Meet the spacey Green Party candidate who may cost Democrats a win in Ohio's special election

Joe Manchik.
(Image credit: Screenshot/Twitter/J.D. Durkin)

The special election in Ohio's 12th district was deemed too close to call Tuesday night — in part, because of this guy.

Green Party candidate Joe Manchik picked up 1,127 votes, while Republican Troy Balderson and Democrat Danny O'Connor were neck and neck, separated by just 1,766 votes. Balderson ran with support from President Trump, O'Connor promised to expand health-care coverage in Ohio, and Manchik ... described himself as a descendent of aliens from the Pleiades star cluster.

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Summer Meza, The Week US

Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.