Enoch seeks Ohio 8th District seat against Davidson

Vanessa Enoch, a Democrat, is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Ohio's 8th Congressional District against Republican Warren Davidson.

Enoch told WVXU she has been the Democratic nominee for the 8th District in multiple election cycles. She described herself as a community builder who has led initiatives addressing food insecurity, workforce readiness and sustainable development.

Candidate information

Party: Democratic
Office sought: U.S. House of Representatives, Ohio 8th Congressional District
Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
Opponent: Warren Davidson (Republican)
Education: Bachelor's degree in criminal justice, The Ohio State University (1992); MBA in information technology, Xavier University (1999); doctorate in public policy and social change, Union Institute & University (2017)

Experience and public service

Enoch has worked as a journalist, with recognition from the Society of Professional Journalists for work on criminal justice, government accountability and community impact, according to her campaign. She is a first-generation college graduate.

She held academic roles as dean of students and department chair at American National University from 2005 to 2013. She also served as assistant professor at American InterContinental University from 2004 to 2012, according to BallotReady. She has been chief executive officer at Cultural Impact LLC since 1999 and at Vision Works Inc since 2003, according to BallotReady.

Enoch said she is advancing models such as smart village communities and technology-driven workforce platforms to connect people to opportunity.

On the issues

Healthcare: Enoch said she supports empowering Medicare and Medicaid to negotiate drug prices, capping out-of-pocket costs and funding community clinics. She said no one should have to choose between medical care and basic living expenses, and she called prescription drug pricing by large pharmaceutical companies excessive, according to her campaign website.

Public education: Enoch said she opposes diverting public education funding to private schools. She said she attended Catholic schools as a child and later paid to send her children to private Christian schools. When her parents could no longer afford private tuition, she attended public schools, and she said she relied on the same option for her children, according to her campaign website. She said she was the first in her family to graduate from college.

Gun policy: Enoch said she supports the Second Amendment and responsible gun ownership. She also said she supports safe storage practices, stronger enforcement against illegal gun trafficking, thorough background checks and a ban on civilian ownership of what she called weapons of warfare, according to her campaign website. She said she supports Ethan's Law, which promotes safe firearm storage to prevent accidental shootings and youth suicides.

Criminal justice: Enoch said her priority would be eliminating the profit motive in mass incarceration. She said government bureaucrats, attorneys and private prison owners are getting richer while taxpayer costs rise to incarcerate low-level drug offenders, according to her campaign website.

Social Security: Enoch said she supports repealing the income tax on Social Security benefits, calling the current system double taxation that burdens seniors on fixed incomes, according to her campaign website.