CINCINNATI — Republican-allied groups are pulling back money that had been set aside to target Democratic U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman, according to a New York Times report published Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Landsman is seeking reelection in Ohio’s 1st Congressional District against Republican Eric Conroy. The district covers Clinton and Warren counties and part of Hamilton County, and it leans more Republican than it once did after state lawmakers redrew Ohio’s congressional maps.
By one redistricting analysis, the district leans about 52 percent Republican, yet the shift in spending could suggest national Republican groups now see the seat as harder to flip than they first thought. The district had been a priority for both parties: the National Republican Congressional Committee listed it among 36 Democrat-held seats it was targeting, while a Democratic-aligned group counted it among 16 seats Democrats must hold.
The Times reported the money is being redirected toward 16 other districts instead, and toward a similar retreat from a Michigan race.
Conroy’s campaign pushed back on any suggestion the race is over. His campaign manager said party committees and allied groups are concentrating on protecting incumbents in a difficult cycle, pointed to another $1 million in outside spending backing Conroy disclosed last week, and said the contest will stay competitive through the final vote.