Dennis Kucinich concedes defeat to Marcy Kaptur in Ohio Democratic primary

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

Rep. Dennis Kucinich, a liberal establishment in the House, conceded defeat Tuesday night in Ohio's 9th district Democratic primary to longtime Rep. Marcy Kaptur.

The Democratic primary was overshadowed Tuesday night by the competitive contest in Ohio's Republican presidential primary between Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum. The Democratic contest, however, was also hard-fought.

Kucinich made his concession speech just past midnight Wednesday, when Kaptur had a 24-point lead with 84 percent of precincts reporting, according to the Associated Press.

Both well-known Democrats, the 15-term Kaptur ended up competing against the eight-term Kucinich after Ohio lost two congressional districts because of the state's declining population. Kaptur started the race with an edge in the new 9th district, which retained more of her old district than Kucinich's.

Kucinich told Hotsheet in December that he would approach the race "in the spirit of friendship," but ultimately, the race became heated. In his concession speech, the AP reports, Kucinich charged his opponent "ran a campaign lacking in integrity, filled with false truths."

During the campaign, Kucinich -- an outspoken anti-war liberal -- attacked Kaptur for voting to fund "Bush's wars," voting for the Patriot Act, backing the Keystone XL pipeline and opposing gay marriage, among other things. Kaptur, meanwhile, slammed Kucinich for voting against bills that would have brought in funds for new manufacturing jobs and veterans' care.

Outside groups also jumped into the mix: For instance, the Texas-based political action committee Campaign for Primary Accountability ran an ad charging Kaptur of paying her taxes late.

After the results were in, Kaptur said on MSNBC that voters were interested in jobs and the economy.

"Our people are bread and butter people, they want to grow this economy," she said. "They expect the president and expect representatives in the Capitol to represent those interests strongly, and I think that's what they voted for tonight."

Now that she has the Democratic nomination, Kaptur will run in the 9th district against Samuel Wurzelbacher -- also known as "Joe the Plumber" from the 2008 presidential campaign -- who won the GOP nomination.

In another notable Ohio congressional race, seven-year incumbent Republican Jean Schmidt was surprisingly defeated in the GOP primary by outsider Brad Wenstrup, a podiatrist and former Cincinnati mayoral candidate. Wenstrup was holding a 6-point lead with 99 percent of precincts reporting, according to the AP.

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Super Tuesday

[takacrat]

This Anti-War Health Care Killer and Cummings from Baltimore needed this 4 years ago. These two Congressman's with Obama has done nothing but kill all bills that help Military and Civilians war injuries. I was medevac out of Iraq, treated at a Military Hospital, then flown to DFW in a wheelchair, pushed by a nurse, that was changing my bandages, then AIG dropped me because of missing medical records in Iraq. Both Kucinich and Cummings turned their backs and did nothing to help me. To this day AIG will not pay my Medical bills or my back wages. I filed for SS and was approved in 101 days, from start to finish. I'm now on 1245.00 a month with medical from SS Disability! These two lowlifes will never see food stamps, or beg for money to pay there light bills, I had no heat for three winters, or AC in the summers, and all the time, LIES from these people!! Going To Hell in a Hand Basket is to Good for You-all!!!!

[wfw3536]

This guy was a loser, he needed a ride on Air Force One to vote for the terrible Health Care Bill, he even sued the government about his tooth. Anyone is better than this guy.

[retiredgustav]

He was against it because he wanted a single payer plan, nothing else.

[MsEBL]

http://evilbloggerlady.blogspot.com/2012/03/goodbye-mr-kucinich.html Good bye Mr. Kucinich...now he will either return to his home planet or a gig at MSNBC.

[Kaizer_Soze]

Winning seats by redistricting or, more accurately, not really representing The People.

[bob_reed]

Sad that this is the state of American politics today. The conservatives say that Kucinich was an "idiot" and a "loony", the liberals think the republican candidates are a bunch of losers who are owned by corporations and the rich. There is almost no respect between the two camps. And that is why we're declining as a great nation.

[retiredgustav]

As I have said before it is the RINOs and the DINOs that got most of the work done.

[allrightallreadym]

You sound reasonable. Yes the far left and far right are both sickening and they simply too dumb to realize it.

[Vaudiophile]

Listen, whether you agreed with Kucinich or not, I believe he had a rare tendency to stick to his beliefs of what was right, and wanted to do the right thing for the people he represented. We're losing people like this on both sides of the aisle one-by-one. Pretty soon we'll have buckets of candidates that fall exactly in line with pre-selected party positions without question. We're almost there as it is, and it hasn't been a healthy recipe for America so far. I can't imagine that it will be in the future. Both of these parties are going to have to get back to actually doing what they were meant to do. We can't go on with Republicans that are fiscally irresponsible (no matter what they say) and Democrats that are too afraid to push social change/equality issues (who tip-toe around saying anything). That's pretty much the only two things you guys do well. Get back to it...Chop-chop

[infantryman1968]

by rightbehind March 7, 2012 4:12 AM EST
The republicans have got to smiling from ear to ear. This guy was highly intelligent and knew the right questions. He was definitely a thorn to republicans.

Reply to this comment ..by peacefulperson March 7, 2012 7:17 AM EST
Like. I lived in his district for several years and he never just rolled over to party-thinking. Rare man today who can think for himself.


LOL!

He rolled for Obama on Obamacare! He was totally against it......

[retiredgustav]

He was against it because he wanted a single payer plan, nothing else.

[retm-w]

He took one for the team, just like your boy santorum.

[erichsh]

"Kucinich charged his opponent "ran a campaign lacking in integrity, filled with false truths."

What the hell is a "false truth"? Same thing as a "true falsehood"?

[WilliamBayer]

Once upon a time, Kucinich was a great mayor in Cleveland. He stood up to the banks and when he wouldn't back down, the banks plunged the city into default concerning loans taken out by previous republican administrations. In Congress, though, he lost connection with his base --- becoming too comfortable with effortless re-election and forgetting how to campaign for anything but president. But he was a free-thinker and Congress will be sorely depleated in actual thinking without him. He could've really helped get Wall Street under control, and I'm sure Wall Street is glad he's gone. Oh well. Maybe he'll run for Mayor of Cleveland again.

[allrightallreadym]

Wall Street was under control until Barney Frank, Chris Dodd and Chuck Schumer pressured them to make NINJA Loans. Wall Street made the NINJA Loans and got as many of them off the books as they could.
Fannie May and Freddie Mac bought many of the NINJA Loans. Wall Street, Wall Street, Wall Street -- Wall Street's "bailout" by Congress was really Congress "bailing itself" out. If our economy would have completely failed (ATM's stopped working, etc.) the mainstream media would have had no choice to explain to the public over and over what actually occurred. Total failure would have resulted in incumbents being thrown out of office en masse.

[john128756]

Good riddance and Marcy Kaptur will be gone in November to a Republican as we take back America from these fascist loving left wing nut jobs.

[mrhatbert]

I don't think "fascist" means what you think it means.