Ohio's 12th congressional district is a

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congressional district in central Ohio, covering Athens County, Coshocton County, Fairfield County, Guernsey County, Knox County, Licking County, Morgan County, Muskingum County and Perry County along with parts of

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, Holmes and Tuscarawas counties. The district includes communities east of Columbus including Zanesville,

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, and

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. It is currently represented by Troy Balderson, a member of the Republican Party. Balderson took office following a special election held on August 7, 2018, to replace Rep. Pat Tiberi, who had resigned on January 15, 2018. Balderson was then re-elected in the 2018 general election two months later. From 2003 to 2013 the district included eastern Columbus, including most of its heavily African-American neighborhoods. The district also took in most of its northern suburbs, including Westerville. It was one of two districts that split the state's capital city, the other being the 15th District. For most of the time from the 1980s to the 2000s, it was considered to be less Republican than the 15th, in part due to its large black population. However, redistricting after the 2010 census drew nearly all of the 15th's black constituents into the 3rd District, while the 15th was pushed into more exurban and Republican areas north and east of the capital. It has been in Republican hands since 1920, except for an eight-year stretch in the 1930s and a two-year term in 1980 where the Democratic Party held the seat; in both instances the Democratic incumbent was later defeated by a GOP challenger. In the 2004 presidential election

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narrowly won the district against

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, 51% to 49%. However, in the 2008 presidential election, Democratic candidate

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won the 12th district by a margin of 53% to 46%. After the 2011 redistricting cycle, the district has since been won in larger margins by Republican presidential candidates. In the 2018 special election, Balderson was endorsed by prominent Republicans including President Donald Trump, Governor of Ohio John Kasich (who represented the 12th from 1983 to 2001), and former Rep. Tiberi. The Democratic candidate was Danny O'Connor. The winner was not immediately clear following the unexpectedly competitive August 7 election. Only on August 24 was Balderson officially declared the winner of the special election, which witnessed a significant swing away from the Republican Party as Balderson won with a margin of less than 1%, while fellow Republican Trump had carried the district by 11% in the 2016 presidential election. In 2020 the district swung heavily back to the Republicans as Balderson won by over 14%.

Recent election results from statewide races

Composition

For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), the district contains all or portions of the following counties, townships, and municipalities:https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/cong_dist/cd118/cd_based/ST39/CD118_OH12.pdf
/ref> Athens County (24) : All 24 townships and municipalities Coshocton, County (28) : All 28 townships and municipalities Delaware County (9) : Berkshire Township,

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, Genoa Township, Harlem Township, Kingston Township, Porter Township, Sunbury, Trenton Township, Westerville (part; also 4th) Fairfield County (31) : All 31 townships and municipalities Guernsey County (28) : All 31 townships and municipalities Holmes County (14) : Baltic (shared with Tuscarawas County), Berlin Township, Glenmont, Hardy Township, Killbuck, Killbuck Township, Knox Township, Mechanic Township, Millersburg, Monroe Township, Paint Township, Richland Township, Salt Creek Township (part; also 7th), Walnut Creek Township Knox County (30) : All 30 townships and municipalities Morgan County (18) : All 18 townships and municipalities Muskingum County (36) : All 36 townships and municipalities Licking County (41) : All 41 townships and municipalities Perry County (26) : All 26 townships and municipalities Tuscarawas County (20) : Auburn Township, Baltic (shared with Holmes County), Bucks Township, Clay Township, Dover Township, Franklin Township, Gnadenhutten, Jefferson Township, Newcomerstown, Oxford Township, Perry Township, Port Washington, Rush Township, Salem Township, Stone Creek, Strasburg, Sugarcreek, Sugar Creek Township, Washington Township, Wayne Township

List of members representing the district

Recent election results

The following chart shows historic election results.

Historical district boundaries

References

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Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ohio's 12th Congressional District 12 Constituencies established in 1823 1823 establishments in Ohio John Kasich