Democrats hope Ohio’s 12th congressional special election will herald start of Blue Wave
Democrat Danny O’Connor and Republican Troy Balderson will go head-to-head in a special Congressional election in Ohio’s 12th district today. Following the resignation of Republican Representative Pat Tiberi in January, this election determines the district’s representative for the remainder of the year.
A win by O’Connor will spur the “Blue Wave”—the Democratic Party’s attempt to reclaim the House of Representatives in 2018 midterms. If the Democrats win then, it will serve as either a bellwether for the momentum of the Blue Wave, reflecting an overarching mood towards the Trump administration.
Ohio’s 12th District has been exclusively Republican since the 1980s. Centrist Democrat Danny O’Connor is betting on a more conservative policy mix to seize the win. As it stands, Balderson leads with 44% of the vote, and O’Connor holds 43%.
The Democrats must secure at least two more Senate seats in November to flip 24 seats in the House and control the legislature. A Blue Wave will inhibit the Trump administration’s ability to pass domestic policy in the last two years of his term, limiting him almost exclusively to executive orders on partisan policies. Expect today’s election to generate momentum for the winning party
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