Jewish Democrats seeking congressional seats fared better in Tuesday’s election than Jewish Republicans.
Lois Frankel and Alan Grayson, both Jewish Democrats, won congressional seats in Florida.
On Tuesday, Frankel, 64, a former member of the Florida House and an ex-mayor of West Palm Beach, defeated Adam Hasner, a former majority leader in the Florida state Senate who also is Jewish.
Grayson, 54, a fiery progressive who had been unseated in the Republican electoral surge in 2010, returned to the House by defeating Todd Long in a newly created Orlando-area district.
He won a national following with his outspoken defense of health care reform and relentless assault on his GOP opposition.
In New Jersey, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, a Republican with strong financial backing from Jewish philanthropist Sheldon Adelson, failed to win a new congressional seat in his match against Democrat incumbent Bill Pascrell, Jr.
In Ohio, Treasurer Josh Mandel failed in his bid to unseat Sen. Sherrod Brown.
Mandel, a former Marine, is a strong ally of organized labor and a pillar of the Democratic Party’s progressive wing.
Virginia’s Eric Cantor, the House majority leader, remains the only Jewish Republican in Congress.
Congress, however, remains with a Republican majority.
Leave a Reply