Merrin wins GOP Congress primary

SANDUSKY — Former state Rep. Derek Merrin won the Republican primary for the Ninth U.S. House District Tuesday, setting up a fall rematch against veteran Democratic lawmaker Marcy Kaptur. Merrin narrowly lost to Kaptur in 2024 and has vowed to do better this time. Kaptur, meanwhile, has never lost a race since winning her first election in 1982, early in President Ronald Reagan's first term. At Tuesday deadline, State Rep. Josh Williams was headed for a second-place finish, while Madison Sheahan appeared to be fated to finish third. Sheahan made national news when she resigned her job as deputy director of ICE in the Trump administration to run for Congress. Alea Nadeem and Anthony Bruce Campbell trailed behind the other candidates. Nadeem congratulated Merrin. "I am here to help, support and cheer him on as he works to unseat an incumbent who has been in office since 1983," she said. There also will be a Libertarian candidate in the race. At deadline, Matthew Althaus and David Gedert were locked in a tight race that was too close to call. Final results will be published in Thursday's paper.