deliver for working families, Derek Merrin is a puppet politician with no spine who sells out working Ohioans to pad his corporate masters' pockets, including voting to hike energy rates for Ohio families after taking campaign cash from a now-imprisoned politician who Merrin voted to keep in office AFTER he was indicted," the campaign, who has been running ads with a similar message, said. 

The Merrin campaign responded to those ads over the weekend calling them a "desperate and pathetic attempt to distract voters from Marcy Kaptur’s failed policies."