Kaptur defeats 'Joe the Plumber'

Samuel "Joe" Wurzelbacher, who was thrust into the political spotlight four years ago, was beaten in Tuesday's election by Marcy Kaptur, the longest-serving Democratic woman in the House.

Wurzelbacher ran as a Republican in Ohio's 9th U.S. House district in his first shot at public office.

He became an overnight sensation during the 2008 presidential campaign after questioning then-candidate Barack Obama about his economic policies and being repeatedly cited by Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain in a presidential debate.

His sudden fame turned him into a sought-after voice for many anti-establishment conservatives, and he traveled the country speaking at tea party rallies and conservative gatherings.

But he faced an uphill battle against Kaptur in a district stretching from Toledo to Cleveland that is heavily tilted toward Democrats.

Wurzelbacher said he decide to run because he has seen too many people forced out of their homes and driven to leave Ohio because of the poor economy.

Republicans recruited him to run and thought his fame would help bring in enough money to mount a serious challenge. But his fundraising struggled and he ran a low-key campaign that got little attention.

He also drew criticism for remarks he made along the way.

At a fundraising stop in Arizona, he suggested that the United States needs to build a fence at the Mexico border and "start shooting" at suspected illegal immigrants.

The head of the National Jewish Democratic Council criticized Wurzelbacher over a campaign video in which he suggested that Nazi gun controls contributed to deaths during the Holocaust because Jews didn't have firearms to defend themselves. He defended his statements, saying that he did not say that gun control caused the Holocaust.

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Kaptur defeats 'Joe the Plumber'