The congressional race covering West Chester and Liberty townships is rated the most competitive in southwest Ohio, with Rep. Greg Landsman holding a slight edge.
The Cook Political Report's Sept. 25 ratings update lists Ohio's 1st Congressional District as "Lean Democrat." The matchup pits Landsman, a Democrat seeking a third term, against Republican challenger Eric Conroy, an Air Force veteran and former CIA officer who won the May 5 primary.
WLWT reported Sept. 27 that the race remains the region's marquee contest even as two neighboring districts have also grown more competitive.
What changed in the district
The seat shifted after the Ohio Redistricting Commission redrew the 1st District to favor Republicans for 2026. Under the new lines, Donald Trump would have carried the district 51-48 in 2024. Under the old map, Kamala Harris carried it 53-46 that same year, and Landsman won a second term easily.
Landsman, 49, first won the seat in 2022 by unseating longtime Republican Rep. Steve Chabot after an earlier round of redistricting made the district more favorable to Democrats. The National Republican Congressional Committee has placed the seat on its 2026 target list.
Money and national environment
As of late 2025, Landsman had $1.5 million in campaign funds compared with roughly $440,000 for Conroy, according to The Downballot. The National Journal described Conroy as national Republican operatives' preferred candidate in the primary.
Working in Landsman's favor: Democrats held an average lead of about 8.7 percentage points on the generic congressional ballot as of Sept. 27, according to RealClearPolling. A recent Economist/YouGov poll put that lead as high as 14 points. Cook analysts cite that national environment as a key factor in their competitive ratings across Ohio.
No district-level polls exist. WLWT noted that very few reliable polls have been conducted in nearby races either.
Data centers emerge as campaign flashpoint
The candidates have clashed over data center transparency. Landsman introduced the bipartisan No Secrets for Data Centers Act on Sept. 25. The bill would ban non-disclosure agreements for government officials on data center projects and block companies from receiving government funding if secrecy is a condition.
"I want to protect our towns and our ratepayers, but, you know, at the end of the day, everyone should be for transparency," Landsman told WCPO on Sept. 25.
Conroy's campaign manager, Collin Wojcik, said in a statement to WCPO that Conroy supports full transparency in data center deals but accused Landsman of corruption and suggested the bill could benefit companies in which Landsman's family holds stock.
Bigger picture in Ohio
Cook now rates eight of Ohio's 15 House races as potentially winnable for Democrats. Republicans hold a 218-214 House majority nationally. Democrats would need to flip roughly 13 of 21 toss-up seats to retake control, according to the New York Times.
Key dates for voters
The voter registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 5. Early in-person and mail voting begins Tuesday, Oct. 6. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, with polls open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
