COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) – It’s rare that two candidates for a coveted open congressional seat get a do-over.

But for campaigns, party strategists and outside groups, that’s what back-to-back contests for central Ohio’s sprawling 12th District seem to make possible.

The race for former Republican U.S. Rep. Pat Tiberi’s unexpired term is deadlocked.

Republican state Sen. Troy Balderson, of Zanesville, leads Democrat Danny O’Connor, the Franklin County recorder, in unofficial results from the Aug. 7 special election. The two meet again in November for a full, two-year House term.

Democrats will exploit O’Connor’s razor-thin finish against Balderson in a reliably Republican district to push the notion of a “blue wave” coming this fall.

Republicans will emphasize that a quirky mid-summer special election can’t predict how voters will act in a high-stakes general election.