Democrat Brian Shaver wins primary, will challenge U.S. Rep. Bob Latta in November

Brian Shaver will be the Democratic nominee for Ohio's 5th Congressional District in November after winning Tuesday's four-way Democratic primary. The district includes all of Lorain County and all or parts of Crawford, Hancock, Huron, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Wood and Wyandot counties. A junior/senior high school teacher and president of Fostoria City Council — Fostoria is located partially in Hancock, Seneca and Wood counties — Shaver got 11,848 votes, or 28.7 percent of the vote to outpace his three competitors, according to unofficial results from the Ohio Secretary of State's office. Shaver will face U.S. Rep. Bob Latta, R-Bowling Green, who was unopposed in the Republican primary. Terms in the U.S. House of Representatives are two years. "I'm truly humbled and honored to be the Democratic nominee for Ohio's 5th District," Shaver wrote in a victory post on his campaign's Facebook page. "Thank you to every voter who put their trust in me." He said his opponents "showed our communities what respectful, good‑faith campaigning looks like. I look forward to continuing to work toward our shared goals." With 100 percent of precincts in the nine-county district reporting, Marty Heberling III of Amherst came in second with 10,662 votes, or 25.8 percent. The Lorain Schools teacher and former Amherst City Councilman got 7,875 votes, or 34 percent of the tally, in Lorain County, according to unofficial results from the Board of Elections. "While the results tonight were not what we hoped for, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the movement we built together," Heberling wrote in a conciliatory Facebook post. "I am honored and grateful to each of the 10,000 Ohioans who cast their ballot for me, a teacher and union leader, and this pro-worker and family movement. Though I will not be the nominee in November, the fight for a living wage, better healthcare, and a real retirement does not end tonight." Daniel John Burket was third with 10,089 votes, or 24.4 percent, and Scott Tabor was fourth with 8,719 votes, or 21.1 percent, according to the Secretary of State's Office. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com