One hundred twenty-six votes. That is the entire margin in the race for Ohio House District 75 — which covers nearly all of Wood County — and it is still too close to call.

In the unofficial count, incumbent Rep. Haraz Ghanbari (R-Perrysburg) leads challenger Rick Rettig (D-Perrysburg) by just 126 votes: Ghanbari with 23,193 votes (50.14%) to Rettig’s 23,067 (49.86%).

The outcome now turns on 1,355 provisional ballots that still need to be counted before a winner can be declared, according to Wood County Board of Elections Co-Director Terry Burton, speaking in an interview on the Bowling Green Chamber’s Clint Interviews on Nov. 6.

Ohio voters who cast provisional ballots have until Saturday, Nov. 7, at 5 p.m. to cure them. The Wood County Board of Elections meets Monday, Nov. 17, at 8:30 a.m. to accept and count approved provisional ballots, and again Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 8:30 a.m. to certify the results.

Bricker Graydon‘s 2026 election memo also lists the race as too close to call, with a possible recount. Official election information is available from the Ohio Secretary of State.

Ghanbari was appointed in 2019 and is serving his third term. A Navy Reserve commander, he chairs the House Small Business Committee. Rettig is a retired teacher and school counselor and president of Perrysburg City Council.

Wood County is not the only place still waiting. The neighboring District 44 race was even tighter, separated by just 56 votes. Read our earlier report: 56 Votes Apart: This NW Ohio House Race Still Isn’t Decided — Provisional Ballots Will Call It.

Photo: DPLA / Wikimedia Commons