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.

[7] She began doctoral studies in urban planning development finance at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1981.

She was director of planning for the National Center for Urban Ethnic Affairs from 1975 to 1977, founded by Geno Baroni.

[9] While at MIT, Kaptur was recruited to run for Congress in 1982 against freshman Republican Ed Weber, who had upset 26-year incumbent Lud Ashley two years earlier.

[11][12] In 1984, Kaptur faced a strong challenge from Republican Frank Venner, longtime anchorman and weatherman at WTVG, but defeated him 55–44%,[13] even as Ronald Reagan carried the district.

The new map put the home of incumbent 10th district congressman Dennis Kucinich into the 9th, so they ran against each other in the Democratic primary.

[23] The reconfigured 9th was no less Democratic than its predecessor, and Kaptur had effectively clinched reelection by defeating Kucinich in the primary.

Kaptur's 2014 opponent was Richard May, a longtime Republican activist from west Cleveland, who beat Lakewood resident Robert C. Horrocks Jr. in the May 6 primary.

Kaptur's 2016 opponent was Donald Larson, who defeated Steven Kraus and Joel Lieske in the Republican primary on March 15.

Kaptur's 2020 opponent was Rob Weber, who defeated Charles W. Barrett, Tim Connors, and Timothy P. Corrigan in the Republican primary on March 17.

[25] Kaptur won an extremely close race against Derek Merrin, who had been endorsed by Donald Trump.

[27] In 2016, Kaptur endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders in the Democratic presidential primary, and introduced him at a rally in Toledo.

[28] In October, she endorsed the nominee, Hillary Clinton, who had won Ohio and her district in the primary, at a rally in Toledo.

[citation needed] In 1987, Kaptur introduced the World War II Memorial Act in the House.

[29] The bill authorized the American Battle Monuments Commission to establish a World War II memorial.

[citation needed] Kaptur opposed the America Invents Act that passed into law and changed the U.S. Patent System.

Kaptur has said Ukraine "voted for her own independence and has been laboring to be free with continued Russian meddling in her country all these decades.

"[44] Kaptur signed a letter in 2023 advocating for President Biden to give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

[66][67] 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".

[67] 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".