You may have seen his ads about eating goetta for breakfast and hunting down terrorists. Or the video of him serving beer alongside U.S. Vice President JD Vance at Cincinnati's Price Hill Chili.
But who is Eric Conroy, the Republican challenging Cincinnati Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman in November?
The Enquirer sat down with Conroy at the Maplewood Kitchen and Bar in downtown Cincinnati to talk about his life and what he would do if elected.
Inspired to serve by his grandfather
Conroy grew up on the border between Green and Miami townships, going to the Our Lady of Visitation parish. He went to Elder High School where he played linebacker.
He said his grandfather served in the Navy in World War II and was a "big influence" on his decision to serve in the military.
He applied for the
U.S. Air Force Academy, which requires a nomination from your congressman. That's how he met former 1st District Rep. Steve Chabot, another big influence for him.
In the Air Force for 7 years, then the CIA
Conroy said he chose the Air Force because he wanted to be a pilot. He then decided that wasn't the right fit and became an intelligence officer.
He said that work is all about "understanding what the enemy's doing."
He worked in special operations units in Japan and Korea for a few years before leaving the Air Force as a captain and joining the CIA, where he worked as a case officer. The Enquirer reached out to the Air Force and the CIA to confirm Conroy's service, but neither agency responded.
"That's the front line role there," he said. "It was my job to go overseas and recruit sources."
He spent a year in Afghanistan and about three years in Eastern Europe. He minored in Arabic at the Air Force Academy and also knows a little bit of Russian and Polish.
Returning to Cincinnati
Conroy said he kept his father's address in Hamilton County during his time abroad and decided to move to Downtown about two years ago.
"I love Downtown. Honestly, I love cities. I've lived in cities most of my real life, and when I see Cincinnati, I see a city that is doing well, but it has a lot more potential," he said.
Conroy said one of the reasons he wanted to run for office is his desire to see downtown Cincinnati thrive,
"I really want a safe downtown too, where people feel comfortable walking from Findlay Market to Great American Ball Park at 10 or 11 at night," he said. "The cities I've seen, they are successful if people feel comfortable living down there full time. "
He said in Congress he plans to ensure police are "funded and equipped and trained appropriately."
Another key issue for Conroy is having a thriving economy, which he believes means fewer taxes and regulation and more cheap energy. He also believes the country should do more to promote trade schools and other paths beyond a four-year college degree.
"I think we've seen the economy change a lot over the last 20 to 30 years, and we need to help our young people," he said.
A sizable loan to the campaign
Conroy has loaned his campaign over $287,000 plus other candidate contributions, according to filings with the Federal Elections Commission. That loan makes up about 32% of his total contributions.
"We've been fundraising for over a year now. We launched last July, and one of the reasons why we did launch so early is because I'm personally not very wealthy," he said. "Each contributor is a voter and someone who I can represent."
How to vote
The election is Nov. 3. Early voting starts on Oct. 6. To check your voter registration and polling location, visit voteohio.gov.
Get to know Conroy
- One of his favorite places in Cincinnati: Northern Row Brewery.
- Cincinnati chili order: a 3-way with a slice of goetta between the chili and the cheese from Price Hill Chili.
- Favorite movie: Shawshank Redemption.
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: Cincinnati candidate Eric Conroy on the CIA, the West Side and service
