One of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s favorite congressional candidates is like him in many ways: conservative, deeply religious and fervently anti-abortion.
You won’t find Derek Merrin’s abortion stance on his campaign website, and he hasn’t talked about it in recent interviews. But the 38-year-old state legislator running against Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur has a long history in the Ohio House of Representatives leading measures like a six-week abortion ban and one that would have prosecuted people as young as 13 for seeking an abortion.
Merrin’s record stands out among GOP candidates vying for the frontline districts that will determine the House majority. National Democrats have already seized on Merrin’s record.