You won't find President Trump in the ads for Eric Conroy, a Republican House candidate in a competitive Greater Cincinnati district. He's hard to find on Conroy's website.
But now that Trump is coming to Southwest Ohio, Conroy faces a choice: Should he appear with a president whose popularity is hitting record lows?
Eric Conroy, a Republican Air Force veteran running against Cincinnati Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman, has Trump's endorsement but hasn't referred to the president in recent ads.
In Ohio, Trump has an approval rating of about 35%, according to a new Suffolk University/USA TODAY Ohio Network poll. A new Marist poll found Trump has a 42% approval rating among registered voters in Ohio.
Conroy: 'I promise to be an independent voice'
Conroy previously told The Enquirer he would be "an
independent" voice for Greater Cincinnati, but said he'd welcome the president's help in driving Republican turnout.
"You know the president is the leader of the party, and so is the vice president. And I think their ability to really rally the vote is critical," he said earlier.
While a Trump endorsement was major in Republican primaries, some Republicans in key districts have started to criticize Trump's policies ahead of November as they face voters upset by rising gas prices and mortgage rates.
Ken Paxton, the Republican running for U.S. Senate in Texas, told conservative donors that appearing with Trump at his Midterm Convention "dropped our numbers," Politico reported Sept. 30.
Conroy attended Midterm Convention
Conroy also attended the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas on Sept. 9. He also spoke before Vice President JD Vance when Vance visited Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works on Aug. 21. Conroy and Vance served beers together at Cincinnati's Price Hill Chili after the event.
Neither Conroy nor his campaign spokesperson responded to phone calls and texts from The Enquirer asking if he plans to attend or speak at the Trump rally on Oct. 3.
Landsman, Conroy's opponent, said that Conroy wants to be part of Trump's world.
"When Trump shows up this weekend, he will be right there by his side," Landsman said. "If he'll go all the way to Dallas, he'll go to Dayton."
Trump's midterm rally will be held at Butler High School in the Dayton suburb of Vandalia, according to the Republican National Committee.
Regional politics reporter Erin Glynn can be reached at eglynn@enquirer.com, @ee_glynn on X and @eringlynn on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Will Eric Conroy attend President Trump's Saturday rally in SW Ohio?
