Ohio 9th District Voter Guide: Kaptur and Merrin on Health Care and Immigration
Two candidates are printed on the Nov. 3 ballot in Ohio's 9th Congressional District: Democratic U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, who has held the Toledo-area seat since 1983, and Republican Derek Merrin, a former state representative from Lucas County. The Digital Free Press voter guide video compares where they stand on health care and immigration.
The race is a rematch. Kaptur defeated Merrin in 2024 by 2,382 votes, 181,098 to 178,716, according to the Ohio Capital Journal. The Ohio Redistricting Commission then redrew the district in 2025. The Ohio Capital Journal reported that President Donald Trump would have carried the new district by 10.6 percentage points in 2024, compared with about 7 points under the old lines. Ballotpedia also lists one registered write-in candidate.
The Cook Political Report rates the race a toss-up, and Inside Elections shifted it to toss-up in mid-October, according to a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee release dated Oct. 19. The only public polls are the parties' own internal surveys. An NRCC poll released in May had Merrin at 47% and Kaptur at 43%. A DCCC Analytics poll of 481 likely voters taken Sept. 22 and 23 had the two tied at 48%. As of their latest filings, Kaptur reported about $697,000 in cash on hand and Merrin about $430,000, the Ohio Capital Journal reported.
Why Health Care and Immigration Are Issues in Ohio's 9th District
Health care has been central to Kaptur's campaign. She voted against the 2025 budget law, the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," and her office said the law would strip coverage from 216,000 residents of the district, a figure that is her office's estimate. Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is scheduled to campaign with Merrin in Lucas County on Oct. 29, have focused on border enforcement and costs. The district runs along the Michigan border and the Lake Erie coast from Toledo to Sandusky and includes large farm areas, where Kaptur says input costs and tariffs are top concerns.
Marcy Kaptur (Democrat, Incumbent)
Kaptur, of Toledo, is the longest-serving woman in congressional history, according to the Ohio Capital Journal. Before Congress, she worked as an urban planner, including in the administration of President Jimmy Carter, according to Ballotpedia.
On health care, the video says Kaptur "supports strengthening the Affordable Care Act" and "opposed the 2025 budget law's health care cuts, warning they would raise coverage costs." Both points match the record. The nonpartisan Guides.Vote summary quotes her as supporting a stronger Affordable Care Act "so health care remains a right, not a privilege." In a July 3, 2025, statement on her House vote against H.R. 1, Kaptur said the bill "cuts more than $1 Trillion from Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act" and "increases out-of-pocket costs for individuals earning as little as $1,300 per month." At an early-voting event on Oct. 28, she said Republicans "tried to rig the tax code and take health insurance away from our people," 13 ABC reported.
On immigration, the video says Kaptur "supports secure borders, legal immigration, and a path to citizenship for DACA dreamers" and "wants ICE officers to wear identification and use body cameras." In a Jan. 22, 2026, statement on her vote against a Homeland Security funding bill, she said, "We can secure our borders and protect our communities without abandoning the United States Constitution," and added, "Law enforcement must be identifiable and accountable. Masks with no badges, no body cameras, and no oversight have no place in a democracy." In 2017, after the Trump administration moved to end the DACA program, she urged Congress "to codify the DACA program into law."
Derek Merrin (Republican)
Merrin, of Monclova Township, is a real estate investor who served in the Ohio House from 2016 to 2024, according to Ballotpedia. He won a five-candidate Republican primary in May. His campaign says he "led the fight for conservative values at the Ohio Statehouse."
On health care, the video says Merrin "backed repealing the Affordable Care Act in 2017," "favors fewer regulations to improve patient access" and "wants to lower prescription drug costs." The Ohio House record shows Merrin was a cosponsor of House Concurrent Resolution 6 in 2017, which urged Congress "to continue its efforts to fully repeal the Affordable Care Act." The Guides.Vote summary says he supports "better patient access," and his campaign has released a video on lowering prescription drug costs that points to his legislative record.
On immigration, the video says Merrin "supports tougher enforcement and deporting criminal undocumented immigrants" and "would withhold federal funding from sanctuary cities." At an April primary debate hosted by VoteRPac in Toledo, Merrin said, "Amnesty is a disaster. It encourages more illegal immigration," and, "I think they need to go home and we need tough enforcement mechanisms. We need secure borders." On sanctuary cities, he said, "I think we need to withhold federal funding from (sanctuary cities) until they come into compliance and do their part to honor our laws," the Ohio Capital Journal reported.
Where to Follow the Candidates
Marcy Kaptur: @Marcy_Kaptur on X. Derek Merrin: @DerekMerrin on X.
No general-election debate between the two had been announced as of Oct. 28. Merrin has said Kaptur will not debate him because she "doesn't want to be held accountable," in remarks aired by C-SPAN. In 2024, Kaptur's campaign declined The Blade's invitation to debate Merrin, the Toledo newspaper reported.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. This guide is for information only; The Digital Free Press does not endorse any candidate.
Yossi Schmidt, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Digital Free Press
Hold Everyone Accountable.
Sources: Ohio Capital Journal (Oct. 28, 2026): https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/10/28/ohio-democrats-outraise-republicans-in-home-stretch-of-key-u-s-house-races/ ; Ohio Capital Journal, Republican primary debate (April 20, 2026): https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/04/20/all-five-republican-candidates-running-for-ohios-9th-congressional-district-debate-before-primary/ ; Cook Political Report, OH-09: https://www.cookpolitical.com/house/race/483821 ; DCCC, Inside Elections rating change: https://dccc.org/%F0%9F%9A%A8-ratings-change-inside-elections-shifts-oh-09-to-toss-up-as-momentum-continues-to-build-behind-marcy-kaptur/ ; DCCC polling memo: https://dccc.org/dccc-polling-memo-oh-09-is-a-dead-heat/ ; NRCC poll (May 15, 2026): https://www.nrcc.org/2026/05/15/nrcc-releases-battleground-polling-in-oh-09/ ; Ballotpedia News (Aug. 6, 2026): https://news.ballotpedia.org/2026/08/06/redistricting-redraws-ohios-9th-district-ahead-of-2026-kaptur-merrin-rematch/ ; Ballotpedia, Ohio's 9th Congressional District election, 2026: https://ballotpedia.org/Ohio%27s_9th_Congressional_District_election,_2026 ; Rep. Kaptur, H.R. 1 vote (July 3, 2025): http://kaptur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/kaptur-defends-ohios-working-families-seniors-veterans-votes-no-one-big ; Rep. Kaptur, Homeland Security funding vote (Jan. 22, 2026): http://kaptur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/kaptur-calls-transparency-and-oversight-rejecting-latest-homeland ; Rep. Kaptur, DACA (Sept. 5, 2017): http://kaptur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/kaptur-statement-trump-administration-decision-end-daca-program ; Ohio House, House Concurrent Resolution 6, 132nd General Assembly: https://ohiohouse.gov/legislation/132/hcr6 ; Guides.Vote, OH-09 voters guide: https://guides.vote/guide/2026-ohio-oh-09-us-house-voters-guide/ ; Derek Merrin campaign: https://www.derekmerrin.com/ ; Derek Merrin campaign video on drug costs: https://www.facebook.com/derekmerrinforohio/videos/lower-prescription-drug-costs/1588370666079794/ ; 13 ABC (Oct. 28, 2026): https://www.13abc.com/2026/10/28/kaptur-makes-early-vote-push-with-students-union-workers-lucas-county/ ; C-SPAN: https://www.c-span.org/clip/campaign-2026/us-house-candidate-derek-merrin-says-rep-kaptur-wont-debate-because-she-doesnt-want-to-be-held-accountable/5207762 ; The Blade (Sept. 27, 2024): https://www.toledoblade.com/local/politics/2024/09/27/kaptur-campaign-turns-down-blade-invitation-debate-merrin/stories/20240927167
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