Ohio 1st District Voter Guide: Landsman, Conroy and Weise on Immigration and Cost of Living
Three candidates are on the Nov. 3 ballot in Ohio's 1st Congressional District: Democratic U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, who is seeking a third term; Republican Eric Conroy, an Air Force veteran and former CIA officer; and Libertarian Nathan Weise, chair of the Hamilton County Libertarian Party. The Digital Free Press voter guide video compares where they stand on immigration and the cost of living.
The district includes the city of Cincinnati, much of Hamilton County and all of Warren County, according to WVXU. Ohio adopted a new congressional map in 2025, and Inside Elections said the change moved the seat from leaning 3 points Democratic to 5 points Republican. Landsman flipped the seat in 2022 and won 54.6% of the vote in 2024 on the old lines, according to the Cook Political Report.
National ratings now favor Landsman. The Cook Political Report moved the race from "Lean Democrat" to "Likely Democrat" on Oct. 16, and Inside Elections rates it "Tilt Democrat." Spectrum News reported on Oct. 19 that the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with House Republican leadership, canceled its remaining ad reservations in the district after announcing it would spend at least $4 million there.
Polling is limited. A Quantus Insights survey of 561 likely voters, taken Oct. 19 to 21 by text message, had Landsman at 46.6% and Conroy at 42.4%, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 points. Conroy's campaign released its own poll showing Landsman ahead by 1.6 percentage points, Spectrum News reported.
Why Immigration and the Cost of Living Are Issues in Ohio's 1st District
Immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump has been a top national issue in 2026, and House members have split along party lines over funding for the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Prices, tariffs and utility bills are the other recurring theme in the Cincinnati race, including a local debate over who pays for the electricity used by new data centers.
Greg Landsman (Democrat, Incumbent)
Landsman, a former teacher and Cincinnati City Council member, was first elected to Congress in 2022.
On immigration, the video says Landsman "wants comprehensive reform and stronger border security" and opposes the Trump administration's enforcement approach, "calling it chaotic, cruel, and costly." In a candidate survey published by WVXU, Landsman wrote: "Border security and going after criminals is what most Americans want. This is not what they're doing." He also claimed the administration has "spent three quarters of a trillion dollars on this immigration mayhem." On Jan. 22, 2026, Landsman voted against a Homeland Security funding bill, saying in a statement that "Trump's approach to ICE has become a legitimate public safety threat to Americans."
On the cost of living, the video says Landsman wants "to end trade wars, restore healthcare funding, challenge corporate price gouging, and protect ratepayers from data center costs." He has introduced a bipartisan bill to bar nondisclosure agreements in data center deals and says his Do No Harm Data Centers bill would require large tech companies to pay the electricity costs of their data centers. "Local ratepayers should not pay a penny more on utilities," he told WVXU.
Eric Conroy (Republican)
Conroy, a Cincinnati native raised on the city's West Side, is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, served as an Air Force intelligence officer and later worked as a CIA case officer, according to his campaign. This is his first run for office.
On immigration, the video says Conroy "backs the administration's enforcement policies" and "wants stronger border enforcement, smarter technology, and full funding for the Department of Homeland Security and ICE." His campaign website says he supports more funding for Border Patrol agents, "advanced surveillance technology," completing physical barriers "where needed," faster processing of asylum claims and "the swift deportation of violent illegal immigrant criminals." The site also criticizes Landsman for voting against the Secure the Border Act of 2023.
On the cost of living, the video says Conroy "supports tax cuts, less regulation, and cheaper domestic energy" and says "stronger competition and free markets would help make everyday life more affordable." His campaign says he will "fight to lower inflation, cut red tape, and champion pro-growth policies." Asked by WCPO about data centers, Conroy said he would support Landsman's bill banning nondisclosure agreements and that "we need big tech to foot most of the bill."
Nathan Weise (Libertarian)
Weise, a Cincinnati native and University of Cincinnati graduate, is a former communications director for the Libertarian Party of Ohio. This is also his first campaign for Congress.
On immigration, the video says Weise opposes the current enforcement approach and "wants a simpler Ellis Island style system that lets people who follow the law and work productively stay in the country." His campaign website calls for "a clear and straightforward path to permanent residency" for people who come to work, says border security should focus on "genuine threats such as violent crime," and states: "Abolish ICE and replace it with nothing."
On the cost of living, the video says Weise "wants to end tariffs and the war in Iran" and "supports fewer trucking regulations and changes to shipping logistics to help bring down everyday costs." His website blames inflation in part on "excessive government spending and debt" and calls for reducing spending and controlling the debt.
Where to Follow the Candidates
Greg Landsman: @greglandsman on X, landsmanforcongress.com. Eric Conroy: @EricConroyOH on X, ericconroy.com. Nathan Weise: @weise4congress on X, weiseforcongress.com.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. This guide is for information only; The Digital Free Press does not endorse any candidate.
Yossi Schmidt, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Digital Free Press
Hold Everyone Accountable.
Sources: TDFP voter guide video (Ohio's 1st District, Oct. 28, 2026); WVXU, candidate guide (Oct. 7, 2026): https://www.wvxu.org/politics/2026-10-07/ohio-1st-district-candidates-eric-conroy-greg-landsman-nathan-weise ; Spectrum News (Oct. 19, 2026): https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/news/2026/10/19/ohio-1st-district-landsman-conroy ; Cook Political Report, OH-01: https://www.cookpolitical.com/house/race/483781 ; Inside Elections, OH-01: https://insideelections.com/person/eric-conroy/ ; Quantus Insights poll (Oct. 24, 2026): https://quantusinsights.org/polling/f/ohio-1st-district-poll-landsman-brown-and-acton-all-lead ; Rep. Landsman, DHS funding vote (Jan. 22, 2026): https://landsman.house.gov/media/press-releases/landsman-statement-on-vote-against-department-of-homeland-security-bill ; Rep. Landsman, data center NDA bill: https://landsman.house.gov/media/press-releases/landsman-introduces-bipartisan-bill-to-ban-data-center-ndas ; WCPO: https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/one-on-one-landsman-and-conroy-face-off-on-data-centers-ndas-and-who-should-pay-the-big-tech-bill ; Eric Conroy campaign, border security: https://ericconroy.com/issues/border-security/ ; Eric Conroy campaign, issues: https://ericconroy.com/issues/ ; Eric Conroy campaign, biography: https://ericconroy.com/meet-eric/ ; Nathan Weise campaign, issues: https://www.weiseforcongress.com/issues
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