Ohio GOPers ditch Trump-bashing candidate for last-minute recruit in primary chaos: report

Ohio Republicans are desperate to stop scandal-plagued 2022 House candidate J.R. Majewski from a second nomination in 2024 against Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur — and according to Politico, they've managed to push a new candidate into the race after cracks emerged in their previous pick.

But they're not out of the woods yet, reported Ally Mutnick, because they now face the prospect of a three-way race that could let Majewski walk away with it all anyway.

"A heavy last-ditch recruitment effort from House Republican leaders pushed Ohio state Rep. Derek Merrin to jump into a chaotic primary for a Toledo-based district just before the state’s Wednesday filing deadline," said the report. "The GOP was left reeling last week when their preferred candidate, Craig Riedel, was caught on tape bashing former President Donald Trump, setting off a mad dash to find a new recruit to beat veteran Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur."

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Majewski, an Air Force veteran and QAnon promoter who starred in a pro-Trump rap video and turned his lawn into a Trump sign in the previous election, was derailed by reports showing he misrepresented his military service, saying he worked "combat" missions in Afghanistan when he was really just loading planes in Qatar.

He also faced a rank demotion after a DUI arrest in Japan, which he had initially tried to cover up, and now claims is not a big deal because Japan's DUI rules are too harsh.

Majewski has also claimed that the charge of lying about his military service has been debunked, citing as proof a Breitbart article reporting the Air Force updated his record to include the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. But this medal is not given for combat and doesn't imply he served in Afghanistan.