TOLEDO, Ohio—Ohio voters spoke on March 19 in races that could determine which party controls the House of Representatives next year.
While the Sixth Congressional District is safely Republican, the Ninth and 13th Congressional Districts are tossups.
In the GOP primary in the Sixth Congressional District, state Sen. Michael Rulli defeated state Rep. Reggie Stoltzfus and doctor Rick Tsai.
In the Democrat primary, businessman and U.S. Air Force veteran Michael Kripchak defeated cannabis entrepreneur Rylan Finzer.
Mr. Rulli and Mr. Kripchak will be their party’s nominee in the special election and in November to succeed Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), who left Congress in late January to become the president of Youngstown State University.
Although Mr. Rulli is all but guaranteed to win the special election, this election is notable given that the town of East Palestine is in the district. The town experienced a toxic train derailment in 2023. Mr. Tsai is from East Palestine.
Mr. Tsai, who is from East Palestine, campaigned on the train derailment, while Mr. Rulli and Mr. Stoltzfus focused on border security and energy independence.
Additionally, Mr. Rulli will be able to give a tad of breathing room for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who is dealing with a divided and narrow GOP majority in the lower congressional chamber.
Meanwhile, in the Buckeye State’s Ninth Congressional District, state Rep. Derek Merrin won the GOP primary to take on incumbent Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) in the general election. Ms. Kaptur, 77, is the longest-serving female in Congress ever, having been there since 1983. Mr. Merrin defeated former state Rep. Craig Riedel and real estate owner and former mayor of Napoleon, Ohio, Steve Lankenau.
J.R. Majewski, who was the 2022 GOP nominee in the district, lost that year to the 77-year-old Ms. Kaptur, 56.6 percent to 43.4 percent—likely in part because of an Associated Press report alleging that he misinformed people about his military record.
His 2024 campaign also was not without controversy.
In February, Mr. Majewski, 44, compared Democrats’ going after him on the internet to “being in the Special Olympics.”
“No matter how good you perform, you’re still [expletive] retarded,” he said.
In March, he announced the suspension of his campaign.
“While I know I would win, and have a great shot in the general election now that my record has been cleared, it is inevitable that the Deep State will do whatever it takes to fight against me,” Mr. Majewski said in a statement. “Even going as far as attacking my family and once again accusing me of stolen valor.”
He stressed that former President Donald Trump did not ask him to leave the race. He even noted that he would work to reelect him.
Mr. Riedel, 57, lost the support of House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) after a recording came to light courtesy of major Trump supporter Charlie Kirk’s radio show in which Mr. Riedel said of President Trump: “I think he is arrogant. I don’t like the way he calls people names. I just don’t think that’s very becoming of a president.”
The original date of the audio recording is uncertain.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Ms. Stefanik announced the revocation of her endorsement: “Earlier this week, I informed Craig Riedel (OH-09) that I will be withdrawing my endorsement. I was very disappointed in his inappropriate comments regarding President Trump. As we begin 2024, my focus is on ensuring we nominate the strongest candidates on the ballot who are committed to electing President Trump this November and expanding our House GOP Majority.”
Mr. Merrin jumped into the race in December after the audio came to light, even though Mr. Riedel had already about faced to throw his support behind President Trump.
In an interview with The Epoch Times on March 18, Mr. Merrin remarked that the issues he is running on, such as border security and fiscal responsibility, resonate with independents. He said part of his first order of business in the House would be dealing with the crisis at the southern border.
Nonetheless, Mr. Riedel was endorsed by House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and Americans for Prosperity, the largest conservative grassroots organization in the United States.
Mr. Merrin, 38, got a last-minute endorsement from President Trump and was endorsed by Mr. Johnson, Mr. Majewski, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
In the 13th Congressional District, former state Sen. Kevin Coughlin won the GOP primary to take on incumbent Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Ohio), a freshman congresswoman. He defeated U.S. Marine veteran and businessman Chris Banweg and imaging technician Richard Morckel. In addition to 2024, Mr. Morckel also ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2016 and 2020.
Mr. Banweg was endorsed by Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), while Mr. Coughlin was backed by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio)—a split of staunch Trump supporters.
In an interview with The Epoch Times on March 19, Mr. Coughlin said he has the electability factor to unseat incumbent Ms. Sykes.
Madison Gilbert, a Republican, lost to Ms. Sykes in 2022 as she got 47.3 percent of the vote and Ms. Sykes got 52.7 percent. Mr. Coughlin cited Ms. Gilbert’s inexperience, having never previously run for office, as well as a lack of name recognition and relationship with the district’s voters as reasons for her loss.
In contrast, Mr. Coughlin said he has the brand in the district, having represented the area in the Ohio State Senate. Previously, he served in the Ohio House of Representatives. His career in the state legislature spanned 13 years.
Mr. Coughlin said his biggest issues are border security, the economy, and fiscal responsibility. When it comes to issues, he stated that he explains them in a straightforward manner as opposed to using standard talking points.
Additionally, Mr. Coughlin touted his experience of getting things done in the state legislature, where he served between 1997 and 2010, even if it meant going against his own party.
At the end of the day, Ms. Sykes is far-left and votes in accordance with Democrat leadership, he said.
From The Epoch Times