Ohio's 1st Congressional District is represented by Democrat Greg Landsman, who faces Republican Orlando Sonza in his first re-election in this office.
Before Landsman won the seat in 2022, the district had been represented by Republican Steve Chabot since 1995 (except for one two-year term). Then the boundaries changed, making the seat more competitive than it has been in years, and paving the way for a Landsman win.
Learn more about Sonza below, as well as his opponent, Greg Landsman, and other local races in WVXU's voter guide.
LISTEN: Cincinnati Edition's interviews with Greg Landsman and Orlando Sonza
Candidates were given the same survey questions and word limit of no more than 250 words to respond to each question. Answers have been lightly edited for clarity and style only.
Candidate name: Orlando Sonza
Party affiliation: Republican
Campaign website: www.orlandosonza.com
Biography
Orlando Sonza is a proud Ohioan. A second generation Filipino American, Orlando was raised in New Jersey and attended the United States Military Academy at West Point. While there he met his wife, Jessica, and Orlando graduated top 10 in his class. Upon graduation, he and Jessica both commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army. Orlando served on active duty as an Infantry Officer and Finance Officer with the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia.
After their honorable discharge from the Army, Orlando and Jessica moved to Cincinnati to raise a family. While helping to raise their kids, Orlando obtained his master’s degree in taxation from the University of Cincinnati and his law degree from Georgetown Law. Orlando is an Ohio CPA and served as a prosecuting attorney with the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office. Orlando currently serves as the executive director of the Hamilton County Veterans Service Commission. He and Jessica have four children under 10.
What life or professional experiences make you the best person for this position?
My experience as a West Point graduate and Army veteran, lawyer, CPA, former prosecutor, and most important, a father of four children under 10 and husband to my wife Jessica, shows me every day how our current system of government is failing so many Americans. My professional and personal background also give me insight and ideas that can help improve the lives of those that I would serve and represent in Congress.
My constituents can count on me to apply to the U.S. Army creed of “duty, honor, and country” to my service in Congress; it inspires me to put the needs of Ohioans first. That’s the only way to truly fix the bureaucratic logjam and political quagmire that keeps Congress from truly helping the people of Ohio.
What concerns or themes are you hearing in conversations with people in your district? How do you specifically plan to address those issues with legislation or other solutions?
The 1st District of Ohio, and our country as a whole, is going in the wrong direction under the leadership of the Biden/Harris administration and policies advanced by my opponent here in Southwest Ohio. This poor leadership has led to inflated prices on everyday items like gas and groceries, unchecked illegal immigration and the flow of drugs into our community, and a lack of integrity in our elected officials. When elected to Congress, I will fight to end inflation by pursuing fiscal responsibility and cutting government waste, fraud, and abuse, secure America by advocating for the right resources to go to our southern border, and restore faith in our government by restoring integrity to the office I wish to serve.
Do you feel it is important to work across the aisle? Why or why not? How would you appeal to constituents who are not aligned with your party?
It is incredibly important to be willing and able to reach across the aisle in order to get things done for our constituents. In order to do that, it is important to be solidly grounded on conviction in order to know what can be compromised on and what cannot. Bipartisanship is not about giving up on your convictions, but instead, having a deeper understanding of your goals and values in order to make progress in the often convoluted and complex system of government we now have.
Although inflation has stabilized, prices are still significantly elevated compared to a few years ago. What can Congress realistically accomplish in the next two years to support people struggling with high prices?
I think that inflation, while slowing in its increase, is still a threat to Americans, especially if the vague platitudes offered by my opponent results in another round of wild, irresponsible spending that will restart inflation and push us into a recession. When in Congress, I will work to deregulate industries and lower taxes to allow for more competition to naturally lower prices for consumers. I will also make sure to work to reduce unchecked and irresponsible government spending, which is ultimately what caused the inflation problem. Responsible fiscal policy plays a huge part in directly lowering prices for consumers.
Since October 7, 2023, the U.S. has provided Israel with at least $12.5 billion in military aid (according to the Council on Foreign Relations). What responsibility, if any, does the U.S. have to reduce civilian deaths in the conflict in Gaza? And has the U.S. met that responsibility?
I want to see the killing end. I believe it is imperative to reduce deaths in Gaza as much as possible. The way to do that is to give Israel the resources it needs to root out Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists. In order to end this war, we must support Israel and allow them the ability to exercise their right to defend themselves and their people. Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists aim to kill every Jew in Israel, something that we cannot allow to happen. And to this day, there are still over 100 hostages held captive in tunnels underneath schools and hospitals. Negotiations to end the warfare will only be productive when those hostages are set free.
