Incumbent Democrats in Ohio’s three most competitive congressional districts are swamping their opponents in fundraising ahead of a pivotal midterm election.
In the final quarter of 2025, U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Toledo raised more than $537,000. The three Republicans running against her brought in about $545,000 combined. Kaptur also holds a massive advantage in cash-on-hand.
In Cincinnati, U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman raised more than double what the Republican field running against him was able to collect.
In Akron, the margin for U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes is more like 9-to-1 after GOP frontrunner Kevin Coughlin abandoned the race.
Coughlin, who lost to Sykes narrowly in 2024, bowed out following the approval of a new Ohio congressional map last November. Those changes gave Sykes a little more breathing room in a previously “toss-up” district. In a statement on X, Coughlin explained “I do not see a path to victory and I cannot ask our supporters to continue to invest their time and treasure into this race.”
But those new district boundaries pushed Kaptur and Landsman’s districts further to the right, potentially diminishing the incumbents’ cash advantage. Midterm elections often go poorly for the incumbent president’s party, and President Donald Trump’s popularity, at least for the moment, is polling low. Still, the new district lines give Landsman and Kaptur’s campaigns less margin for error.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, however, isn’t worried. In a statement spokesperson Riya Vashi said “Greg Landsman, Marcy Kaptur, and Emilia Sykes are battle-tested incumbents who have shown they know how to fight and deliver for Ohioans – and they have the grassroots support to prove it.”
She argued Republican policies are raising household costs, but the Democrats are “laser-focused” on lowering them and protecting health care.
“Across the state,” Vashi added, “Ohio voters know who’s on their side, and these numbers show it.”
In an update following the congressional map’s approval, The Center for Politics at The University of Virginia moved Landsman’s Cincinnati area district from leaning Democratic to a toss-up, and Kaptur’s Toledo district from toss-up to leaning Republican.
In January, a different race watcher, The Cook Political Report, changed its rating for Kaptur’s seat from leaning Republican to a toss-up.
OH-1, Cincinnati
Landsman raised a little more than half a million dollars to close out 2025. With transfers in from joint fundraising efforts included his quarterly total, he lands at about $541,000. The congressman spent about $143,000 during the quarter — the biggest expenses being polling and strategic or fundraising consulting. Landsman ended the year with almost $1.5 million in cash on hand.
The Republicans running against him include Rosemary Oglesby-Henry, CEO of a nonprofit serving teen mothers; a Mason dentist named Steven Erbeck; and Eric Conroy, an Air Force veteran and former CIA case officer.
All told, Oglesby-Henry brought in about $11,000 to end the year. Conroy finished with more than $175,000 and Erbeck cleared $195,000, thanks to a $150,000 personal loan.
Conroy and Erbeck have both propped up their campaigns with hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal loans. Conroy previously gave his campaign $287,500. With the latest loan included, Erbeck has put in $400,000. Conroy also appears to be running a significant share of his campaign on credit — paying off $33,000 worth of prior expenses in the fourth quarter while incurring $72,000 more.
Both candidates wound up with a little less than half a million dollars in cash-on-hand at the end of the year — less than a third of Landsman’s total.
OH-9, Toledo
Of Ohio’s three most competitive seats, Kaptur’s likely represents the biggest challenge. In addition to district lines moving to include more Republican voters, Kaptur’s potential opponents include current and former state lawmakers who enter the race with more experience and name recognition than a first-time candidate.
Former state Rep. Derek Merrin lost to Kaptur in 2024, and he’s running for a rematch. In the final quarter of 2025, he added more than $200,000 to his coffers and with about $356,000 in cash-on-hand, he leads the Republican field. But Merrin’s quarterly total was bolstered by a $120,000 personal loan. So far, he’s given his campaign $235,000.
First time candidate Alea Nadeem raised more than $160,000 in direct contributions during the quarter — more than doubling Merrin’s take. In a press release the Air Force veteran said, “We won’t defeat Kaptur with recycled candidates, career politicians weighed down by baggage, or consultant-driven campaigns designed to enrich insiders instead of winning elections.”
Current state Rep. Josh Williams, R-Sylvania Township, had the biggest haul of the quarter, bringing in more than $300,000. In a press release, his campaign manager Meg Deneen, insisted Williams is “the only candidate with true momentum.” She dismissed Merrin’s personal loan as “accounting tricks” to hide a sluggish quarter and criticized Nadeem for burning through cash as quickly as she raises it.
Deneen also called out Madison Sheahan, the former deputy director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who announced her own bid in January. Deneen said Sheahan is “untested, unknown and dragging two U-Hauls of baggage with her.” Because Sheahan joined the race after the reporting deadline, she has yet to file a fundraising report with the Federal Elections Commission.
While Republican candidates wade through a crowded field, Kaptur is stacking up cash. The more than $537,000 she raised is the most by any candidate in the quarter, and the roughly $133,000 she spent is the least. Kaptur’s $1.7 million in cash-on-hand is more than double the Republican field combined.
OH-13, Akron
While Landsman and Kaptur could face an uphill climb this November, the path for Sykes might be clear. When Coughlin decided to leave the race, he’d already raised about $27,000. That’s more than the remaining candidates in the field, Republican Margaret Briem and independent Sandeep Dixit.
Briem raised a little more than $900 in the final quarter of 2025, bringing her total cash-on-hand to about $1,300. Dixit brought in nearly $23,000 and loaned his campaign another $4,000. He finished the year with about $7,300 on hand.
In January, Leetonia Mayor Kevin Siembida threw his hat in the ring, too. Notably, Leetonia sits more than 25 miles outside the 13th Congressional District. Siembida has told reporters he’ll move to the district if he wins. With his announcement coming after the reporting deadline, Siembida has yet to file a fundraising report.
Emilia Sykes raised more than $450,000 in direct contributions and then added another $40,000 in transfers from joint fundraising efforts. Her campaign spent roughly $177,000 during the quarter, with direct mail and consulting on fundraising or digital strategy making up the biggest expenses. Sykes finished the year with about $1.3 million in cash on hand.
Originally published by the Ohio Capital Journal. Republished here with permission.