Voters Guide: Chabot vs. Landsman for Congressional seat that reps Warren County

The candidates for Ohio's 1st Congressional district in the November 2022 election are incumbent Steve Chabot (left) and challenger Greg Landsman (right).

The candidates for Ohio's 1st Congressional district in the November 2022 election are incumbent Steve Chabot (left) and challenger Greg Landsman (right).

All candidates for local, state and federal office were sent the same series of questions by the Dayton Daily News. Our goal was to help voters make informed choices in the Nov. 8 election (early voting for which begins Oct. 12).

The redrawn 1st U.S. Congressional district covers Warren County, plus eastern and much of central Hamilton County. This race is between incumbent Republican Steve Chabot and Democratic challenger Greg Landsman. The candidates’ answers are below, in their own words. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.

Steve Chabot

Residence: Cincinnati

Organizations, boards, previous elected positions: U.S. Representative 1995-2009, 2011-present; Hamilton County Commissioner 1990-1995; and Cincinnati City Councilman 1985-1990

Education: BA — The College of William and Mary; JD — NKU’s Chase College of Law

Current employment: U.S. Representative — OH-01

Why are you seeking elected office: It’s been my privilege to represent this district for nearly 26 years. I’ve always worked hard for my constituents, fighting against wasteful spending and excessive regulations. And I will continue to strive for an economy that works for all Americans.

Steve Chabot, U.S. Congressman from Cincinnati

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Why should voters elect you: With the challenges our country faces, both at home and abroad, it’s important to have the experience and track record necessary to tackle complex issues.

In Congress, I’ve fought to eliminate wasteful government spending, reduce the excessive tax burden on hard-working Americans, and to get the federal government off the backs of small businesses.

I’ve been honored repeatedly by nonpartisan taxpayer advocacy groups, including Citizens Against Government Waste and the National Taxpayers Union, as one of the most taxpayer friendly Members of Congress. And I’ve been ranked as one of the 10 most effective House Republicans in the last three Congresses in a non-partisan survey by UVA and Vanderbilt University.

If elected, what will be your top three priorities? The most important issues facing our country on the domestic front are inflation and the economy, and the dramatic rise in violent crime. Due to a number of misguided policies pursued by the Biden Administration, inflation is at a 40-year high and continues to put severe economic pressure on working families. Everything costs more, which makes it difficult to make ends meet.

With respect to crime, there has been a concerted effort by radical leftists to undermine and defund our local police. As a result, police morale is suffering as they don’t have the support and resources they need, and we’re struggling to find people who are willing to serve in law enforcement. The result has been as tragic as it’s been predictable. Crime, and particularly violent crime, is skyrocketing across the country, especially in our nation’s cities.

Internationally, we face a significant threat from an increasingly aggressive China. They want to replace us as a global leader, and are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal.

What specific plans do you have to address those top priorities? President Biden’s policies have led to skyrocketing inflation, crippling supply chain problems exacerbated by workforce shortages, and short-sided energy policies that undermine our current economic environment and energy needs. As a result, a year and a half into the Biden Administration, we find ourselves worse off economically than we have in decades. To fix this situation, Congress must rein in unnecessary spending, address the workforce and supply chain crisis, roll back unnecessary COVID restrictions, and support U.S. industries by becoming energy independent.

To help combat rising crime, we must provide local law enforcement the support and resources they need to better protect our communities. Over the years, I’ve worked closely with local police to help them do their jobs more efficiently and more effectively, which is why I’ve been endorsed by both the Cincinnati FOP and the Warren County FOP.

With respect to China, we have to stand up to their provocations and make sure they know their aggressive actions will not be tolerated. As lead Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, I’m focused on efforts to build stronger relationships with our allies in the region — especially Taiwan, Japan, India, and Australia — so that we provide a strong counterbalance to Chinese aggression.

Anything else you would like voters to know? Another critical issue facing our nation is the crisis at our southern border. The Biden Administration essentially created this crisis by sending out the message to the entire world that our borders were open. The easily predictable result has been a humanitarian disaster caused by millions of illegal immigrants crashing our border and overwhelming our border patrol agents.

Worse, the security failures are being exploited by drug cartels and human trafficking networks to smuggle drugs and people across the border. It’s no surprise that we’re witnessing record amounts of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs being trafficked on our neighborhood streets.

To solve this problem, we must bolster our security at the border, provide border patrol the support they need, and resume construction of the border wall. The status quo is simply unacceptable and unsustainable.

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Greg Landsman

Residence: Cincinnati

Organizations, boards, previous elected positions: I am currently serving in my fifth year on Cincinnati City Council where I have focused on public safety and good government.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Politics and Economics from Ohio University, Master’s Degree in Theology from Harvard Divinity School

Current employment: Cincinnati City Council

Why are you seeking elected office: Washington has made it harder to raise a family. On Cincinnati City Council and as a private citizen, I have fought for the children and families of Southwest Ohio while our representatives in Congress have undermined the work we’re doing here.

Cincinnati City Councilman Greg Landsman is a candidate for Ohio's 1st district U.S. Congressional seat.

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Why should voters elect you: I am a bipartisan coalition builder. I’ll work with anyone to get things done. To pass the Cincinnati Preschool Promise, I worked with our business community, neighborhood leaders, and labor organizations, and Cincinnati ended up becoming one of the first cities in the nation that provides quality preschool to three- and four-year-olds.

If elected, what will be your top three priorities? I am running for office to lower costs and raise wages, protect our Democracy from attacks on our free and fair elections, and restore reproductive rights.

What specific plans do you have to address those top priorities? I will vote to lower costs across the board. Between capping the cost of prescription drugs, increasing education affordability, and voting to hold gas and oil companies accountable for price gouging us at the pump, this will make a difference for our hardworking families. I will vote to stop elected officials from throwing out legally cast votes, and I will vote to codify reproductive rights.

Anything else you would like voters to know? Democrats, Republicans, and Independents are tired of the chaos caused by Trump and his ally Congressman Chabot. I will work with anyone to get things done, because we have to make it easier to raise a family.