Marcy Kaptur
Marcia Carolyn Kaptur (/ˈkæptər/ KAP-tər; born June 17, 1946) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative from Ohio's 9th congressional district. Now in her 21st term, she has been a member of Congress since 1983.
Marcy Kaptur
A member of the Democratic Party, Kaptur is the longest-serving woman in congressional history (having surpassed Barbara Mikulski in 2023)[1] and the dean of Ohio's congressional delegation.
Early life and education[edit]
Kaptur was born on June 17, 1946, in Toledo, Ohio, the daughter of Anastasia Delores (Rogowski) and Stephen Jacob Kaptur.[2][3] Her parents were both of Polish descent. Her mother was an automobile union organizer and her family operated a small grocery. Kaptur started volunteering with the Ohio Democratic Party when she was 13.[4]
Kaptur graduated from St. Ursula Academy in 1964 and became the first person in her family to attend college.[5][6] She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1968 and a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Michigan in 1974.[7] She did doctoral studies in urban planning development finance at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1981.[8]
Early career[edit]
Kaptur served on the Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions from 1969 to 1975. She was director of planning for the National Center for Urban Ethnic Affairs (1975–1977), founded by Geno Baroni. She later served as a domestic policy advisor during President Jimmy Carter's administration.[9]
Electoral history[edit]
*In 1984, all 3,714 votes for other candidates are considered write-in ballots. In 1988, 72 write-in ballots were cast. In 1992, 50 write-in ballots were cast. In 2014, write-in candidates Cory Hoffman and George A. Skalsky received 112 votes and 29 votes, respectively. In 2016, write-in candidate George A. Skalsky received 5 votes.
Personal life[edit]
Kaptur is a Roman Catholic.[71][72] In her letter to NETWORK Lobby, she wrote: "The Roman Catholic faith is a central pillar of my being, particularly as an American of Polish heritage".[72] She describes her Catholicism as an element of her Polish heritage, stating that the Catholic Church gave her "ancestors worth and hope — during times of bondage, repression, punishment, war, illness, and harrowing economic downturns".[72] Kaptur also expressed her admiration for Catholic social teaching, especially the option for the poor. In 2010, Kaptur withheld her vote on Affordable Care Act until being assured that it would not fund abortion.[73] Because she mixes Political Catholicism with her progressive persona, The Washington Post described her as "an economic populist from America’s heartland with progressive values and a conservative disposition".[73]