Josh Mandel Loses Ohio Senate Bid

Image by COURTESY OF JOSH MANDEL

By Josh Nathan-Kazis November 7, 2012

Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, a Republican Jew, lost his Senate bid tonight to Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown, NBC is reporting.

Image by COURTESY OF JOSH MANDEL

Mandel was never a favorite, but Republican strategists saw the contest as winnable, and poured millions into the effort. A victory would have made him the only Republican Jew in the U.S. Senate.

Just 35 years old, Mandel looks even younger. He served with the Marines in Iraq, but started running for Senate almost as soon as he was elected state treasurer. His campaign raised $13 million, not far behind Brown’s $17 million.

One potential source of cash Mandel never got to tap were the Ratners, the wealthy family of Democratic real estate developers to whom he is related by marriage. A handful of Mandel’s prominent cousins published an ad in the Cleveland Jewish News slamming Mandel for his opposition to gay unions.

“We still remember the excitement surrounding your wedding,” the Ratners wrote. “So we were deeply saddened when you announced…that you believe only some people should share this right to marry the person they love,” they continued, ensuring years of awkward Passover seders.

Brown, for his part, received the endorsement of J Street PAC, the political action arm of the dovish pro-Israel lobby. A former president of AIPAC signed onto a newspaper ad paid for by Brown’s campaign

Josh Nathan-Kazis is a staff writer for the Forward. He covers charities and politics, and writes investigations and longform.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO