Ohio voters fire Dennis Kucinich

Notoriously liberal Dennis Kucinich is out of a job. He was defeated on Tuesday by a rival fellow Democrat, Marcy Kaptur. Kucinich said that Kaptur's campaign was "lacking integrity, [and] filled with false truths."

COLUMBUS, OH (Catholic Online) - Kaptur's victory will pit her against Samuel Jospeh Wurzelbacher, a.k.a, "Joe the Plumber" a conservative who rose to prominence after famously pressing Obama in 2008 on taxes when he made a campaign stop in the area. 

Kucinich has a long and colorful history in politics. He was elected to the city council at age 23, and he became the "boy mayor" of Cleveland at age 31. He has twice run for president. He also attempted to have President George W. Bush impeached over the Iraq war. He is also known for calling to an end to the war on drugs. Kucinich faced recent criticism for publicly mulling the prospect of running for congress in Washington, when it appeared possible that redistricting could leave him without an Ohio seat. 

Kucinich was eventually undone by redistricting, which takes place every 10 years in Ohio. His district was carved by the Republican-controlled legislature in such a way that he was compelled to compete against Kaptur, a prominent and active political figure in her own right.

Attention is now focusing on Kaptur and her upcoming race against Wurzelbacher. Kaptur has pledged to serve her new district with vigor, promising the same level of attention she gave to Lucas County (the Toledo area) for the last 28 years.

Across the country, incumbents are facing off against new challengers, and losing. The pattern isn't typical but is the result of disenchantment with career politicians and those perceived as "insiders." As incumbents are voted out, new names and races develop that give voters fresh choices for leadership. 

It remains to be soon if these changes portend a more profound change in the national political landscape or if change will prove as elusive has it has for the past several years. 

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