A Democrat Is Launching a Longshot Bid to Beat Rep. Mike Turner

Democrats hope that even entrenched GOP incumbents will face stiff headwinds if the political climate continues to turn in their favor.

Mike Turner

Rep. Mike Turner steps into an elevator in the basement of the Capitol, Feb. 15, 2024. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Democrats hope they’ve finally found a candidate who’ll make Rep. Mike Turner of Ohio wish he hadn’t decided to run for reelection.

Kristina Knickerbocker, an Air Force veteran, will announce on Tuesday that she is running for the Dayton-area House seat, launching her campaign a day after the longtime Republican incumbent said he would seek another term in office. Knickerbocker, a political newcomer who is also a nurse, has excited national Democrats, who hope she’ll give the party its best chance at winning the right-leaning 10th Congressional District in more than 10 years.

In a video launching her candidacy, Knickerbocker emphasized her dual backgrounds as a veteran and a nurse, saying the district needs a representative who has the moxie to fix the health care system and broken economy.