Republican Derek Merrin launches bid for rematch against Rep. Marcy Kaptur

A potential rematch for Ohio's hotly contested 9th Congressional District could be in the works for 2026. That’s after Republican Derek Merrin announced Monday that he will try again to defeat Democratic U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in Congress. The 39-year-old Merrin launched his latest campaign on X. Merrin is a former state representative who won a chaotic GOP primary in 2024 with the help of a Donald Trump endorsement before losing to the 79-year-old Kaptur by fewer than 2,400 votes. Two other Republicans are also running next year.