The long goodbye for Congressman Dennis Kucinich

CLEVELAND - A day after Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur took four of five counties in the newly redrawn 9th district, some in the Lakewood community are still in awe.

“I thought for sure he would get it,” said Robert Wilhelm. “I thought he was well liked."

Dennis Kucinich, a two time presidential candidate, had nothing but praise for the people who came out and voted for him.

“This community gave me 75 percent of the vote,” Kucinich said while talking to reporters at Cleveland Hopkins Airport. “I’m grateful for that, but you have to do well in all five counties. I did well in just one.”

Some residents we spoke with in the Lakewood community said they will miss the congressman who they said was very accessible.

“I think he’s done a lot for northeast Ohio,” said Carolyn Miller, while jogging in Lakewood. “I know he’s been in there and he’s got a lot of power in the house and that’s why he was able to get things done for us."

While waiting for the bus, Louis Lugo and his friend Michelle Brickman said they voted for the congressman in the past.

“I was always told that if I needed anything I could go to him,” Brickman said.

Lugo remembered a time when Kucinich first ran for office and he and his girlfriend hit the pavement trying to help him get elected.

“He was trying to win his race for congress and I said let’s work on it. Me and my girlfriend went campaigning for him.”

The new district stretches more than 100 miles and covers about 47 percent of Kaptur’s current district. Some believe that gave her an edge.

When confronted with that question, Kucinich evaded it.

“The reason why I ran was to try and keep a congressional seat in this community,” he said.

There has been some talk of him running for office in Washington State, but Kucinich thinks that rumor came from the Kaptur camp.

“The people who were promoting that during the election used that as an issue to try and get people to vote against me."