The stakes in Ohio’s first congressional district have rarely been higher, and one Air Force veteran believes he has what it takes to turn this corner of the Buckeye State red again.
Eric Conroy, a former intelligence officer who served both the Air Force and the Central Intelligence Agency, has set his sights on unseating two-term Representative Greg Landsman in what political observers are calling one of the most consequential House races in the nation. His mission is clear and his message is direct: flip this district to prevent Democrats from pursuing another impeachment of President Donald Trump.
The first congressional district, which encompasses Cincinnati and surrounding counties, has undergone redistricting by the Ohio legislature. The new lines favor Republicans slightly more than the previous configuration, creating what Conroy describes as a genuine opportunity in a political landscape where truly competitive districts have become increasingly rare.
Conroy carries impressive credentials into this fight. Born and raised in Cincinnati, he attended the Air Force Academy before embarking on a career in intelligence that took him from Air Force operations to the halls of the CIA. Now he views this congressional run as the natural continuation of a life dedicated to service, only this time the battlefield is his hometown.
The endorsement from Senator Bernie Moreno adds considerable weight to Conroy’s campaign. Moreno represents one of the most prominent names in Ohio Republican politics, and his backing signals that party leadership recognizes the critical nature of this race. According to Conroy, his campaign has become the highest fundraising operation in the contest, suggesting that national attention and resources are flowing into this district.
The challenge facing Conroy involves more than simply winning over voters in a newly configured district. He must also expose what he characterizes as a significant gap between Landsman’s moderate public image and his actual voting record. Conroy points to numbers that tell a stark story: Landsman voted with the Biden administration nearly 98 percent of the time, a record that aligns him more closely with progressive figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Nancy Pelosi than with the moderate Democrat he claims to be.
This voting pattern matters because it contradicts the carefully crafted persona Landsman presents to Ohio voters. Walking the streets of Cincinnati and projecting conservative sensibilities while voting in lockstep with the most progressive elements of the Democratic Party represents the kind of political duplicity that voters have grown weary of in recent years.
The broader implications of this race extend well beyond Ohio’s borders. Republicans need to flip swing districts like this one to maintain and expand their House majority. With that majority comes the power to set the legislative agenda and, critically, to prevent Democrats from launching another impeachment effort against President Trump.
Conroy brings a unique combination of military service, intelligence experience, and hometown roots to this fight. Whether that proves sufficient to overcome an incumbent with name recognition and established campaign infrastructure remains to be seen. But in a political environment where every seat matters and the balance of power hangs by a thread, Ohio’s first district has become ground zero for Republicans determined to protect their president and advance their agenda.
The question now is whether voters in Cincinnati and the surrounding counties will look past the moderate facade and examine the voting record that tells the real story.
Related: Attorney General Bondi Faces Bipartisan Criticism Over Epstein Document Release
