Democratic Ohio Rep. Kaptur narrowly wins re-election, keeping Republican majority at 218 seats

Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur has won her 22nd term in Congress in northwest Ohio, defeating her Republican challenger and holding on to her seat in one of the most closely watched races in the country.

Kaptur defeated Ohio state Rep. Derek Merrin, according to The Associated Press, which called the race Wednesday at 1:02 p.m. With 99% of precincts reporting, Kaptur led Merrin with 48.27% of the vote to 47.63%, a lead of 2,382 votes. 

Though the race was not called on election night, Kaptur had declared victory early on Nov. 6. Her win will keep the incoming Republican House majority at 218 seats, while Democrats hold 213. 

“Tonight, 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,” her campaign said in a statement. “This campaign has always been about the strength and resilience of our communities, and tonight we celebrate not just a victory but a renewed commitment to the belief that what America makes and grows, makes and grows America.”

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Ohio state Rep. Derek Merrin and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur. (Getty Images)

Kaptur was one of eight Democrats running in 2024 in a district that voted for Trump in 2020. Trump won the state of Ohio by 8 points in 2020.

Heading into the election, Republicans were optimistic they could flip the seat after redistricting following the 2020 census brought more Trump-friendly areas into the district.

Merrin took aim at Kaptur’s long tenure in Congress by pushing for term limits and criticizing the congresswoman for sponsoring only five bills on her own that became law in 41 years.

“Marcy Kaptur hasn’t done squat for the four decades she has served in Congress,” Merrin told Fox News Digital earlier this year, arguing that Kaptur will “continue the ineffective status quo.”

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State Rep. Derek Merrin talks to reporters on Feb. 15, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Samantha Hendrickson, file)

Merrin’s campaign also focused on Kaptur’s voting in line with the Biden administration 100% of the time.

Pro-Kaptur ads running on radio and television in Toledo focused on Merrin’s past support for convicted politician Larry Householder, attempted to paint him as a radical on the abortion issue and called him a “corporate puppet.”

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Rep. Marcy Kaptur speaks at the VFW Post 2529 Annual Corn Roast in Sandusky, Ohio, on Aug. 20, 2022. (Bill Clark/Getty Images)

“I would put my record up against any person in the current Congress and even some who have preceded me,” Kaptur said in a recent interview. “And I defy my opponents to even show anything they’ve done that comes close to what we have been able to accomplish because of that seniority.”

Kaptur was viewed as one of the most vulnerable members of the House heading into the 2024 election.

“This is seen by everybody around the country as what may be the best pickup opportunity we have to flip a blue seat to red,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said while rallying for Merrin in October.