The campaign arm for House Republicans is canceling a major ad buy for a Republican candidate in Ohio after a report said he lied about his military service.
The Associated Press reported this week that J.R. Majewski, who is competing in a northwest Ohio district, exaggerated or misrepresented parts of his resume, including a claim that he deployed to Afghanistan when records show he helped load planes at an air base in Qatar.
The report had an immediate impact on the race against Rep. Marcy Kaptur, a Democrat viewed as vulnerable.
Politico reports the National Republican Congressional Committee canceled plans to spend $960,000 in the Toledo market to boost Mr. Majewski, a Trump-aligned candidate who could still win the race in the district that was redrawn in a way that hurts Ms. Kaptur.
The upheaval over Mr. Majewski reflects broader hand-wringing over the type of candidates that GOP voters are selecting in primaries, often under the influence of Mr. Trump. They are worried the candidates might do poorly in general elections, particularly in a series of Senate races that are winnable for the GOP.
Mr. Majewski has touted his experience as a veteran, saying in a tweet of August 2021: “I’d gladly suit up and go back to Afghanistan tonight and give my best to save those Americans who were abandoned.”
His campaign declined to comment directly to the AP about the questions surrounding his deployment claims.
“I am proud to have served my country,” Mr. Majewski said in a statement to the wire service. “My accomplishments and record are under attack, meanwhile, career politician Marcy Kaptur has a forty-year record of failure for my Toledo community, which is why I’m running for Congress.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.