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Derek Merrin

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Derek Merrin
Merrin in 2026
Member of the Ohio House of Representatives
In office
August 2, 2016 – January 3, 2025
Preceded byBarbara Sears
Succeeded byElgin Rogers Jr.
Constituency47th district (2016–2023)
42nd district (2023–2025)
Personal details
BornDerek Scott Merrin
(1986-01-04) January 4, 1986 (age 40)
Smithtown, New York, U.S.
PartyRepublican
EducationOwens Community College (attended)
University of Toledo (BA)
Bowling Green State University (MPA)
CommitteesHealth and Aging, Insurance, Ways and Means
WebsiteCampaign website

Derek Scott Merrin[1] (born January 4, 1986) is an American politician who previously served as the state representative for the 42nd District of the Ohio House of Representatives. He was the Republican nominee for Ohio's 9th congressional district in 2024, where he was narrowly defeated by incumbent Marcy Kaptur. Merrin is the Republican nominee in Ohio's 9th district in the 2026 election, facing a rematch with Kaptur.[2]

Life and career

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Merrin was born in Smithtown, New York on Long Island, and moved to Waterville, Ohio, with his family when he was thirteen years old.[3] His father, Russ Merrin, was a public-school teacher and pastored Monclova Road Baptist Church for twenty-three years. Merrin's mother, Norma, was a registered nurse. Merrin is a graduate of Monclova Christian Academy. In addition, Merrin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toledo and a Master of Public Administration degree from Bowling Green State University. He attended Owens Community College before transferring to UT.[4]

Merrin was elected to the Waterville City Council, a city of just over 6,000 people, at the age of nineteen.[5] Two years later, he was elected Mayor. Along with his time in public office, Merrin previously worked for Ohio Auditor Dave Yost.[6] In 2012 he was named 'Thirty Conservatives Under Thirty' by Red Alert Politics.[7]

Ohio House of Representatives

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Elections

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With Representative Barbara Sears term-limited in 2016, Merrin entered the race to succeed her.[8] He won a three-way primary against Republicans Vicki Donovan-Lyle and Kevin Haddad, with over 45% of the vote.[9]

Sears resigned from the seat before the end of her term to take a position in the administration of Ohio Governor John Kasich.[10] As the winner of the Republican primary, Ohio House Republicans led by Speaker of the House Cliff Rosenberger appointed Merrin to serve the remainder of Sears' term.[11] He won the ensuing general election over Democrat Lauri Cooper.

Merrin was re-elected in 2018 and 2020, with nearly 60% of the vote each time. Following re-districting, Merrin's district was made substantially more Democratic, losing conservative western Lucas County while adding parts of the city of Toledo and inner ring suburbs.[12] Despite this, Merrin carried the Democrat-leaning (D+2) 47th House District by nearly eight points, 53.9%-46.1% over Democrat Erika White.[13]

Tenure

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Merrin was sworn into office on August 2, 2016.[14]

In September 2017, Merrin passed a tax break for prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses.[15][16]

In 2017, he introduced an amendment that would place authority over lead-safety regulations with the Ohio Department of Health, preempting local lead-safety rental housing ordinances such as Toledo's.[17] He also introduced legislation that year that would count weekends and holidays as part of the three-day notice period required before a landlord can begin eviction proceedings; the bill did not advance out of committee.[18]

In 2019, Governor John Kasich signed Epinephrine Accessibility Act into law.[19] The law was originally proposed by Merrin as House Bill 101. The law allows pharmacists to substitute a brand-name epinephrine auto-injector with a pharmaceutically equivalent generic one.[19]

In 2020, Merrin passed House Bill 66 which allows courts to account and audit costs as a part of criminal restitution for victims of theft. This was in response to appellate court decisions that ruled accounting and auditing expenses could not legally be ordered as legal restitution.[20]

In 2022, Merrin lost the speaker election to Jason Stephens, who had bipartisan support, by 54 to 43 votes.[21]

Personal life

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Merrin is a real estate investor who owns five rental properties in Toledo.[22]

Electoral history

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2016

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2016 Ohio House of Representatives District 47 Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican 'Derek Merrin' 8,765 45.6%
Republican Vicki L. Donovan-Lyle 5,751 29.8%
Republican Kevin G. Haddad 4,739 24.6%
Total votes 19,255 100.0
2016 Ohio House of Representatives District 47 general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican 'Derek Merrin' 36,446 60.85
Democratic Lauri Cooper 23,449 39.15
Total votes 59,895 100.00
2018 Ohio House of Representatives District 47 Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican 'Derek Merrin' 5,431 64.6
Republican Barbara Lang 2,981 35.4
Total votes 8,412 100.0
2018 Ohio House of Representatives District 47 general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican 'Derek Merrin' 29,476 58.0
Democratic Gary Newnham 21,377 42.0
Total votes 50,853 100.0
2020 Ohio House of Representatives District 47 Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican 'Derek Merrin' 5,290 100.0
Total votes 5,290 100.0
2020 Ohio House of Representatives District 47 general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican 'Derek Merrin' 40,445 58.6
Democratic Nancy Larson 28,538 41.4
Total votes 68,983 100.0
2022 Ohio House of Representatives District 42 Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican 'Derek Merrin' 2,016 100.0
Total votes 2,016 100.0
2022 Ohio House of Representatives District 42 general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican 'Derek Merrin' 22,594 53.9
Democratic Erika White 19,325 46.1
Total votes 41,919 100.0
2024 Ohio's 9th congressional district Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican 'Derek Merrin' 27,632 52.5
Republican Craig Riedel 18,072 34.3
Republican Steve Lankenau 6,946 13.2
Total votes 52,650 100.0
2024 Ohio's 9th congressional district general election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic 'Marcy Kaptur' 181,098 48.27
Republican Derek Merrin 178,716 47.63
Libertarian Tom Pruss 15,381 4.10
Total votes 375,195 100.00
2026 Ohio's 9th congressional district Republican primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican 'Derek Merrin' 22,775 43.6
Republican Josh Williams 13,403 25.7
Republican Madison Sheahan 10,583 20.3
Republican Alea Nadeem 2,794 5.4
Republican Anthony Bruce Campbell 2,631 5.0
Total votes 52,186 100.0

References

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  1. ↑ "Derek Merrin Biography". Ohio House of Representatives.
  2. ↑ Koeninger, Kevin (May 6, 2026). "GOP voters send Merrin to rematch with longtime congresswoman in Ohio's 9th District". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
  3. ↑ "3 running for Sears' seat in Ohio House". Toledo Blade. November 3, 2016. Archived from the original on July 29, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Derek Merrin Biography". Ohio House of Representatives. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Derek Merrin announces candidacy for OH47". Toledo Tea Party. October 25, 2015. Archived from the original on August 14, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Ohio House Speaker meets with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump". Twinsburg Bulletin. August 3, 2016. Archived from the original on August 4, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Gavarone, Merrin to be sworn in as Ohio representatives". Toledo Blade. July 4, 2016. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  8. ↑ "3 in GOP vying for 3rd District". Toledo Blade. July 10, 2016. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  9. ↑ "3 seek GOP nod in Ohio's 47th House district". Toledo Blade. February 10, 2016. Archived from the original on October 17, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Merrin nominated to succeed Rep. Sears". Toledo Blade. March 16, 2016. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Ohio Rep. Sears to join Kasich administration". Toledo Blade. June 8, 2016. Archived from the original on July 27, 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Incumbent Merrin, union leader White face off in new Lucas County district". The Blade. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Derek Merrin". Ballotpedia. Retrieved January 7, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Derek Merrin's Voting Records - the Voter's Self Defense System - Vote Smart". Archived from the original on December 11, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  15. ↑ Provance, Jim (September 20, 2017). "Ohio House approves tax break for glasses, contacts". The Blade. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  16. ↑ Siegel, Jim; Henry, Megan (September 20, 2017). "Most Franklin County representatives won't say whether they back Medicaid freeze". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  17. ↑ Glynn, Erin (October 6, 2024). "Ohio congressional candidate's rental properties are not yet lead-safe". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved July 13, 2026.
  18. ↑ Glynn, Erin (October 6, 2024). "Ohio congressional candidate's rental properties are not yet lead-safe". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved July 13, 2026.
  19. 1 2 "Ohio Governor signs Epinephrine bill into law". WOWK-TV. January 8, 2019. Retrieved September 18, 2026.
  20. ↑ {{Cite webHouse Bill 6 – 133rd General Assembly
  21. ↑ "In a surprise move, Ohio House picks Jason Stephens as next speaker". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  22. ↑ Glynn, Erin (October 6, 2024). "Ohio congressional candidate's rental properties are not yet lead-safe". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved July 13, 2026.
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