Democrats have a crowded primary in Greater Cincinnati’s new congressional district.
Ohio’s newly redrawn 10th Congressional District includes Greene and Montgomery counties, but also spreads into Butler County, including Middletown. The incumbent, Republican Mike Turner, is running for reelection.
Six Democrats are battling for a chance to win his seat.
Who is Janice C. Beckett?
Beckett earned music and political science degrees from Ohio Northern University and a law degree from the University of Cincinnati.
She spent decades advising senior leaders in the U.S. Air Force and Department of Defense, according to her campaign website. In those roles, she provided legal counsel on issues involving Congress, federal agencies and foreign governments; worked on foreign military sales; and negotiated international agreements.
On her website, Beckett said she supports “orderly” and “humane” immigration reform. She also supports abortion access, investing in “clean energy” and bringing down the cost of living.
Who is David Esrati?
This is Esrati’s fourth time running for Ohio’s 10th Congressional District.
He won the Democratic primary once in 2022, but the Montgomery County Democratic Party declined to endorse him due to his past controversial comments. He works as a blogger and owns a marketing firm.
On his campaign website, Esrati says he is an Army veteran.
If elected, he told Dayton Daily News his most pressing concern is President Donald Trump overstepping Congress, citing actions like going to war in Iran and imposing tariffs.
Who is Manuel Foggie?
Foggie ran for Cincinnati City Council at 20 years old in 2017. He attended and played football at Mount St. Joseph University before transferring to the University of Cincinnati. He’s worked as a firefighter, in the Columbus prosecutor’s office and in estate planning and probate law in Dayton, according to his campaign website.
On his site, Foggie says he’d work to expand access to affordable childcare and housing, fight for property tax relief, and secure federal funds to fix roads and bridges. Internationally, he believes in funding allies like Ukraine and Israel, and supports a two-state solution, a proposed resolution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that would create a state for each people.
Foggie is also in favor of expanding background checks for guns, a belief he said stems from a shooting that happened while he and his family were eating at a Smashburger restaurant in Dayton in 2023. According to court records, he won close to $214,000 in damages in a civil suit that claimed physical and emotional harm related to the incident.
Foggie filed paperwork to run for office using a Cincinnati address, which is outside 10th District lines. The Enquirer emailed him to ask where he currently lives, but did not receive a response prior to publication. Under the U.S. Constitution, House candidates only need to live in the state they seek to represent, not within the district.
Who is Jan Kinner?
Kinner is a retired Air Force colonel who later worked within the U.S. Department of Defense. According to his campaign website, he also volunteers as a counselor who helps people in Ohio navigate the Medicare system.
Kinner is opposed to the United States’ war in Iran, and wants to ban assault rifles and require background checks to buy guns, according to his campaign website. On the issue of threats to Social Security funds, he said he would oppose cuts to Social Security benefits, and instead support lifting the income cap and gradually raising the retirement age.
Who is Kristina Knickerbocker?
Knickerbocker is a nurse and U.S. Air Force veteran, according to her campaign website. She works at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center as a neuro-oncology nurse practitioner and served at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton.
On her website, Knickerbocker said the healthcare system “failed” her when she experienced nearly fatal complications during her pregnancy. If elected, she said she would advocate for more affordable healthcare, for her fellow veterans, and for lowering the cost of living for families.
Who is Tony Pombo?
On his campaign website, Pombo said he was born in Hamilton, Ohio. He attended Wright State University and worked as an IT contractor at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. He also owned an electrical contracting business.
On his website, he pledged to raise the minimum wage, demand oversight for ICE, expand Medicare and eliminate the tax cap for Social Security.
How to vote
Early voting for the primary election started April 7. Election Day is May 5.
Some congressional districts in Greater Cincinnati have changed. Check your voter registration or polling place online at VoteOhio.gov.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Greater Cincinnati’s new congressional district has crowded primary
Reporting by Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
