US Capitol. (Photo: Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)
Four candidates are running Republican primaries in Ohio’s 1st Congressional District.
The candidates are former CIA officer Eric Conroy, former businesswoman Holly Adams and nonprofit CEO Rosemary Oglesby-Henry and dentist Steven Erbeck.
Republican voters in southwestern Ohio will cast their ballots in the Ohio primary on May 5.
Democrat from Ohio U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman of Cincinnati is running for re-election and will face Damon Lynch IV in the Democratic primary.
That’s what the Cook Policy Report puts it district race as a draw.
The The Ohio Redistricting Commission unanimously passed a modern congress map in October, increasing Republicans edge in the state 12-3. Republicans currently hold 10 of Ohio’s 15 congressional districts.
Holly Adams
Adams was born and raised in Hamilton. She earned a degree in business and marketing from Bowling Green State University and worked in sales for almost thirty years.
From 2022 to 2024, she worked with TPUSA Faith, part of Charlie Kirk’s organization.
“I believe we need leaders with a big heart who put people before politics,” Adams said campaign video.
“I’m running to make our communities safer, protect your wallet, secure the border, protect law enforcement and restore accountability to Washington.”
Eric Conroy
Conroy grew up in Cincinnati, attended the U.S. Air Force Academy, served as an intelligence officer overseas and later became a captain in the Air Force. He then joined the Central Intelligence Agency and served as case officer.
“I fought in dangerous and remote places, but my thoughts were always at home,” Conroy said in his campaign video. “The threats may be different now, but the stakes are just as high.”
Steven Erbeck
Erbeck was born and raised in Mason and is a fourth-generation dentist. He received degrees from Ohio State University and New York University College of Dentistry.
“I am not a career politician,” he said in his campaign video. “I am a small business owner and I know what it takes to create jobs, raise a family and build something that will last. Greater Cincinnati deserves bold, conservative leadership, grounded in real-world experience and grounded in ideas that support President Trump and help families and businesses thrive.”
Rosemary Oglesby-Henry
Oglesby-Henry is a Cincinnati native and a graduate of Mount St. University. Joseph. She founded Rosemary’s Babies Co., which promotes self-sufficiency for teenage parents. She is the owner of Petals Playhouse & Activity Center, an indoor playground.
“I know what it’s like not to have,” she said to herself campaign video. “…I also understand what resilience is, what faith is, what it means to transcend everything else. That’s what makes me so different from other candidates. I know what it’s like and I have the strength to be able to sit at the table and make things happen.”
Questionnaire
The Ohio Capital Journal sent a questionnaire to all GOP candidates, and all candidates except Erbeck submitted responses.
Candidates’ responses to the questionnaire have been abbreviated for brevity.
Why are you running for Ohio’s 1st congressional district?
Adams: “I’m running for Congress because I don’t believe Greg Landsman represents the values of Ohio’s First District. …President Trump has begun the challenging work of undoing the damage of the Biden years, but the work is not over. We still need to tame inflation, secure our borders, strengthen our military, and stop the radical agenda coming out of Washington. I run because I believe the work is not done yet and I am ready to aid complete it. And sometimes, when Washington has made such a mess, you need a woman willing to roll up her sleeves and spotless up.
Conroy: “I’m running because Southwest Ohio deserves a representative who actually works for them… I spent my career in Special Operations and as a CIA case officer, completing missions that protected this country. Now I want to bring that same commitment and discipline to Congress — to fight for lower taxes, safer communities, strong borders and an economy that works for working families in this district.”
Oglesby-Henry: “I’m running for Congress because I believe leadership should be measured by results, not titles. … The approach I am presenting to Congress is Rosemary Red Standard governance based on measurable ROI, accountability and local solutions that actually work. The basis of this campaign is a basic mission: Children. Companies. First, Ohio. I am running to flip this seat, Rosemary Red, so that in southwest Ohio, leadership understands what it means to build something that works, through a candidate who is made in Ohio but built differently.”
What is one thing you want voters to know about you that they can’t learn from your biography?
Adams: “What voters may not see on my resume is how seriously I take the responsibility of representing this district. I’m not running for Congress to build a political career or utilize this office as a stepping stone to something else. I am running because I believe that public service is a calling.
Conroy: “I grew up in a household on Cincinnati’s west side where I learned the values of hard work, personal responsibility and love of country before I learned anything else. It has never left me. I was not born into privilege or connections. Everything I have achieved has come from the values this community has instilled in me, and those are the values I will bring to Congress every day.”
Oglesby-Henry: “I experienced many of the challenges that families in this neighborhood face: poverty, instability, and violence in the communities where I grew up. These experiences have shaped my approach to leadership and public service. I didn’t learn about these issues from political briefings. I learned them from life.”
Cook’s political report calls the district’s race a bust. Can you talk about the importance of this race and why it’s vital to you to flip the district Republican?
Adams: “Ohio’s 1st District is one of the most competitive seats in the country and could easily determine which party controls the House of Representatives. That’s why this race matters not only to southwest Ohio, but to the entire nation. … The goal of this race is to restore common sense to leadership and make sure our district has a voice in Washington that truly represents our values.”
Conroy: “This race is extremely important to both southwest Ohio and the entire country.[…]The people of this district are conservative at heart. They believe in hard work, personal responsibility, safe communities and American strength.”
Oglesby-Henry: “This race matters because the district deserves leadership focused on practical solutions, not partisan positioning. … My campaign focuses on Rosemary’s Red Standard, a policy framework based on measurable results. It focuses on strengthening families, expanding Main Street business ownership, developing workforce housing, preparing workers for the digital economy, and more effectively providing preventive health and food access services.
This is your first time running in the elections. What would you say to voters who might describe you as politically inexperienced?
Adams: “I am not a career politician and I believe this is a strength, not a weakness. I come from the real world where decisions have consequences, budgets must balance and results really matter. I understand what it’s like for families and small businesses in Southwest Ohio deal with it because I live it too.”
Conroy: “I would say they are right. …Yet I have led men and women on military assignments, conducted high-risk intelligence operations in hostile environments, and made vital decisions under pressure when the cost of failure was measured in lives, not poll numbers. It’s not lack of experience. It’s a different kind of experience.”
Oglesby-Henry: “Today’s voters are looking for a different kind of experience.[…]What (Washington) needs more is builders: people who understand what it takes to start something, maintain it and make it work long term.”
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