The National Republican Congressional Committee is pulling out of an Ohio Congressional race that was considered a toss-up and possible flip for the GOP.  According to a report from Axios, the committee withdrew a $1 million ad reservation in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, after revelations that Republican candidate, JR Majewski, misrepresented his military service.

Majewski said he served in very difficult conditions in Afghanistan after 9/11. But military service records obtained by the AP show he only went to Qatar and loaded planes.

“They indicate Majewski never deployed to Afghanistan but instead completed a six-month stint helping to load planes at an air base in Qatar, a longtime U.S. ally that is a safe distance from the fighting,” the AP report stated.

“I am proud to have served my country,” Majewski told the AP in a statement. “My accomplishments and record are under attack, meanwhile, career politician Marcy Kaptur has a forty-year record of failure for my Toledo community, which is why I’m running for Congress.”

During the 2020 redistricting cycle, Ohio’s 9th Congressional District was redrawn to favor Republicans. For the last 40 years, Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D, has dominated this seat, consistently winning with 60% to 75% of the vote. Kaptur is the longest serving woman in the history of the House of Representatives. A flip here for Republicans would have been a big victory in their effort to take back a majority in the chamber.

The race was considered a toss up, according to the Cook Political Report. Now without the ad support, it will be significantly more difficult for Majewski to compete against Kaptur.

Majewski describes himself as a commonsense conservative, a “Rush baby”, who will put America first. He’s supported by Donald Trump and has very closely aligned himself with the former president. Majewski even painted a mural of Trump on his front lawn.