Ohio state treasurer Josh Mandel Image by YouTube

By Nathan Guttman January 5, 2018

Josh Mandel, largely considered the Republican frontrunner for the 2018 Ohio Senate seat, announced Friday he is ending his race. Mandel cited health issues his wife is dealing with as the reason for dropping out.

“After recent discussions with our family and healthcare professionals, it has become clear to us that it’s no longer possible for me to be away from home and on the campaign trail for the time needed to run a U.S. Senate race,” Mandel wrote supporters in a statement. “Therefore, I’m writing today to let you know that I am ending my campaign for U.S. Senate in order to be there for my wife and our three children.”

Mandel, who currently serves as Ohio’s State Treasurer, was in the midst of his second attempt to unseat Democratic senator Sherrod Brown. He is an early Trump supporter who has adopted many of Trump’s ideas and tactics. Both he and his wife Ilana come from prominent Jewish families in the Cleveland area.

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“While unexpected, I accept that this change of course is what God has in store for our family at this time,” Mandel wrote in his statement. “As we read in the Book of Proverbs, ‘Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it’s God’s purpose that prevails.’”

Contact Nathan Guttman at guttman@forward.com or on Twitter @nathanguttman

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