CLEVELAND — Just over two weeks after the Nov. 5 election, the Associated Press has declared longtime incumbent Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur the winner over Republican state Rep. Derek Merrin in the battle for Ohio's 9th Congressional District. The area includes all of Erie County.
Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in House history, had claimed victory over Merrin early in morning hours of Nov. 6, but the race was too close for the AP to call.
The AP says the outcome of the election emerged from final results certified by the Lucas County Board of Elections in Toledo, adding that the final results were slightly outside the 0.5% margin that would have triggered an automatic recount, with Libertarian candidate Tom Pruss scoring about 4% of the vote.
After the results of the election were certified on Wednesday, Kaptur released the following statement:
“The people of Ohio’s 9th District have spoken, and I am deeply grateful for the trust they have placed in me to continue fighting for working families, creating good-paying jobs, protecting healthcare for everyone, and securing Social Security and Medicare so Ohioans can retire with dignity. This campaign has always been about the strength and resilience of our communities, and today we celebrate not just a victory but a renewed commitment to the belief that what America makes and grows, makes and grows America.
“Together, we have delivered for Northwest Ohio, reinvesting in our communities, our industries, and our people. I am inspired by the hardworking people across our district who fuel our economy every day and pledge to continue our work to grow jobs here at home, strengthen our manufacturing sector, and ensure dignity and stability for everyone who works hard and plays by the rules. It is time to put partisanship aside and get back to work for America’s ‘Big Middle.’”
The Toledo native Kaptur has been in Congress since 1983, making her the longest-serving woman in the history of the U.S. House. Besides authoring legislation to support veterans (including the 1993 establishment of the World War II Memorial), she has also positioned herself as against "Wall Street recklessness," opposing free trade agreements like NAFTA while additionally voting against the 2008 Wall Street bailout. She also co-chairs the House Ukraine Caucus, and her current platform focuses on things like protecting Social Security, bipartisan immigration reform, and an "all of the above" approach to energy and the environment.
Kaptur's 2022 race against J.R. Majewski was expected to be a toss-up, but she wound up prevailing comfortably following revelations that Majewski lied about his military record. After more controversy forced Majewski to bow out of the 2024 contest, Ohio Republicans turned to Merrin, an eight-year state representative from Monclova Township who received President-elect Donald Trump's endorsement. Merrin bested former state Rep. Craig Riedel by 18 points in the GOP primary.
Merrin made headlines last year when it appeared he would be elected Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, only for a faction of Republicans to join all Democrats in choosing the more moderate Jason Stephens, a maneuver that has bitterly split the Statehouse GOP. During his time in the General Assembly, numerous bills Merrin has authored have become law, including legislation banning abortion specifically for unborn fetuses diagnosed with down syndrome and a measure helping families of servicemembers and first responders killed in the line of duty gain access to tuition waivers. His latest campaign emphasizes the economy and national debt, border security, continuing fossil fuel production, and combatting algal blooms in Lake Erie.
The Toledo Blade endorsed Kaptur for reelection, lauding her for "working as hard now as she ever did over the last 42 years to bring advantages that can be secured through the federal government to Toledo." The paper did commend Merrin for his support of ethics reform for lawmakers, but expressed concerns that his election "would empower (U.S. House) Speaker (Mike) Johnson to dispute election results again with control of the House this time."
Spending in the battle for Ohio's 9th Congressional District topped $23 million, according to figures compiled by OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan tracker of campaign finance data.