A Republican clung to a narrow lead in a hotly contested US House of Representatives race in Ohio early on Wednesday, holding off a strong challenge in the reliably Republican district after a late show of support from President Donald Trump.
Republican Troy Balderson led Democrat Danny O’Connor by about 1,700 votes with all precincts reporting, although the Ohio Secretary of State’s office said a final result would be delayed until more than 8,000 provisional and absentee ballots were counted.
The close race in the Ohio special election became a referendum on Trump’s leadership and a last chance to gauge Democratic strength ahead of November’s midterm elections.
The narrow margin will be little comfort for Republicans anxious about the prospect of a Democratic wave heading into the Nov. 6 elections, and it is certain to encourage Democrats who performed dramatically better than expected in a district Republicans have represented since the early 1980s.
The central Ohio race was the marquee contest on a day when four other states held nominating contests, including a battle for governor in Michigan in which a mainstream candidate beat a progressive, and a high-profile…
