Controversial GOP candidate JR Majewski mulls dropping out of Ohio House race

Controversial House candidate J.R. Majewski may be withdrawing from the Ohio Republican House race just days after early voting began in the state.

Majewski, an Air Force veteran, began his second bid to unseat Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) last April.

He won a crowded primary election in 2022 and became the Republican candidate with the support of former President Trump, but his campaign collapsed after it was revealed that he had lied about his military service in Afghanistan. He spent six months at a base in Qatar, according to public records and the Associated Press.

Majewski Confirmed with Politico He is seriously considering quitting his campaign, but has not made a decision yet. He told the media that he told people “what they wanted to hear” to “keep them at bay” while he considered what he would do.

“I’ve had some people ask me to drop out,” he told Politico. “I don’t know what to do yet.”

Sources told the outlet that Majewski said he was in talks with President Trump to take a position. The candidate said he had spoken with the Trump campaign, but said it was not about a potential job.

Majewski has been criticized for his appearance at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, but has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Voting rights group Public Wise previously released a six-figure ad criticizing him, saying he was “affiliated with an alt-right conspiracy group.” He was a promoter of the right-wing conspiracy theory QAnon, the Associated Press reported.

Ohio’s 9th Congressional District has traditionally been Democratic, but the new congressional map makes it more Republican. This has put Kaptur, the longest-serving member in Congress, in the spotlight of the Republican Party.

Majewski still has three weeks until the March 19 Ohio primary, but he has been known to change his mind.

Majewski entered the race last April, but withdrew in May citing his mother’s health. He rejoined the fight against Kaptur last October and has been campaigning for him ever since.

The Hill has reached out to Majewski’s camp for further comment.