Photograph courtesy Damon Lynch IV
Damon Lynch IV is running an “outsider” grassroots Congressional campaign by challenging corporate interests and dark money while appealing to progressive instincts within the Democratic Party. The son and grandson of iconic Cincinnati pastors and civil rights leaders, he is trying to unseat two-term incumbent Greg Landsman in the May 5 party primary for Ohio’s 1st District.
Lynch is the only candidate opposing Landsman in the Democratic primary. (Four candidates are running in the Republican primary.) “It should be 50 people standing next to me, all trying to take the seat from this guy, and it’s just me,” says Lynch. “I have the privilege of being Damon Lynch IV, so for me it feels easy. Maybe it’s too far of an uphill battle for people who don’t have that family lineage or name recognition.”
Lynch wants to improve the quality of life for every Ohioan, saying he looks to his family for inspiration. His father, Damon Lynch III, has been pastor at New Prospect Baptist Church in Roselawn for 30 years. His grandfather, Damon Lynch Jr., was an inductee of the Martin Luther King Jr. Hall of Fame for Preachers and helped start the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Every Martin Luther King Jr. Day, he leads the city’s parade from the Freedom Center.
Damon Lynch III served as president of Cincinnati Black United Front and led civil rights protests following the 2001 police shooting of Timothy Thomas, which precipitated riots in Over-the-Rhine. His legal challenges resulted in a federal district court establishing an independent board to hear citizens’ complaints (Citizen Complaint Authority) and end racial profiling.
Lynch IV grew up in Roselawn and lives in East Price Hill. He went to Central State University to study political science and government and launched businesses that help Black therapists find Black clients who have experienced trauma. In 2016, when Landsman was on Cincinnati City Council, Lynch IV worked with him to start the Cincinnati Preschool Promise program, giving all 3- and 4-year-olds in the city access to affordable preschool.
This is Lynch’s first time running for political office, and he says the impetus to run came from finding YouTube commercials of Landsman supporting Israel in 2023. “He’s doing AIPAC-sponsored commercials in Israel saying, ‘We must protect these Israelis.’ And I said, ‘Sir, there’s a war in Ohio. We got stuff going on in Ohio.’ ”
Landsman recently voted against the Iran war powers resolution, which would have limited President Trump’s ability to wage war unilaterally without Congressional approval. He was one of four House Democrats to support Trump’s and Israel’s attacks in Iran.
Photograph by Garin Pirnia
According to Open Secrets, Landsman received $413,158 in pro-Israel funds in 2023-24. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) contributed $385,808—the most from any organization, compared to $33,941 from Kroger Co., AIPAC has contributed $70,646 to Landsman’s campaign since December 2025.
Lynch says Landsman also has “an Epstein problem.” Landsman graduated from the Wexner Heritage Program, founded by Les Wexner, who had a close friendship and a financial relationship with Epstein but testified that Epstein had “duped” him.
Lynch has been speaking at and hosting protests, including outside of the March 21 Hamilton County Democratic Party spring gala honoring Landsman at the First Financial Center. On Friday nights Lynch hosts a progressive meetup at the William Frances Theatre in Carthage, where he speaks about the “war at home.” U.S. military actions in Iran are costing American taxpayers more than $1 billion a day, according to The Pentagon.
“We’ve spent $8 trillion on war in the Middle East since 9/11 and the country is $40 trillion in debt, but Ohio families are struggling,” says Lynch. “We bought so many bombs, and we’re not even getting a discount. We’re going to lobby for the people, whereas our current representative lobbies for corporations in Israel.”
About 20 percent of registered Ohio voters cast a ballot in the 2024 Congressional primary election. Voter turnout tends to be lower during primaries and midterms compared to Presidential elections, but Lynch says that people in general have lost faith in their government. “I agree that the government doesn’t work for them,” he says. “I agree that their vote hasn’t been respected. In the past 12 years we haven’t voted for anybody—we’ve voted against somebody. I’m trying to give people a chance in May to have somebody to vote for.”
Lynch says he’s in favor of healthcare for all, affordable homes, taxing billionaires, climate justice, and a free Palestine. He’s against for-profit healthcare, genocide, union busting, and data centers. In the next few weeks, he aims to reach out to as many people as possible, including in the battleground Warren County, which was added to the Ohio 1st District through Republican gerrymandering legislation.
May 5 will be here soon (early voting begins this week), and Lynch thinks a progressive wave could succeed here, much as it worked for Zohran Mamdani, who last year became the first Muslim and socialist elected mayor of New York City. “Zohran is an inspiration to all of us,” says Lynch. “He went out and he said what he was going to do, people backed and believed in his mission, and he won.”
In order to make a difference in Congress, Lynch says he’s hoping to embrace the same kind of outsider mentality that Mamdani had. “I’m not going to Congress to be nice,” he says. “I’m going to fight and disrupt. I’m going to challenge power.”
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