Every Vote Matters:

The Jewish Electorate and the 2026 Midterms

November 3, 2026

This week’s JEI Communications will focus on our final state before Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2026: OHIO, a state that has drawn national attention. We will examine the races for governor and U.S. Senate, along with two congressional contests (congressional districts 1 and 9). We magnify these races because they are highly competitive, and one of them because of a deeply troubling controversy surrounding a highly inflammatory campaign advertisement.

 

VOTING IS WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC OF AMERICAN JEWISH LIFE

 

With the midterm general election just FOUR days away, and early voting already underway in many states, voters across America are making their voices heard and will continue to do so through Election Day on November 3.  The midterm elections could reshape America's political landscape, redefined priorities for elected officials an every level of government, and reflect a shift in the expectations and priorities of the American electorate. As voters head to the polls on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, JEI encourages every eligible voter to make a plan to vote, learn about the candidates and issues on their ballot, and encourage friends and family to participate.

 

Our history has shown that since the early 1800’s Jewish men in New York gained the right to vote, although voting was restricted in other states. Throughout the mid-1700’s through the early 1800s, after America's independence, voting rights continued to vary from state to state. Some states even maintained religious restrictions on voting or holding office. In 1826, one state even enacted the “Jew Bill” that removed religious barriers to Jewish men holding public office, but it was not until 1828 when Jewish men can no longer be denied the right to vote because of their religion. Of course, we know that all women did not gain nationwide constitutional protection of their right to vote until 1920, nearly half a century later when 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified. Jewish women played significant roles in successfully pioneering the entire American women’s suffrage movement.

 

In 1965, the bipartisan Voting Rights Act was signed into law by then-President Johnson. This law was designed to ensure minority voters across the country participate equally in the electoral process, which prohibited discriminatory voting practices and removed many barriers to voting. Nearly 50 years later, in June 2013, the Supreme Court struck down a key provision requiring states with a history of voting discrimination to obtain federal approval before changing their voting laws.

 

Protecting voting rights has long been a deeply held commitment within the American Jewish community. It strongly supported the Voting Rights Act of 1965, recognizing the importance of protecting every American’s right to vote. When the Supreme Court weakened the law in 2013, major Jewish organizations spoke out in opposition. In an effort to restore the protections weakened by the Supreme Court, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act  was reintroduced in the House in March 2025 and the Senate in July 2025. Since then, both bills have remained stalled in congressional committees without a vote in either chamber. Major Jewish organizations have actively advocated for the bills by lobbying Congress, making public statements, and participating in secular and other religious national voting-rights coalitions. 

 

Issues of importance to Jewish communities across America have evolved over generations, yet many remain as pressing today as they did in the past. They include  combating antisemitism, protecting religious freedom, addressing immigration restrictions and path ways to citizenship, expanding economic opportunities, safeguarding workers’ rights, supporting public education, and strengthening the security of Jewish institutions. We know that decisions made by elected officials have profound consequences for all Americans, including the Jewish community, shaping public policies that affect  every aspect of our lives.

 

Our History also has shown us that every vote matters not only in determining the outcome of the elections, but also in sending powerful messages about the issues we believe that must be address. Participation in the political arena is also essential so that elected officials understand the priorities, concerns, and diversity of the communities they represent.

LOOKING AHEAD

Next week, please join JEI as we examine the election results. We will look at key races, voter participation, and what the outcomes may tell us about the Jewish electorate and the broader political environment. We will also consider what the results could mean for the issues affecting Jewish Americans in the months and years ahead.

 

We look forward to sharing our analysis with you next week.

The Jewish Electorate Institute (JEI) is dedicated to understanding the political attitudes, priorities, and voting behavior of Jewish Americans through research and analysis.

JEI EXAMINES OHIO

 

A BATTLEGROUND STATE THAT HAS GENERATED

NATIONAL ATTENTION AND DEBATE

Ohio has emerged as an important state to watch in the 2026 midterms, providing the Jewish Electorate Institute (JEI) with an opportunity to examine how national political trends are playing out in a state that has shifted toward Republicans in recent presidential elections. With less than a week until November 3, Ohio has competitive contests for governor, U.S. Senate, and congressional seats, particularly in the 1st and 9th congressional districts. Early voting in Ohio began on Tuesday, October 6, and will end on Sunday, November 1, 2026. Voters voting this weekend can look up their assigned early voting site here.

 

Donald Trump carried Ohio by 11.2 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election, compared with 8.0 points in 2020. However, recent polling suggests that this rightward shift may be losing momentum. In 2024, Republican Bernie Moreno defeated three-term Senator Sherrod Brown. Brown is now challenging Republican Senator Jon Husted in a special Senate election. Husted was appointed to the Senate in January 2025 to fill the seat vacated by JD Vance when he became vice president.

 

According to JEI’S Brandeis University American Jewish Population Project study, Ohio had approximately 117,000 Jewish adults, representing 1.5% of the state's adult population, based on the study's historical estimates. The study found that 56% identified with or leaned toward the Democratic Party, while 32% identified with or leaned toward the Republican Party. These findings provide a demographic benchmark rather than a current assessment of Jewish voters' preferences.

Ohio has not been immune to the rise in antisemitism affecting communities and college campuses across the country.

 

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) noted that Ohio recorded 233 antisemitic incidents in 2024, including 49 on college campuses. Although the statewide total declined to 117 in 2025, serious concerns remain. Jewish students at Ohio State, Case Western Reserve, the University of Cincinnati, and, more recently, Miami University have faced reported incidents ranging from harassment and threatening behavior to vandalism and physical violence. These developments underscore the importance of protecting Jewish students while distinguishing legitimate criticism of Israeli government policies and peaceful pro-Palestinian demonstrations from antisemitic conduct, including anti-Jewish harassment, threats, and intimidation.

 

On May 11, 2026, the Ohio Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights released a report titled Antisemitism in Ohio, examining incidents, their impact, and institutional responses throughout the state. Following public hearings and testimony, the committee identified rising antisemitism as a serious concern and emphasized the need for stronger educational efforts to combat anti-Jewish hatred. It also acknowledged disagreements over how antisemitism should be defined while protecting freedom of expression.

 

Ohio's Jewish population is concentrated primarily in three metropolitan areas: Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati. The Cleveland area has historically had the largest Jewish community, particularly in eastern suburbs such as Beachwood, Shaker Heights, University Heights, Pepper Pike, and Orange. In Columbus, significant Jewish communities can be found in Bexley, Berwick, New Albany, and other eastern and northeastern suburbs. Around Cincinnati, Amberley Village, Blue Ash, and Montgomery have identifiable Jewish populations. According to our JEI Brandeis study, 60% of Ohio’s Jewish adults lived in congressional districts encompassing these three metropolitan areas.

 

JEI examines four races that illustrate competing political dynamics: Governor, U.S. Senate, and the 1st and 9th congressional districts. Although no general election debates were held among the candidates discussed in these contests, Israel and antisemitism emerged as issues, albeit not dominant ones. Notably, antisemitism also became a subject of disagreement within the Republican Party itself, rather than solely between Republicans and Democrats.

 

Ohio’s 1st and 9th Congressional Districts offer two important opportunities to examine how redistricting has reshaped the political landscape and affected Democratic incumbents seeking reelection in the newly configured districts now leaning Republican. Both races are closely watched contests that may help determine control of the U.S. House of Representatives. For JEI, they also provide an opportunity to examine the role of Jewish voters and the extent to which Israel and antisemitism have entered the political debate. In the 9th congressional district, candidates responded to an October 2024 questionnaire published on page 8 of the Toledo Jewish News. In the 1st congressional district, candidates responded to an October 7th 2026 interview on the local NPR network.

 

Taken together, these two House races offer a look at the relationship between national political sentiment, state-level leadership, and local voting patterns. Ohio's November results will provide important evidence of how voters are responding to the political and economic issues shaping the 2026 midterms. 

 

OHIO'S U.S. SENATE RACE:

Latest polling shows former Senator Sherrod Brown (D) at 47.5% and Senator Husted (R) at 45.3%.

SHERROD BROWN (D)

 

Brown was born and raised in Ohio. After serving 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Sherrod Brown was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served from 2007 to 2025, when he lost his reelection bid to Republican Bernie Moreno. Earlier in his political career, Brown served in the Ohio House of Representatives and as Ohio’s Secretary of State. During his final term in the Senate (2023–2025), he chaired the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee and served on the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Finance; and Veterans’ Affairs Committees. He also chaired the Finance Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy.

 

He has been a longtime advocate for organized labor, domestic manufacturing, and working-class families; Brown has made economic affordability the centerpiece of his 2026 campaign. His principal proposals include lowering prescription drug prices, restricting health insurers' ability to deny medically prescribed care, capping utility rate increases, and requiring data centers to pay the full cost of their electricity consumption. He also supports reversing federal Medicaid cuts, protecting rural hospitals, prohibiting congressional stock trading, and restricting former members of Congress from becoming lobbyists. Brown has criticized the war with Iran and emphasized the economic consequences of rising energy prices.

 

 His campaign continues to focus on corporate accountability, workers' rights, healthcare affordability, and the cost of living.  It lowering grocery, utility, healthcare and prescription drug costs, protecting union jobs, supporting domestic manufacturing and opposing trade agreements that disadvantage American workers, reversing Medicaid cuts, protecting access to healthcare and holding insurance companies accountable for denying medically necessary treatment, lowering grocery, utility, healthcare and prescription drug costs,  protecting retirement benefits and building on his record of securing pensions for Ohio workers, banning congressional stock trading and restricting former members of Congress from becoming lobbyists, and requiring large data centers to cover their electricity costs rather than shifting those expenses to Ohio households.

  

Antisemitism and Israel

 

Brown has a longstanding record of supporting Israel’s right to exist and defend itself, continued U.S. military assistance, and efforts to combat antisemitism. While affirming Israel’s security needs, he has criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza and his opposition to a two-state solution. Brown supports a negotiated two-state solution and called for a ceasefire tied to the release of hostages and humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians. Following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks, he condemned the terrorism and reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself. He supported the April 2024 supplemental military assistance package for Israel and, in November 2024, voted against three resolutions introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders seeking to block specific weapons transfers to Israel. As chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, Brown also examined terrorist financing and Iran’s support for Hamas and Hezbollah.

Endorsements and Donations

 

Brown’s campaign donations come from a broad spectrum of sources including those interested in antisemitism and Israel. His endorsements are many and varied. They include, former President Barack Obama, the Ohio AFL-CIO, United Steelworkers, Communications Workers of America, Ohio Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, the Human Rights Campaign, the gun violence prevention organization Giffords and Brady, the League of Conservation Voters, Reproductive Freedom for All, and the Alliance for Retired Americans.

 

 

JON HUSTED (R)

 

Husted, also born and raised in Ohio, is Ohio’s two-year incumbent U.S. Senator and was appointed by Governor Mike DeWine in January 2025 to fill the vacancy created when JD Vance became vice president. Husted is seeking election to the remainder of that Senate term against former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown. He was adopted as a child and earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Dayton, where he played championship football. Before entering elected office, he worked in economic development.

 

He served in the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate, and was also Ohio’s Secretary of State, where he oversaw elections and voter registration. In 2019, he served as Ohio’s Lt. Governor under Governor DeWine, where he worked on workforce development, business regulation, and economic development. In the U.S. Senate, he serves on the Appropriations, Small Business, and Environment/Public Works committees.

 

Husted’s campaign emphasizes his governing record and aligns with much of President Trump’s domestic agenda. His documented priorities, along with his record in Ohio government, can be found here. They include his opposition to abortion, advocacy for stronger border security and enforcement against illegal immigration, and support for tax reductions, business investment, deregulation and policies intended to encourage job creation, school choice and parental involvement in education, law enforcement and stronger action against fentanyl trafficking, and voter-roll maintenance and election-integrity measures. Interesting to note, while Secretary of State his policies on the latter issues were challenged by voting-rights organizations.

 

Antisemitism and Israel

 

On Israel and antisemitism, Husted has taken documented positions supporting Israel. They include U.S. military assistance to Israel, blocking efforts to block certain weapon transfers, stronger sanctions on Iran, and joining the bipartisan Senate effort to combat antisemitism. He also questioned university leaders about protections for Jewish students.  Note: Sen. Husted fired his political director for using Nazi SS soldiers as his Facebook profile picture.

 

Endorsements and Donations

 

His varied donations also include support through Jewish organizations. 

Husted has secured endorsements from President Donald Trump, Senator Bernie Moreno, and Republican gubernatorial nominee Vivek Ramaswamy, several members of Ohio's Republican congressional delegation, and numerous Republican statewide and legislative officials, reflecting broad institutional support within the Ohio Republican Party including Ohio Republican Congressmen Jim Jordan, Warren Davidson, Dave Joyce, Bob Latta, Troy Balderson, and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Ohio Auditor Keith Faber, Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague, Speaker of the Ohio House Matt Huffman, and Rob MColley, Ohio Senate President and Republican Lt. Governor nominee. 

OHIO'S GUBERNATORIAL RACE

Latest polling: Lt. Gov. Dr. Amy Acton (D) at 48.6%

 and Vivek Ramaswamy (R) at 44.3%

Ohio's 2026 gubernatorial election pits Democrat Dr. Amy Acton, the state's former health director, against Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and former presidential candidate. The contest has drawn extraordinary national attention from both sides of the aisle because of its competitive polling, contrasting policy priorities, and an exceedingly controversial Ramaswamy campaign advertisement that has received strong condemnation from both sides of the aisle, the media, and public.

 

This campaign has focused heavily on affordability, property taxes, economic development, education, health care, and abortion rights. The expansion of data centers and their effects on electricity costs have become an especially prominent issue. There are some main issues that distinguish the candidates. They include property taxes and affordability, data centers and energy costs, education, health care, abortion rights and gun laws.

 

 

DR. AMY ACTON

 

If Dr. Acton wins, she will be the very first Jewish governor ever elected in Ohio. She now resides in Bexley and is a lifetime congregant of Congregation Beth Tikvah in Worthington.  She was born Amy Stearns in 1966 in Youngstown and endured a most turbulent childhood. During one Ohio winter, she lived in a tent with her mother and stepfather. Until the age of twelve years old, she experienced poverty, family instability, and even a period of homelessness. Her parents divorced when Dr. Acton was three years old, and her mother remarried Bud Arthur. Shortly thereafter, allegations of child abuse, including sexual abuse and rape, a formal police report against Arthur was filed. The courts then gave her biological father, Gerald Stearns, custody of the children.  

 

After moving in with her father, she had a Jewish upbringing and remains active in the Jewish community in Ohio through her civic leadership, organizational boards, and public speaking. She has stated that her Jewish roots and tikkun olam have guided her career in public service and health advocacy.

 

She received her B.S. degree from Youngstown State University, her medical degree from Northeast Ohio Medical University, and her MPH degree from Ohio State University. She did her residency in Pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in NYC and Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. She also did a preventive medicine residency at Ohio State University. She served as an assistant professor of maternal and child health and global health at the Ohio State University College of Public Health.

 

Dr. Acton has been married to Eric Acton, and they share a blended family of six children, three of whom are her biological children from her first marriage.

Dr. Acton has spent decades working in public health, medicine, and community philanthropy across Ohio. Republican Governor Mike DeWine appointed her as the Director of the Ohio Department of Health in 2019. She gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic and received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 2021. She has worked as a community research and grants management officer for the Columbus Foundation. She also previously directed Project L.O.V.E. (Love Our Kids, Vaccinate Early), a local hospital immunization initiative, and served as president and CEO of the nonprofit RAPID 5 connecting communities through parks, trails, rivers, and green space. 

 

Dr. Acton’s principal campaign issues center around a "Working Families Tax Cut," expanding property tax homestead exemptions for seniors, increasing funding for public K-12 schools, and imposing guardrails on the rapid expansion of data centers in Ohio.

Antisemitism and Israel

 

As the Director of the Ohio Department of Health during the early COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Acton imposed strict stay-at-home orders that triggered extreme blowback from far-right groups and anti-lockdown protesters. Protesters gathered outside her home, with some carrying firearms and signs bearing antisemitic slogans and imagery, and she has repeatedly been the target of severe, explicit antisemitic harassment. In public rhetoric and legislative debates, opponents compared her to the Nazi regime and targeted her with antisemitic dog whistles, such as calling her a "globalist". The severe personal harassment and threats directed at her family ultimately prompted her resignation from the position in June.  Security threats tied to her heritage resurfaced during her 2026 campaign for governor. In August 2026, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) documented targeted harassment against her, and in September, an armed man was apprehended after making threats against her campaign. During her campaign, an armed man forced his way to her during a city fair, and was apprehended by police. This incident reignited concerns about political violence and the increasingly dangerous environment facing Jewish politicians in the US.

 

She has frequently spoken out about extremism, political polarization, and the normalization of antisemitic rhetoric, drawing directly from her time as Ohio's Health Director, and has pledged to use the governor's office to stand up to white nationalism, strengthen antisemitism education in schools, and invest in programs to counter violent radicalization.

 

Endorsements and Donations

 

Dr. Amy Acton has received endorsements from Acton has secured endorsements from a broad range of labor, education, health care, public safety, and environmental organizations, including the Ohio AFL-CIO, United Auto Workers, Ohio Education Association, Ohio Nurses Association, and Ohio Patrolmen's Benevolent Association. She has also received support from EMILYs List and Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio. Her campaign reported raising nearly $32 million through September, supported by more than 185,000 individual donors. According to the latest campaign finance reports, Acton continued to outraise Ramaswamy in direct contributions, although his substantial personal loans have enabled significantly greater campaign spending.

The editorial board of The Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com also endorsed Acton on October 25, 2026.

 

Acton's campaign announced earlier in October that it had raised nearly $32 million since launching, including $13.2 million during the third quarter. It reported more than 185,000 individual donors and said over 95% of contributions were $100 or less. These are campaign-reported figures. Donations include two contributions from the Ohio Democratic Party candidate fund, Ohio Hospital Association PAC, committees associated with Columbus teachers, the Ohio life sciences industry, and Franklin County Engineer Adam Fowler. Individual donors include Brian Schimpf and Matthew Grimm, executives at defense company Anduril, each of whom made the maximum permitted contribution. According to the latest campaign finance reports, Acton continued to outraise Ramaswamy in direct contributions, although his substantial personal loans have enabled significantly greater campaign spending.

 

 

VIVEK RAMASWAMY

 

Vivek Ramaswamy was born on August 9, 1985, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Indian immigrant parents.  He graduated as valedictorian from St. Xavier High School before earning a degree in biology from Harvard University in 2007 and a law degree from Yale University in 2013. After working in investment management, he founded Roivant Sciences, a biotechnology company, in 2014, and later co-founded Strive Asset Management, which challenged the use of environmental, social, and governance considerations in corporate investing.

 

Ramaswamy comes primarily from the private sector and national Republican politics. He entered national politics as a candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, gaining attention for his conservative positions and criticism of corporate political activism. Following his fourth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses, he withdrew and endorsed Donald Trump. He was subsequently selected to help lead Trump's Department of Government Efficiency initiative alongside Elon Musk but departed before assuming an operational role. Ramaswamy, who has never held elected office, announced his candidacy for Ohio governor in February 2025 and won the Republican nomination in May 2026.

 

Antisemitism and Israel 

 

Ramaswamy has publicly expressed support for Israel and condemned antisemitism, including antisemitism on the political right. However, his position on U.S. military assistance to Israel differs from that of many prominent Republicans, and his associations with individuals accused of antisemitic rhetoric have attracted criticism. He has framed it as part of his broader foreign policy approach, although his proposal has drawn criticism from Jewish Republican organizations, including the Republican Jewish Coalition.

 

During his 2024 presidential campaign, Ramaswamy proposed eventually ending the approximately $3.8 billion in annual U.S. military assistance to Israel when the current agreement expires in 2028. He subsequently qualified that position, saying assistance should end only when Israel is sufficiently strong and secure.

In April 2026, at an Ohio State University event, Ramaswamy reiterated his support for phasing out annual assistance to Israel as part of a broader approach to foreign aid. He also objected to audience members singling out Israel while ignoring assistance to other countries.

 

He has supported the Abraham Accords and President Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, including moving the U.S. Embassy there.

Ramaswamy has described antisemitism as a “cancer” in society, arguing that it must be confronted both on the left and among people who identify with the right.

During two separate appearances alongside Pastor Jeff Tauring at Liberty Valley Church in Northfield, he argued that blaming Jews for their success harms not only Jewish people but society as a whole; yet, during one appearance Rev. Tauring made disparaging statement about Judaism and Islam and compared Covid era public health restrictions to Nazi Germany.

 

He has also taken a strongly free-speech-oriented position toward legislation intended to combat antisemitism. During his presidential campaign, he criticized a Florida law targeting the distribution of antisemitic materials, arguing that offensive expression should generally be challenged through debate rather than restrictions on speech. The Forward reported that Tauring described contemporary Judaism as “fake,” criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On October 5, the Ohio Jewish Caucus, composed of Democratic state legislators, publicly called on Ramaswamy to repudiate Tauring's statements. The caucus also cited a 2021 demonstration by church members outside the home of Jewish state legislator Casey Weinstein, which Weinstein characterized as antisemitic intimidation.

 

Tauring previously denied that the demonstration was antisemitic. Ramaswamy's own remarks condemning antisemitism at the church are important context since appearing at the church does not establish that he endorsed the pastor's statements.

 

Endorsements and Donations

 

Ramaswamy has secured endorsements from President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Governor Mike DeWine, Ohio's two Republican U.S. senators, and numerous Republican elected officials. His organizational support includes the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Ohio Manufacturers' Association, Fraternal Order of Police, several labor unions including the Ohio Conference of Teamsters, Affiliated Construction Trades, Ohio State Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, several carpenters and operating engineers organizations, Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio, Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association, Ohio State Medical Association PAC, and prominent conservative advocacy groups. It is worth noting that the Ohio State Medical Association PAC endorsed Ramaswamy despite his opponent being a physician. And Ohio's police unions divided their support: the Fraternal Order of Police backed Ramaswamy, while the Ohio Patrolmen's Benevolent Association endorsed Acton.

 

Ramaswamy’s campaign has also relied heavily on personal loans and substantial outside spending.  In fact, the latest pre-election filings show that Ramaswamy's campaign has spent considerably more than Acton's, largely because of his personal financing. His campaign also reported approximately $41.3 million in outstanding loans, primarily from Ramaswamy himself. Separately, V-PAC Victors Not Victims, a super PAC supporting his candidacy, reported approximately $44.4 million in independent expenditures through September 28. Notable contributors in the latest filing included American Electric Power, the Ohio NFIB, Elevance Health, a banking-industry political committee, and cryptocurrency entrepreneurs Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. These are distinct categories and should not be added together as campaign contributions.

 

Personal Controversies

 

Vivek Ramaswamy is not without controversy. He has faced several controversies involving antisemitism, campaign finance reporting, his business career, and his political positions. Some involve documented disputes or allegations rather than established wrongdoing. The controversy at the Liberty Valley Church with Pastor Jeff Tauring is mentioned above.

 

Ramaswamy's gubernatorial campaign came under scrutiny for initially reporting more than $500,000 in credit card expenditures without the itemized details required under Ohio campaign finance law. Democratic state Senator Kent Smith filed a complaint.

 

The campaign subsequently amended its reports to identify individual expenditures. In September 2026, the Ohio Secretary of State's Election Integrity Unit found no violation.

 

Smith questioned that determination and raised concerns about the revised reporting dates. Therefore, this is accurately described as a campaign finance reporting controversy, not a finding that Ramaswamy violated election law.

This is a significant legal controversy involving Ramaswamy's business career.

Joyce Rosely, a former executive vice president at Strive Asset Management, alleges that she was fired after objecting to conduct she believed violated securities laws. She also alleged that she raised concerns about another executive's behavior toward a female subordinate. On August 25, 2026, a federal judge allowed the whistleblower-retaliation claims against Strive and Ramaswamy personally to proceed, while dismissing several other claims without prejudice.

Importantly, the ruling was not a finding that Ramaswamy violated securities laws or retaliated against an employee. It determined that the allegations were sufficient to proceed in court.

 

During his biotechnology career, Ramaswamy promoted intepirdine, an experimental Alzheimer's treatment developed by Axovant, a subsidiary of Roivant Sciences. The company attracted substantial investment, but the drug failed clinical trials, and Axovant's share price fell sharply.

 

 

A MAJOR CAMPAIGN CONTROVERSY

 

The Ramaswamy-Acton advertisement controversy met with enormous public and bipartisan backlash. It began on October 19, 2026, when a 60-second political advertisement surfaced featuring Donna Arthur, the estranged mother of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton. Arthur accused her daughter of lying about her childhood and urged Ohio voters not to elect her governor.

The controversy continued into October 29, when The Washington Post published an extensive interview in which Acton discussed how her childhood experiences shaped her approach to public service.

 

The advertisement was produced by Republican Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign, which initially planned to spend $4 million promoting it. Its release generated criticism from Democrats, Republicans, and national news organizations.

Arthur appeared on camera and accused Acton of dishonesty, including disputing her account of having experienced homelessness and lived in a tent as a child.

Arthur declared: “She is a liar. She lies about her past.”

 

The advertisement did not disclose that Acton had been estranged from her mother for nearly five decades, following allegations of severe childhood abuse and the arrest of her stepfather on rape charges. The advertisement did not explicitly mention the sexual abuse allegations, but those allegations are central to understanding the relationship between Acton and her mother.

 

The most consequential part of the story is Acton’s public description of being sexually abused by her stepfather, Cledith Arthur, when she was a child. Her account was documented years before she became a candidate for governor. Following the advertisement's release, FactCheck.org and PolitiFact examined historical court documents, newspaper accounts, and statements from Acton's younger brother, Philip Stearns. Their findings included:

The fact-checking organizations found substantial corroboration for Acton's history, rather than evidence supporting the advertisement's broad accusations that she had fabricated it.

Governor Mike DeWine called the ad deeply troubling, urged its removal, but retained his endorsement of Ramaswamy.

Senator Jon Husted said, Said “he would not have run the advertisement.”

Both former Senator Rob Portman and Former Governor John Kasich  condemned the advertisement.

But President Donald J. Trump defended it and encouraged Ramaswamy to continue airing it, and criticized DeWine for opposing it. And, Vice President JD Vance defended Ramaswamy and criticized Republicans objecting to the advertisement.

DeWine's criticism carried particular significance because Acton had served as his health director during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also publicly defended her truthfulness based on his experience working with her. Yet he still endorsed Ramaswamy.

On October 28, Axios reported on a private survey commissioned by a Republican group. Among 800 respondents, 86% said they were aware of the advertisement, and respondents familiar with it said by approximately a two-to-one ratio that it made them more inclined to support Acton. The same survey showed Acton with an eight-point lead, compared with a two-point lead in an earlier survey. These are findings from one privately commissioned poll, not proof that the advertisement caused the change.

On October 29, Axios also reported that alumni of Ramaswamy's Cincinnati high school had organized a petition urging him to withdraw the advertisement and apologize.

Ramaswamy rejected calls to withdraw the advertisement and has doubled down on it. His campaign argued that the issue was Acton's credibility rather than her childhood abuse and accused critics of applying a double standard to political attacks involving candidates' family members.

Acton condemned the advertisement as an exploitation of her childhood experiences. Her campaign released a response video featuring her younger brother, Philip Stearns, who corroborated their accounts of abuse and described Acton's efforts to protect him.

 

Congressman Greg Landsman (D) and Eric Conroy (R)

              Latest Poll: Landsman 48.0% and Conroy 39.9%

The race is between Democratic incumbent Greg Landsman against Republican Eric Conroy, a former CIA officer, with Libertarian Nathan Weise also running. The district encompasses Warren County and eastern Hamilton County, including Cincinnati.

 

Ohio's 1st Congressional District, located in southwestern Ohio, encompasses the city of Cincinnati and portions of Hamilton County, along with Warren and Clinton counties. The district combines Cincinnati's urban neighborhoods and surrounding suburbs with more conservative suburban, exurban, and rural communities extending northeast of the city. Major communities include Cincinnati, Mason, Lebanon, Springboro, and Wilmington.

 

Like Ohio's 9th Congressional District, the 1st underwent significant changes following the adoption of new congressional boundaries by the Ohio Redistricting Commission on October 31, 2025. The revised map, which takes effect for the 2026 election, retains Cincinnati while incorporating additional Republican-leaning territory, including Clinton County. The changes have shifted the district's political composition toward Republicans, creating a more challenging electoral landscape for Democratic incumbent Representative Greg Landsman, who has represented the district since January 2023. In JEI’s demographic study, Jewish communities represented 2.4% of its voting-age population. We will have to reconfigure our numbers to align with the new boundaries that were set just last year.

The district is particularly noteworthy because it brings together communities with different demographic, economic, and political characteristics. Its new boundaries provide an opportunity to examine whether Democratic support in Cincinnati and its suburbs can offset Republican strength in the district's more conservative communities.

 

The redrawing of Ohio's 1st Congressional District has significantly altered its political composition. Under the boundaries in effect during the 2024 presidential election, Kamala Harris defeated Donald Trump by approximately 6.3 percentage points. However, when those same election results are recalculated using the district's new 2026 boundaries, Trump would have carried the district by approximately 2.6 percentage points, representing an almost nine-point shift toward Republicans. The changes present an additional challenge for Democratic incumbent Greg Landsman, who won reelection in 2024 by approximately 9.2 percentage points. The 2026 contest will provide an important measure of whether Landsman's support can extend beyond the Democratic-leaning communities that helped secure his previous victories.

 

 

GREG LANDSMAN (D)

 

Democratic Representative Greg Landsman was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on December 4, 1976, and raised in the Greater Cincinnati area. His Jewish roots run deep in Cincinnati dating back more than 200 years. His family is descended from David Israel Johnson, one of Cincinnati's earliest Jewish settlers, who arrived in 1818 and helped establish what became Rockdale Temple, one of the earliest Jewish congregations west of the Allegheny Mountains.

 

He graduated from Talawanda High School in Oxford, Ohio, in 1995 and earned a bachelor's degree in economics and political science from Ohio University in 1999. He subsequently received a master's degree in theology from Harvard University in 2004.

 

Before entering politics, Landsman worked as a public school teacher and devoted much of his professional career to education, community development, and nonprofit leadership. From 2007 to 2010, he served as Director of Ohio's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives under Democratic Governor Ted Strickland, working with religious and community organizations to expand educational and social services. He subsequently held a leadership position at Cincinnati's National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and served as Executive Director of the Strive Partnership, an organization focused on improving educational opportunities and outcomes for children.

 

In 2016, Landsman helped lead the successful Cincinnati Preschool Promise initiative, which expanded access to preschool education for three- and four-year-old children. He was elected to Cincinnati City Council in 2017 and served from January 2018 through 2022. During his tenure, he focused on infrastructure improvements, public safety, affordable housing, early childhood education, and government accountability. He also helped establish the city's Office of Ethics and Good Government.

 

In November 2022, Landsman was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, defeating longtime Republican incumbent Steve Chabot, who had represented the district for much of the preceding three decades. Landsman took office in January 2023 and won reelection in 2024. In Congress, he has emphasized bipartisan cooperation, government accountability, infrastructure investment, education, and economic issues affecting working families. He is a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and helped advance the Social Security Fairness Act, which was signed into law in January 2025. Landsman lives in Cincinnati with his wife, Sarah, and their two children.

 

Landsman's 2026 reelection campaign focuses primarily on economic affordability, healthcare, education, public safety, and protecting individual freedoms. He advocates lowering the costs of housing, groceries, prescription drugs, and utilities while protecting Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act. A longtime advocate for early childhood education, he supports expanded childcare and preschool programs, increased public school funding, and higher teacher salaries. Landsman also supports restoring federal abortion protections, strengthening gun safety laws, investing in infrastructure, and expanding voting rights. He has emphasized bipartisan cooperation, government transparency, and reducing the influence of special interests in Washington. His campaign highlights his role in advancing the Social Security Fairness Act, which restored benefits to millions of retired public employees, including teachers, firefighters, and police officers.

 

Antisemitism and Israel

 

Landsman has maintained a strong record of support for Israel's right to exist and defend itself, continued U.S. military assistance, and the U.S.-Israel alliance. He strongly condemned Hamas's October 7 terrorist attacks and has consistently advocated for the release of Israeli hostages, an end to Hamas's control of Gaza, and a negotiated two-state solution.

 

While supporting Israel's security, he has criticized aspects of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the war, urged greater humanitarian assistance for Palestinian civilians, and called for an end to the conflict.

 

He has opposed withholding U.S. military assistance to Israel and unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood, arguing that lasting peace requires direct negotiations and security guarantees.

 

Landsman has also been outspoken in combating antisemitism, supporting legislation incorporating the IHRA working definition of antisemitism into federal civil rights enforcement and urging stronger action against antisemitic threats on college campuses and social media. His advocacy has included criticism of antisemitic rhetoric within political discourse, including among members of his own party. Although Landsman has publicly criticized Israeli government decisions he has vehemently rejected efforts to weaken the U.S.-Israel security relationship.

 

Endorsements and Donations

 

Landsman's 2026 reelection campaign has attracted endorsements from a broad coalition of Democratic organizations, labor unions, reproductive-rights advocates, environmental groups, and Jewish political organizations, including the Democratic Majority for Israel PAC, JACPAC, and Bend the Arc Jewish Action PAC. His other formal endorsements are many and varied.

 

As of October 14, 2026, his campaign reported approximately $5.66 million in total receipts. His financial support includes contributions from labor union PACs, individual donors, and pro-Israel political donors. AIPAC PAC contributed $10,000 directly, while an October 25 campaign-finance analysis identified approximately $671,000 in combined PAC and individual contributions organized through AIPAC. The distinction between direct PAC contributions and individual donations facilitated through political organizations is important in assessing the sources of his campaign support.

 

 

ERIC CONROY (R)

 

Republican Eric Conroy was born and raised on Cincinnati's West Side in a four-generation, working-class family. He graduated from Elder High School, a Catholic high school in Cincinnati, before attending the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado, graduating in 2011. He subsequently served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force, rising to the rank of captain and working in military intelligence and special operations. His assignments included service in Okinawa, Japan, and Washington, D.C.

 

Following his military service, Conroy joined the Central Intelligence Agency as a case officer in its Directorate of Operations. According to his campaign biography, he conducted intelligence operations overseas, including assignments in Afghanistan, Poland, and Iraq, and worked on national security matters involving international partnerships and intelligence gathering. He later earned a master's degree in public administration from Columbia University in 2025, concentrating on economic development in the Midwest.

 

Conroy returned to Cincinnati and announced his first campaign for public office in July 2025, seeking the Republican nomination for Ohio's 1st Congressional District. He won the May 2026 Republican primary with the endorsement of President Donald Trump and is challenging Democratic incumbent Greg Landsman in the November general election. His campaign emphasizes his military and intelligence experience, economic growth, fiscal responsibility, border security, and strengthening American national defense.

 

According to his official campaign platform, Conroy advocates reducing inflation and federal regulations, supporting small businesses, strengthening border enforcement, increasing law enforcement resources, and investing in transportation infrastructure. He also supports parental involvement and local control in education, expanded veterans' benefits, protecting Social Security and Medicare, and legislation restricting women's sports to biological females. On foreign policy, he emphasizes military readiness and identifies Israel as an important American ally.

 

Antisemitism and Israel

 

Conroy has expressed strong support for the U.S.-Israel relationship, Israel's right to defend itself, and continued American military assistance. His campaign opposes conditioning aid to Israel and supports President Trump's Middle East policies, including efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and expand regional security partnerships. In an April 2026 interview, however, Conroy emphasized America's growing national debt and the need for greater international burden-sharing in providing foreign assistance, including aid to Israel. He also acknowledged the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and supported efforts to achieve a lasting regional peace. Conroy has pledged to combat antisemitism domestically and internationally, although he has not publicly outlined detailed proposals addressing campus antisemitism or specific federal legislation. He has not articulated a clear position on a negotiated two-state solution.

 

Endorsements and Donations

 

Conroy has received support from prominent national Republican figures, including President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Republican Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno endorsed Conroy on February 12, 2026, describing him as a supporter of Trump's agenda. Wyoming Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis endorsed him, describing him as a “dedicated veteran of the Air Force and the CIA.”   The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB FEDPAC) and the Ohio Small Business Association endorsed him, saying he has a “deep understanding of the issues that matter most to Main Street,” citing his positions on taxes, small businesses, and economic growth. And the Ohio Small Business Association endorsed him, saying he has a “deep understanding of the issues that matter most to Main Street.”

 

According to Federal Election Commission data, Conroy's campaign reported approximately $2.37 million in receipts through October 14, 2026, compared with approximately $5.66 million raised by Democratic incumbent Greg Landsman. His contributors include conservative political action committees and business-affiliated PACs, while independent political organizations, including Red Bridge Leadership PAC, have financed expenditures supporting his candidacy. No endorsement or direct contribution from a specifically Jewish or pro-Israel PAC was verified in the records reviewed.

 

Note:  Outside political groups have spent money in Ohio’s 1st Congressional District race, including Red Bridge Leadership PAC in support of Republican Eric Conroy and the Congressional Leadership Fund in opposition to Democratic incumbent Greg Landsman. However, the Congressional Leadership Fund reportedly withdrew additional financial support from the race in late October, signaling a shift in Republican outside spending priorities.

 

OHIO’S 9TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT SEAT

Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D) vs. Derek Merrin (R)

The latest Polls are varied. Cook rates it as a toss-up.Red Box shows March Kaptur at 49.4% and Derek Meren at 43.4%. A virtual dead heat.

The 9th District is interesting to examine because it illustrates the competition for working-class voters in northwest Ohio, while providing a useful contrast with statewide political trends. This congressional district was redrawn on October 31, 2025, when the Ohio Redistricting Commission unanimously approved the new congressional map, making it effective for the November 3, 2026 election. Because of the redrawn boundaries, this race is now considered a toss-up by the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter,  even pointing out that “…Republicans used mid-decade redistricting to try and knock off Congress’s longest-serving woman once and for all.” In that race, despite President Trump winning by 6.7%, Democratic incumbent Marcy Kaptur won by 2,382 votes. Had they been in existence in 2024, under the new boundaries, he would have won by 10.6%.

Ohio’s 9th Congressional District race is now among the nation’s closely watched House contests in 2026. Democratic Representative Marcy Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in congressional history, is seeking a 23rd term against Republican Derek Merrin in a rematch of their exceptionally close 2024 election. What makes this race particularly noteworthy is the district’s newly redrawn boundaries, which incorporate more Republican-leaning areas and present Kaptur with the additional challenge of attracting voters in communities that have supported Republican presidential candidates. The race also stands out against Ohio’s broader Republican voting trends, and its outcome will provide an important indication of the political direction of northwest Ohio.

While there is very limited information on a focus on Israel and antisemitism, the Republican Jewish coalition endorsed Merrin and explicitly criticized Kaptur for co-sponsoring the Ceasefire Compliance Act, legislation that would restrict or condition certain U.S. weapons transfers to Israel. Both candidates have publicly affirmed their support for Israel, despite their differing opinions about U.S. policy toward Israel. Antisemitism has not emerged as a prominent point of contention between the candidates in campaign coverage, but both candidates have addressed these subjects publicly, including a Jewish Community Relations Council questionnaire on page 8 in the monthly newspaper of the Jewish Toledo.

 

MARCY KAPTUR (D)

Marcy Kaptur, a veteran Democratic congresswoman whose political identity is closely tied to manufacturing, organized labor, economic development, and the interests of working-class communities in northern Ohio has represented the Toledo area for more than four decades, even as the boundaries and political composition of her district have changed.

She was born in Toledo in 1946 and Kaptur comes from a working-class Polish American family. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and earned a master's degree in urban planning from the University of Michigan. Before entering Congress, she worked in urban development and served in President Jimmy Carter's administration.

Kaptur was first elected to Congress in 1982, defeating Republican incumbent Ed Weber. Her long tenure has made her an influential voice on Great Lakes issues, infrastructure, industrial policy, and federal investment in communities affected by manufacturing job losses. She has consistently emphasized protecting American manufacturing jobs, strengthening labor protections, supporting farmers, and improving infrastructure. She has also championed Great Lakes environmental restoration, veterans' services, and federal funding for local economic development, and particularly active on the House Appropriations Committee, where she has worked on federal spending priorities and investments affecting Ohio and the broader Midwest.

Antisemitism and Israel

Kaptur's record on Israel and antisemitism is also relevant. She voted in October 2023 for a House resolution supporting Israel following Hamas's October 7 attacks. She subsequently supported legislation addressing Hamas financing, condemned Iran's April 2024 attack on Israel, and voted for the April 2024 Israel security supplemental appropriations bill. She also supported a resolution condemning expressions of support for Hamas and Hezbollah on college campuses.

Endorsements and Donations

Kaptur has received an array of endorsements from organized labor, Democratic organizations, and environmental groups, including: Ohio AFL-CIO, United Auto Workers (UAW), Ohio Conference of Teamsters, Communications Workers of America (CWA), Ohio Federation of Teachers, National Education Association (NEA),  International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, League of Conservation Voters (LCV Action Fund), Sierra Club, NRDC Action Fund, Ohio Citizen Action, End Citizens United, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Women's rights, healthcare, and other advocacy groups, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Feminist Majority PAC, Elect Democratic Women, Everytown for Gun Safety / Gun Sense Voter, Nurses for America, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), Ohio Democratic Party, Lucas County Democratic Party, Wood County Democratic Party, Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Feminist Majority PAC, Elect Democratic Women, and Everytown for Gun Safety / Gun Sense Voter. Her political contributions are just as broad and numerous. She has also received a number of contributions from Jewish organizations.

Kaptur’s fundraising includes individual donors, political action committees, labor-related support, and Democratic political organizations. Among organizations reporting independent expenditures supporting Kaptur in 2026 are AFSCME PEOPLE, New American Jobs Fund, and AB PAC. These expenditures are separate from donations to her campaign. Her campaign has substantially outraised Merrin's campaign.

 

DEREK MERRIN (R)

Derek Merrin is a former Ohio state legislator, real estate investor, and conservative Republican. His campaign emphasizes lower taxes, deregulation, border security, school choice, and support for President Donald Trump's policy agenda. 

He was born in Monclova Township in 1986 and began his political career unusually young. He was elected to the Waterville City Council at age 19 and became mayor at 21, serving from 2008 to 2011. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Toledo and a master's degree in public administration from Bowling Green State University. Professionally, he has worked in real estate and property investment.

In 2016, Merrin entered the Ohio House of Representatives, where he served four terms. His committee leadership included chairing the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Health Committee. His campaign website sites lists his legislative record and positions including,  reducing Ohio's income taxes, lowering certain business taxes, and simplifying property-tax rules, expanded school choice and parental options, Ohio's photo-identification requirements for voting, Gun rights, legislation expanding the right to carry firearms without a permit, price transparency and reducing regulatory barriers to healthcare access, stronger border enforcement and immigration restrictions. 

Antisemitism and Israel

Merrin has publicly expressed support for, and a documented record of supporting, Israel and opposition to antisemitism. In October 2023, following Hamas's October 7 attacks, while in the Ohio legislature, Merrin was among the Ohio legislators listed on House Resolution 292, expressing support for the people of Israel and condemning the attacks, but not a vote to provide military assistance. In the JCRC questionnaire referenced earlier, he publicly condemned antisemitism by political and educational leaders, supported restricting federal funding to educational institutions that tolerate antisemitism or hostile environments for Jewish students, and supported increasing security funding for Jewish institutions facing threats.  He does not appear to have sponsored federal congressional legislation specifically establishing new antisemitism protections or a legislative record focused on antisemitism and Israel.

Endorsements and Donations

President Trump endorsed Merrin during the 2024 Republican congressional primary. Merrin subsequently lost the general election to Kaptur by only 2,382 votes. But in the 2026 Republican primary, he did not endorse Merrin or another candidate. Nevertheless, Merrin won the five-candidate primary in May and has continued campaigning on an America First platform. His endorsements include Americans for Prosperity Action, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, Buckeye Firearms Association PAC, and Ohio Value Voters. His endorsements reflect support from Republican, business-oriented, and conservative advocacy constituencies. Club for Growth PAC also endorsed Merrin during his 2024 congressional campaign. House Speaker Mike Johnson endorsed him and campaigned with him in Defiance, Ohio. Not to be mistaken for an endorsement of Merrin, Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan endorsed Craig Riedel, Merrin's opponent, during the 2024 Republican primary. Merrin has a history of conflict within the Ohio Republican Party. In 2023, he was involved in a contentious contest for speaker of the Ohio House. In the 2024 congressional primary, Republicans were divided among candidates: Jim Jordan supported Craig Riedel, while Mike Johnson and Donald Trump backed Merrin. The Associated Press described the primary as involving shifting endorsements and intraparty disagreements because of Republican intraparty competition during a very contentious primary race.

Donations to Merrin’s campaign has come from PACS, individual donors, Club for Growth Action and Jeff Yass and Richard Uihlein. Other donors include Amerians for Prosperity, Charles Koch, Elon Musk, Trump’s PACs, the NRA, and $115,000 of his own money.

 

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Barbara Goldberg Goldman
Chair | JEI

Jewish Americans represent a critically important segment of the American electorate. JEI believes that it is important for Jewish voices to be heard at the polling place in order to ensure that the community's concerns are adequately represented by elected officials.