Ohio special election: In final results, Trump-backed Republican wins tight congressional race

Jessie Balmert | Cincinnati Enquirer

Show Caption Hide Caption Trump Campaigns for Balderson in Ohio's 12th President Trump campaigned for Troy Balderson in Delaware County on Saturday.

COLUMBUS - After all votes were counted, Republican Troy Balderson won a surprisingly tight race to replace former U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi in a closely watched central Ohio district.

The final results come more than two weeks after the Aug. 7 special election which drew national attention - and was too close to call on election night.

Balderson, with endorsements from President Donald Trump and Gov. John Kasich, eked out a win over Democrat Danny O'Connor to fill the remaining months of Tiberi's term. The final margin was 1,680 votes, just outside the 0.5 percentage point gap that would have triggered an automatic recount.

"I'm humbled by the support I've received from voters and look forward to representing Ohio's 12th Congressional district in Congress," Balderson said in a statement Friday. He added that O'Connor ran a "hard-fought race."

O'Connor conceded Friday, saying he had called Balderson to congratulate him on his victory.

"The grassroots army we’ve created is not done yet." he said. "In fact, we’re just getting started. We have eleven weeks to keep talking to voters, listening to their ideas, and to bring home a win for working families in Central Ohio this November.”

In an unusual turn of events, Balderson and O'Connor will face off again on Nov. 6, fighting this time for a two-year term in Congress.

Balderson's slim victory allows Republicans to maintain control of a seat that hasn't been ceded to Democrats in decades. Tiberi and Kasich both served the district for years.

The central Ohio race should never have been that close.

Republicans have a distinct advantage in the seven-county, central Ohio district, which includes Columbus' northern suburbs and more rural areas from Mansfield to Zanesville. Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats 2-to-1, and Trump won the district by 11 percentage points in 2016.

O'Connor kept the race tight by winning Columbus' Franklin County, which comprised about one-third of the district's voters.

In the end, O'Connor couldn't overcome Balderson's strong showing in his hometown's Muskingum County and Delaware County, north of Columbus and the wealthiest county in the state.

The special election will serve almost like a test run for November, with both candidates learning valuable lessons about which voters they need to woo.

One new element to the fall race: college students. Campuses of Ohio State University and several private colleges were empty in August but will be filled with young voters by November. Democrats hope that'll be good news for O'Connor.

The Associated Press contributed.