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.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis of the crisis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

“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 [email protected] or on Twitter @nathanguttman

A message from our CEO & publisher 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.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount