Ohio Democrats flip 2 Republican seats; District 10 race unresolved (Tuesday night)

Ohio voters delivered a split verdict Tuesday night in races that could help determine control of the U.S. House, with Democrats flipping two Republican-held congressional seats while Marcy Kaptur survived a late-night scare to secure her 23rd term. Republicans entered the night defending a slim 218-214 majority and needed to hold every single seat to maintain control of the chamber for the next two years.

The stakes could not be higher. All 435 House seats were up for reelection in the 2026 midterms, with 218 the threshold either party needs to control the 120th Congress, according to [your]NEWS. Democrats needed to net just four seats to take the gavel, while Republicans faced the math of perfection: lose a single seat and the majority flips. These contests also marked the first election under Ohio’s new congressional map, approved by the Republican-controlled Ohio Redistricting Commission in October 2025, a redraw that had created what appeared to be more Republican-leaning districts across the state.

Kaptur Holds the Lake Erie Shore Against Late Surge

In northwest Ohio’s 9th Congressional District, which stretches along the southern shore of Lake Erie including parts of Toledo, the night belonged to drama. Republican Derek Merrin held a lead late into the night, and early Wednesday morning he still led by 18.2 points with 48% of the vote counted. But as election officials finished tabulating ballots from Lucas County, the margin evaporated. Kaptur ultimately defeated Merrin by a little over 16,000 votes—a 5% margin—Spectrum News reported.

The victory sends Kaptur back to Washington for her 23rd term beginning this January. She is the longest-serving woman in the history of the House of Representatives, having held the seat continuously since 1983. Merrin, a former Ohio state lawmaker, had challenged Kaptur before: in 2024, he lost to her by less than 2,400 votes, according to the Ohio Secretary of State.

Ohio Democrats flip 2 Republican seats; District 10 race unresolved (Tuesday night) — Photo: yournews.com

Medina and Franklin County Seats Flip Blue

Democrats’ clearest pickups came in districts that had appeared safely Republican under the new map. In the 7th District in the Medina area, Brian Poindexter defeated incumbent Max Miller by 9%, flipping the seat, Spectrum News reported. Early Wednesday morning, Poindexter led 53.8% to 46.2% with 74% of votes counted. Poindexter, who appealed to voters through his working-class background as an ironworker and apprenticeship instructor, campaigned on support for unions and raising the federal minimum wage. Miller had served as an aide in the first Trump White House before winning election to the House in 2022.

In the 15th District covering parts of Franklin County, Democrat Don Leonard also flipped a seat, defeating Republican Mike Carey by a little over 6%, Spectrum News reported. [your]NEWS reported Leonard led by 7.2 points with 97% of the vote counted, and the Associated Press called the race Tuesday night. Leonard, a professor at Ohio State University and political newcomer, unseated Carey, who had represented the district since winning a 2021 special election to replace Steve Stivers. Stivers had left Congress to lead the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.

Southwest Ohio Race Remains Undecided

Not every contest reached a conclusion. In Ohio’s 10th Congressional District in southwest Ohio, the race remained too close to call as of Wednesday morning, the Associated Press reported. Democrat Kristina Knickerbocker held a slight lead over Republican Mike Turner, Spectrum News reported, leaving the final composition of Ohio’s delegation uncertain.

Cincinnati Incumbent Prevails

Elsewhere in the state, Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman was projected to win the 1st Congressional District, defeating Republican Eric Conroy, [your]NEWS reported. With 93% of ballots tallied, Landsman held 54.4% of the vote. The Associated Press called the race late Tuesday night. Landsman, who has represented the Cincinnati area for two terms, had won his previous race by 9.2 points in 2024. His Republican challenger, Eric Conroy, is an Air Force veteran who previously worked at the Central Intelligence Agency.

With District 10 still unresolved, the question hanging over the 120th Congress remains open: whether Democrats can convert these Ohio flips into the four-seat net they need to control the chamber, or whether Republicans will maintain their majority.