Rep. Dennis Kucinich defeated by primary challenger

AP

Veteran Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur has defeated longtime Washington colleague Dennis Kucinich in a bruising Ohio showdown made necessary by a newly drawn congressional map.

Kaptur is in her 15th term representing the Toledo area. She ran a campaign that emphasized her record of bringing federal money and projects back to the state.

In a concession speech just past midnight, a bitter Kucinich described Kaptur’s campaign as “lacking in integrity, filled with false truths.”

Kucinich is an eight-term congressman and two-time presidential candidate from Cleveland known for his quirky style and politically combative flair. Last summer, he had flirted with running for an open House seat in Washington state.

The two vied for a newly drawn district that tied Toledo to Cleveland along the Lake Erie shoreline.