J.R. Majewski, Republican candidate for U.S. Representative for Ohio's 9th Congressional District, speaks at a campaign rally in Youngstown, Ohio, Sept. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar, File)

During an appearance on the “Trifecta Hour” podcast last Friday, Ohio Republican Congressional candidate J.R. Majewski compared Democrats on the internet to Special Olympics athletes and called them an ableist slur.

“Shout out to all the Democrats living in mom’s basement, that like talk s— on the internet,” Majewski said. “It’s like being in the Special Olympics. No matter how good you perform, you’re still a f—ing r—–.”

Majewski is again vying for Ohio’s  Ninth Congressional seat that has been held by Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D) for over 40 years. During the Ohio primary elections on March 19, Majewski will face former Ohio state Rep. Craig Riedel and current Rep. Derek Merrin.

Majewski was the Republican challenger for Kaptur’s seat in 2022, but he was defeated by 35,293 votes. Despite earning former President Donald Trump’s endorsement, Majewski’s campaign took a fatal blow after an Associated Press News report found that he had lied about being deployed in Afghanistan.

After Majewski’s stolen valor incident, the GOP pivoted to Riedel for 2024. After collecting prominent endorsements from far-right leaders like Reps. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Tom Emmer (R-MN), Reidel’s campaign was also severely damaged when leaked audio heard him criticizing Trump as “arrogant.” This led to House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik and U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno pulling their endorsements for Riedel.

Just before the candidate filing deadline, GOP leadership recruited Merrin, and he is poised to receive significant financial support from national PACs. Merrin has his own checkered past as he was once in a position to win Ohio’s House Speaker position before GOP division lost him the necessary votes. Merrin is also a real estate investor who once advocated to eliminate mandatory lead pipe inspections.