Balderson Declared Winner in a Squeaker

With all board of elections reporting final election figures from the August 7 special election, Republican Troy Balderson has been declared the winner with 50.12% of the vote. He will succeed Pat Tiberi who held the seat since 2001. Balderson’s winning margin of 0.8% exceeded the 0.5% threshold for automatic recount.

According to the OMA’s Ohio Election Guide, the district has a 60.32% Republican index. In his last re-election, Tiberi garnered over 66% of the vote, beating the index, while Balderson underperformed the index substantially.

The contest was closely watched nationally for indications of a potential “blue wave” in Ohio.

Balderson will defend the seat in a rematch against the same opponent, Democrat Danny O’Connor, in November. 8/30/2018