Jeffries campaigns for Kaptur in Ohio, challenges Trump over Russia sanctions
The House Democratic leader said his party’s prospects remained strong as he visited a closely contested Toledo district and criticized the president’s sanctions waiver.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries campaigned for Rep. Marcy Kaptur in Toledo, Ohio, on October 18, saying Democrats’ prospects for the November 3 midterm election remained strong as they fight for control of the House, the Associated Press reported. The visit put him in a closely contested district that Republicans are trying to win from Kaptur.
Jeffries called House Republicans ‘divorced from reality’ over Speaker Mike Johnson’s suggestion that the election could repeat the Republican sweep of 2024. ‘The climate continues to hold firm,’ Jeffries told the AP of Democrats’ chances. He said the party was arguing for change and a more affordable country.
Why Kaptur’s Toledo seat matters
Kaptur is the longest-serving woman in the House, but Donald Trump has carried her district. She defeated Republican Derek Merrin in 2024; he is seeking the seat again. The contest is among the Ohio House races that could help determine which party controls the chamber. Jeffries has visited about 50 cities to campaign for Democratic candidates, according to the AP.
Kaptur, 80, told the AP that her work extends beyond elections to making a difference in people’s lives. She said she had recovered from injuries suffered when the vehicle in which she was a passenger was struck in August. Jeffries described her as a major figure in the Great Lakes region.
The affordability message also featured in an October 14 interview with MS NOW carried on Jeffries’s official House website. In it, he said Democrats would focus on affordability and seek to regain House control on November 3.
Russia sanctions become a campaign issue
Jeffries also criticized Trump’s decision late Friday to waive provisions of a Russia-sanctions law, saying it undermined democracy and the Ukrainian people. According to the AP, Congress had passed the law to help Ukraine, Trump signed it the previous month, and the provisions were due to take effect on October 18. The AP reported the waiver; the precise legal effect was not immediately clear from the account.
The issue carries particular weight in the Toledo area, which has a large Ukrainian American population. Kaptur founded and co-chairs the bipartisan Congressional Ukraine Caucus. She called Trump’s decision ‘un-American’ and said he had sided with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to the AP.
Lawmakers from both parties expressed outrage over the weekend, the AP reported. Johnson said on Fox News on Sunday that colleagues had raised concerns. He said he had not yet discussed the decision with Trump and wanted to consider its possible unintended consequences.
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Sources and context
- On campaign trail, Jeffries says Republicans are 'divorced from reality'PBS NewsHour / Associated Press
- LEADER JEFFRIES ON MS NOW: “WE’RE GOING TO RELENTLESSLY FOCUS ON OUR AFFORDABILITY AGENDA”Office of Hakeem Jeffries
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.