CLEVELAND – Josh Mandel, former Ohio State Treasurer who is running for the U.S. Senate seat in Ohio in 2022, posted his first television ad on Monday morning.
What you need to know
- The new Almond ad discusses his grandmother’s faith and journey
- This is Mandel’s first TV commercial in the early stages of the 2022 US Senate race in Ohio
- Mandel and former Ohio GOP chairman Jane Timken are fighting for the Trump base
- No Ohio Democrats have officially entered the race to retire Senator Rob Portman
The 30-second ad, entitled “Faith,” explains part of his family’s history and the role religion plays in his life.
After Senator Rob Portman’s surprise announcement in January that he would not seek a third term in the US Senate, the race to succeed Portman, Ohio, is already underway.
Mandel, a Republican, was the first candidate to jump into the race, starting his third bid for the U.S. Senate after serving two terms as Treasurer of State.
Former Ohio Republican Party leader Jane Timken, a fellow Republican, is the only other candidate officially in the running so far. She has already posted two television commercials – one criticizing President Biden’s immigration policies and one defending former President Trump’s agenda.
In particular, Mandel’s first ad, which airs in major Ohio media markets through Easter Sunday, mentions Trump and no specific guidelines, despite Mandel advocating his support for the former president.
“This time of year we celebrate that God is always in control. I’m Josh Mandel and personally I know that’s true, ”Mandel said in the new ad. “You see, my grandma was saved from the Nazis by a network of brave Christians who risked their lives to save their lives. I am not here today without their faith. “
In an interview with Spectrum News on Sunday, Mandel was asked what he says to observers who view the early days of his campaign, including this first ad, as shining light on politics.
“I think our campaign is politically strongly shaped by religious freedom and religious freedom and advocates the Judeo-Christian values in which America was founded and became strong,” said Mandel, who is Jewish and whose grandfather survived the Holocaust.
In the early days of Mandel’s election campaign, controversial statements were made about minorities, attacks on various Republicans, false statements about the science behind wearing masks to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and flattering comments about Trump.
Mandel’s Twitter account was temporarily suspended after he tweeted a poll that said, “Of the various types of illegals who flood the border, are more crimes committed by Muslim terrorists or Mexican gangbangers?”
He also tweeted about the need to “stand up against any efforts to strip and destroy our constitutional rights” and “revolt”. . . rise up . . . Defend Our Freedom “when Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine tried to create digital certificates to indicate someone had been vaccinated against the coronavirus (something DeWine did not suggest).
When asked how he reconciles that rhetoric with his ad about belief, Mandel told Spectrum News that he feels this is what Ohioans want.
“I think what constitutional conservatives and men and women of faith in our country want are fighters,” said Mandel. “You don’t want wallflowers. You don’t want softness. “
So far, in addition to Utah GOP Senator Mike Lee, Mandel has received referrals from religious organizations such as Club for Growth and Ohio Value Voters.
Timken, who has served as the Ohio GOP chairman for the past four years, has received several dozen referrals from local, regional, and state Republican leaders across Ohio.
A long list of other Ohio Republicans, including current Congressmen Bill Johnson (R, OH-6) and Steve Stivers (R, OH-15), investment banker Mike Gibbons, and author and venture capitalist JD Vance, are considering entering the race .
On the Democratic side, no candidates have officially declared, but Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan (D, OH-13) and former Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton, are seriously considering running.
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