The question for 2026 is whether the summer of surgery absences, the missed votes, and 13 years of low-output incumbency in a city that is younger and more politically engaged than it was in 2012 has created enough of an opening for Gerard or someone else to make this a real race.

"I'm a happy person. God's given me good health, and I know this is what I was meant to do. I want to continue to serve, if the people so choose." — Rep. Marcy Kaptur, June 2025 Marcy Kaptur has dedicated 42 years of her life to public service. She is the longest-serving woman in Congressional history. Her accomplishments are real, her commitment to working-class Ohioans is genuine, and her legacy is substantial. And it's all about to be lost because she wouldn't step aside.