House Speaker Mike Johnson made his second Cincinnati visit in recent weeks on behalf of Republican congressional candidate Eric Conroy, stopping at Price Hill Chili last Wednesday as Conroy tries to unseat three-term Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman. The appearance came even as several national Republican groups have been quietly stepping back from the race, a sign of how much the political ground has shifted beneath Conroy's campaign in the final stretch before Election Day.
Johnson, the Speaker of the House, campaigned for the GOP nominee as part of a broader Republican push to hold onto control of Congress during the midterm election season, according to WKRC. Ohio's 1st Congressional District, which Conroy is trying to flip, includes all of Warren County and eastern Hamilton County, including the city of Cincinnati, per WVXU. Landsman is seeking a third term in a seat that was redrawn last year to be more favorable to Republicans.
GOP Money Pulls Back As Race Rating Slips
The district's boundaries changed again in 2025, this time making the seat more competitive for Republicans, WVXU reports, and Inside Elections found the new map moved the district from leaning three points Democratic to five points Republican. Despite that shift, several national Republican groups have cut off financial support for Conroy, according to Spectrum News 1. The Congressional Leadership Fund canceled all remaining advertising in the Cincinnati-area district after previously announcing it would spend at least $4 million there, the station's report notes.
Other GOP-aligned spending has also tapered off. The pro-Trump No Going Back PAC had spent more than $1 million supporting Conroy and opposing Landsman, but its last recorded transaction was Oct. 6, per the same account. Cincinnati-based Red Bridge Leadership PAC spent $1.9 million backing Conroy and attacking Landsman, the article adds. The retreat followed the Cook Political Report shifting its ranking of the race from Lean Democrat to Likely Democrat.
A poll released by Conroy's own campaign showed Landsman leading by just 1.6 percentage points, Spectrum News 1 reported. A separate internal poll circulated on social media by Torchlight Strategies for Conroy put Landsman at 46 percent and Conroy at 44 percent among 400 likely voters surveyed between Sept. 29 and Oct. 2, according to a post on X by @IAPolls2022.
Johnson Pressed on Trump's $5,000 Dividend Pledge
During the Cincinnati stop, Local 12 asked Johnson how President Donald Trump's proposed $5,000 dividends to Americans would be paid for if Republicans retain control of Congress. Johnson said he and Trump would work on the details of the proposal, and told the outlet he speaks with the president multiple times a day by phone, according to WKRC. Trump has pledged to give every American adult $5,000 if Republicans keep the House and Senate, as reported by CBS News.
Trump has not specified how the dividends would be funded, according to The Hill. Cost estimates for the proposal conflict: CBS News calculated that with roughly 245 million U.S. citizens over 18, paying every adult $5,000 would cost over $1.2 trillion, while the Independent put the total at roughly $1.3 trillion. The Hill also reports that Trump's past pledges to send checks to Americans have not materialized without accompanying legislation and congressional approval.
Budget expert Marc Goldwein has warned the dividends could cause a huge spike in the deficit, according to The Hill. Separately, The Hill reported that Republican lawmakers have expressed concern they will not support giving away money that could worsen inflation and add to the national debt. Johnson, for his part, has pledged spending cuts after the midterms should the GOP retain control, per CBS News.
Johnson's Campaign Swing Extends Beyond Ohio
The Cincinnati visit was part of a packed travel schedule for Johnson, with Trump alone holding 14 rallies in different parts of the country during the same week, according to WKRC. Johnson also oversees a political action committee that recently pulled funding from Conroy's campaign, the station reported, even as he showed up in person to back the candidate.
Johnson has made similar appearances in other battleground districts this cycle. He traveled to Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District to stump for Rep. Scott Perry, according to City & State Pennsylvania, and returned to central Pennsylvania for a Patriots for Perry rally in Dauphin County, where he called the race one of the most important in the country, per WGAL. A New York Times poll of 404 voters there showed Perry tied with Democratic challenger Janelle Stelson at 48 percent, WGAL reported. Johnson also joined Rep. Zach Nunn in Urbandale, Iowa, to rally supporters ahead of a competitive House race, according to KCCI.
