Ohio Senate race between Israel supporters becomes proxy battle for AIPAC versus J Street

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According to reporting by Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA), Republican Husted and Democrat Brown challenge each other on Epstein-related campaign financing and extremist social media posts. -- The post Ohio Senate race between Israel supporters becomes proxy battle for AIPAC versus J Street appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency .

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Republican Husted and Democrat Brown challenge each other on Epstein-related campaign financing and extremist social media posts.

A tight race in Ohio may play a pivotal role in determining which party controls the U.S. Senate, with the two campaigns serving as a proxy battleground for two Israel lobbying groups with different ideologies.

While Republican Sen. Jon Husted is technically the incumbent, in the eyes of many voters, so is Democrat Sherrod Brown. Husted was appointed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to fill the seat vacated by JD Vance when he became vice president in January 2025. He is now running to fulfill the remaining two years of that term. Brown, meanwhile, served three terms in the Senate before losing Ohio’s other Senate seat to Republican Bernie Moreno in 2024.

In the background of this close race are two pro-Israel lobbying forces: the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the powerful pro-Israel lobby supporting Husted, and the liberal J Street, a frequent critic of the Israeli government that backs Brown.

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Information in this article was compiled directly from records provided by Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA). Access the primary source document at: https://www.jta.org/2026/11/02/politics/ohio-senate-race-between-israel-supporters-becomes-proxy-battle-for-aipac-versus-j-street. Reporting and editorial review conducted by the USA NOW News Desk.