Ohio Special Election: Trump Congratulates Troy Balderson Before Official Results Declared Winner

Even before official results were declared by authorities, President Donald Trump tweeted out congratulations to Troy Balderson for winning the Ohio’s 12th district special elections on Tuesday.

The president noted that Balderson had won a “great victory during a very tough time of the year for voting," adding that he would “win BIG” in Nov. Both President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence had earlier endorsed and campaigned for Balderson.

Balderson also put out a statement thanking everyone for his victory in the district.

According to latest reports, Balderson was leading the polls by 0.9 percent. His current total was 101,574 which was 1,754 more than his opponent, Democrat Danny O'Connor, who secured 99,820 votes. Though 100 percent of the votes were reported, counting is still going on, CNN reported.

Balderson, who hails from Zanesville, has managed to unite both conservative and mainstream Republicans with his campaign. He even got approval from former Republican leaders who had held the slot. The 57-year-old is a two-term Republican state senator as well.

Meanwhile, soon after Trump's tweet, O’Connor issued a statement saying he "is not conceding yet.” He said it’s going to be a close race and that the results aren’t out yet.

The 31-year-old Democratic representative, who never held a legislative position before, is a sharp critic of Republican tax cuts and recent trade policies. He campaigned for “kitchen table issues” such as health care and infrastructure, and was banking on voter enthusiasm amid the low favorability ratings for Trump to win in the district.

A special election is conducted to fill vacancies that occur before a term ends. In this case, O’Connor and Trump-backed Republican candidate Balderson engaged in a neck to neck fight to replace Republican Representative Pat Tiberi.

Tiberi had resigned in January to work for a business group after nearly 18 years of service. A close win for Balderson will not be a good news for Republicans as it signals a decreased support for them in the red district.

The 12th congressional district, which touches both the city and suburbs of Columbus, rural areas east of Zanesville and the foothills of Appalachia, has been held by Republicans for more than 40 years.