More than a week after the election, Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), a House Appropriations Committee member who has served in congress for more than 40 years, still clung to a small lead over her GOP challenger.
In Ohio’s 9th congressional district, Kaptur led with a sliver. As of deadline Friday for Weapons Complex Monitor, with more than 366,000 votes cast, Kaptur has an edge of less than 1,200-votes over Republican challenger Derek Merrin, according to Ohio election results. Kaptur is listed with more than 48.1% of the vote and Merrin 47.8%. A Libertarian candidate garnered 4% of the vote.
The district was one of only a few House races still undecided as of deadline morning, Nov. 14, CBS News reported. Roughly 94% of the vote has been reported, CBS said. The count was almost academic at deadline, when Republicans won the 218 seats needed for a majority in the chamber.
Merrin is state representative from Lucas County serving his fourth term in the Ohio legislature, according to his online bio.
“Our team is working to ensure every vote is properly counted so an accurate tally can be determined,” Merrin said Nov. 6 on the X social media platform.
A Toledo, Ohio native, Kaptur was first elected to congress in 1982 and in recent years has been either chair or ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations energy and water development subcommittee.
