Dem Incumbent Spars with GOP Challenger in Final Debate
The final debate in one of the most closely watched House races took place in southwest Ohio, where Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman and his GOP challenger Orlando Sonza squared off on various issues including immigration, the economy, and a recent ethics complaint against Landsman.
Orlando Sonza emphasized the need to address the southern border immigration issue, highlighting his personal experience with the immigration process. He stated, “My dad had to wait five years to be a naturalized citizen. So what we’re seeing in this country right now flies in the face of not just my dad, but the millions of Americans that have come in here illegally. So how do we actually stop the over 15 million illegal immigrants that have come into our country, that are overburdening our economy, overburdening our housing market?”.
Greg Landsman countered by criticizing billionaires receiving tax breaks while others struggle to make ends meet. He said, “I think more and more Americans, even though the economy has gotten better, more and more Americans are finding it harder and harder to pay all their bills, or if they pay all their bills, there’s almost nothing left for savings or vacation, and so the question becomes, who’s the economy built for?” Landsman also expressed his support for codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law, stating, “It’s not the role of politicians to be telling you what you can and can’t do with your healthcare and politicians, whether it’s at the federal level, at the state level, are getting in the middle of these very complicated medical decisions”.
The debate also included a contentious exchange over an ethics complaint against Landsman by a former inspector general of the U.S. Department of Commerce, accusing him of breaking the law by waiting 20 months to disclose stock transactions.
