After final absentee and provisional ballots were counted, Balderson defeated O'Connor by 1,680 votes — a mere 0.8-percent margin in a district Trump won by 11 points two years ago.


The result fell 520 votes outside the window to trigger an automatic recount.

to certify their election results. After counting absentee and provisional ballots, Balderson defeated Democrat Danny O'Connor by 1,680 votes, a margin of just 0.8 percent ...
http://radio.wosu.org/post/troy-balderson-declared-winner-12th-district-special-election#stream/0

... Joe Manchik, the Green Party candidate in the race, received a total of 1,165 votes, or 0.56 percent.
https://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2018/08/troy_balderson_officially_wins.html

... After final absentee and provisional ballots were counted, Balderson defeated O'Connor by .. a mere 0.8-percent margin in a district Trump won by 11 points two years ago. The result fell 520 votes outside the window to trigger an automatic recount ...
https://www.wcpo.com/news/government/elections-national/troy-balderson-wins-us-house-special-election

... Republicans had to go all-out to keep the district .. spending millions on high-octane television ads targeting Mr. O’Connor and convincing two bitter Republican rivals — Gov. John Kasich and Mr. Trump — to each endorse Mr. Balderson. National Republicans declared victory for Mr. Balderson long before the race was officially called, and Mr. Trump took personal credit for his win ... And in the weeks since the special election, Mr. Trump turned on Mr. Kasich in a tweet, falsely describing Mr. Balderson’s razor-thin victory as a “big win” and blaming Mr. Kasich for “tamping down enthusiasm for an otherwise great candidate” ...
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/24/us/politics/troy-balderson-ohio.html

... O’Connor vastly over-performed in the district President Trump won by 11 points in 2016, and one which has not sent a Democrat to Congress since 1981 ... The two candidates will compete against each other again in November's midterm elections ...
https://www.thedailybeast.com/republican-troy-balderson-officially-wins-ohio-special-election-ap

... Campuses of Ohio State University and several private colleges were empty in August but will be filled with young voters by November ...
https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/08/24/ohio-special-election-results-could-come-today/1043190002/

In the three weeks since the ballots were cast in this special election (has it really been just three weeks?) there have been some changes in the political atmosphere that don't bode well for Republicans 10 weeks from now. Balderson squeaked out a narrow victory for this "safe" seat. Any smart money being placed on the proposition that he cruises to victory come November?