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Major Test of Trump's Clout: Ohio Special Election 'Too Close to Call'

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Republicans are hoping it's a win, but Tuesday's special congressional election in Ohio may not be decided for 10 days. 

More than 8,000 potential votes must still be tallied in a race that ended with Republican Troy Balderson holding a razor-slim lead of only 1,800 votes over Democrat Danny O'Connor.  

Claiming victory, Balderson told supporters, "Over the next three months, I'm going to do everything I can to keep America great."

President Trump tweeted his congratulations to Balderson, but the election board won't begin to count provisional votes and absentee ballots until August 18. If it's still too close, it will trigger a recount under state law.

This Ohio district used to be solidly Republican, so even if O'Connor loses, Democrats will still claim victory. In the 2016 election in the congressional district, the Republican won by over 30-points, and President Trump won by double digits too.
                
The state's Republican governor, John Kasich, told ABC it shouldn't have been this close. "It's really kind of shocking because this should be just a slam dunk and it's not," Kasich said.

This was considered a key test of Trump support because the president campaigned for the Republican.  But Democrats were thought to have turned out more voters. 

It's an encouraging sign for Democrats, who need to win 24 seats in November to take control of the House of Representatives. 

Jonathan Swan, the national political reporter for the website Axios, told CBN News' Faith Nation it will be harder for Democrats than they think. "The House is very much in play. I think you would be foolish to make a confident prediction one way or the other. I think it's very likely that Republicans actually hang on to the House."

Meanwhile, former Michigan state lawmaker Rashida Tlaib has won the Democratic nomination to run unopposed for a House seat, setting her up to become the first Muslim woman elected to Congress. 

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About The Author

Dale
Hurd

Since joining CBN News, Dale has reported extensively from Western Europe, as well as China, Russia, and Central and South America. Dale also covered China's opening to capitalism in the early 1990s, as well as the Yugoslav Civil War. CBN News awarded him its Command Performance Award for his reporting from Moscow and Sarajevo. Since 9/11, Dale has reported extensively on various aspects of the global war on terror in the United States and Europe. Follow Dale on Twitter @dalehurd and "like" him at Facebook.com/DaleHurdNews.