TOLEDO — Early returns in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District rematch Tuesday night gave Republican Derek Merrin a slim lead over Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur — but the numbers came with a major caveat: Lucas County, the Democratic-leaning home county Kaptur needs to win, had reported zero results as of about 8:30 p.m.

Early tallies put Merrin at 17,171 votes to Kaptur’s 15,777, according to Akron Beacon Journal live coverage. Merrin was running ahead in the district’s outlying Republican-leaning counties, while Toledo-area votes had yet to be counted. Follow county-by-county results on the AP county tracker.

The race is a rematch of 2024, when Kaptur defeated Merrin by fewer than 2,400 votes, and is widely expected to rank among Ohio’s tightest contests of the 2026 cycle.

Kaptur, a Toledo native, is seeking a 23rd term as the longest-serving woman in congressional history. She still lives in the house she grew up in. Her campaign has centered on affordability, health security, political corruption, jobs, public safety and preserving Lake Erie.

Merrin, a Monclova Township native, was elected to Waterville city council at 19 and became mayor at 21 before serving as a state representative.

All figures are early, partial and unofficial, and will shift as more precincts report — including all of Lucas County.

Photo: U.S. House of Representatives / Wikimedia Commons