Josh Mandel (politician)
Encyclopedia
Josh Mandel is the current Ohio State Treasurer
. Mandel previously served as a Republican
member of the Ohio House of Representatives
. He has set up a U.S. senatorial campaign committee with the Federal Elections Commission, although he has stopped short of formally announcing that he will challenge incumbent Senator Sherrod Brown
in 2012.
where he was the quarterback of the football team. Mandel attended The Ohio State University where he earned a BA in communications. At Ohio State, he served two terms as the undergraduate student government president. While there he was also a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi
fraternity. After graduating in 2000, he earned a JD
from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law
.
Mandel enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, where he served eight years, including times as an intelligence specialist, having graduated first in his class from Marine Corps Boot Camp and first in his class from Marine Corps Intelligence School. His Marine Corps duty included two tours in Iraq, where he operated throughout the Al Anbar Province. During both tours, Mandel was awarded the Navy & Marine Corps
Achievement Medal
for "superior performance of his duties." His first tour was from February 2004 to November 2004, during which he was attached to a light armored reconnaissance
battalion
. He left for his second tour in September 2007. Attached to an infantry
battalion, Mandel served in the city of Haditha
. Despite being an intelligence specialist, he would often go out on foot patrols with the infantry.
city councilman, where he was elected in 2003. Mandel served three years on the council's finance committee. Additionally, Mandel introduced and led the fight for the first property tax rollback in Lyndhurst history, which currently remains one of the only property tax rollbacks in Ohio history.
in 2006. He represented Ohio's 17th House district, representing 17 communities of various sizes in southeastern Cuyahoga County. He was re-elected in 2008 and served a second term.
. He joined State Representative Shannon Jones (R) in an attempt to make Ohio the first state in the nation to divest from Iran
, but the legislation was never signed into law due to a compromise between state pension executives and Ohio House leadership, agreed to by Mandel. Then-Speaker of the Ohio House Jon Husted
brokered a deal to drop half of the state's investments in Iran and Sudan with the eventual goal of removing all investment from the two countries. In April 2010, Mandel appeared on CNBC
's "Squawk on the Street" to discuss his leadership on Iran divestment in Ohio.
In the 128th Assembly, Mandel was one of 19 house members to vote against HB108, a bill to make cockfighting a felony. Mandel defended his vote by stating that he believed the General Assembly's time would be better spent focused on job creation, keeping people from leaving the state and returning fiscal responsibility to state government.
Also in the 128th Assembly, Mandel voted against the Ohio House Bill 176, the Equal Housing and Employment Act which "[p]rohibits discriminatory practices on the basis of "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" under many of the Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC) Law's existing prohibitions against various unlawful discriminatory practices.". The bill passed the Ohio House by a vote of 56 to 39.
In the 127th Assembly, Mandel, along with other members of the Ohio House who served in Iraq, were excused from voting on HB649 in December 2008, which provided payments to military veterans of the Middle East wars and compensation to families who had lost loved ones in the conflicts.
In the summer of 2010, Mandel released a fiscal year "Top-Bottom Review" of the Treasurer's office in which he details cuts and modernizing banking practices in the office which helped "produce a $400,000 surplus" and an "estimated $1.2 million savings in the current biennium." While appearing on CNBC
's Worldwide Exchange
television program, Mandel stated he was proud to "walk the walk as a fiscal conservative."
According to the Ohio Treasurer's website, Mandel seeks "[t]o be the premier state treasury recognized for fiscal leadership and community engagement relevant to Ohio and its residents."
In May 2009, Mandel announced his candidacy for Ohio Treasurer of State via web video.
Mandel's campaign generated controversy in late September 2010 when it ran a commercial that, according to The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), "associated ... Kevin Boyce with a mosque". The commercial was met with criticism for "tapping into anti-Muslim biases". Mandel's campaign eventually replaced the ad.
Nevertheless, national conservative pundits and blogs, such as Hugh Hewitt
, RedState
, and various executive Ohio officeholders have encouraged Mandel to challenge Senator Brown. Josh Mandel has earned the endorsement of the Club for Growth
, Jim DeMint's Senate Conservatives Fund, Senator Rob Portman
, Congressman Jim Jordan
and conservative commentators Hugh Hewitt
and Mark Levin
. He also raised $2.6 million in the first quarter for a campaign compared to Senator Brown's $1.5 million.
" stating his support for the military surge plan to Afghanistan. In an interview at the Republican Jewish Coalition
quarterly meeting in Ft. Lauderdale in 2009, Mandel thanked former President George W. Bush
for his support on Iraq, and would not have "played Monday morning quarterback" on the decisions concerning the war, offering no dissent on the operation.
At this conference, Mandel stated Iran was a threat, and discussed his divestment initiatives as a legislator in Ohio.
. They were married August 28, 2008, in Jerusalem.
Mandel's family emigrated to the United States. His grandfather Joe is originally from Poland
and is a Holocaust survivor while his grandmother, Fernanda, is originally from Italy
and was hidden from the Nazis by a Catholic family during World War II. In a speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition, he said the tribulations of his grandparents and family inspired him to public service. Mandel's grandfather Harold served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.
Ohio State Treasurer
-List of Ohio State Treasurers:...
. Mandel previously served as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the Ohio House of Representatives
Ohio House of Representatives
The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate....
. He has set up a U.S. senatorial campaign committee with the Federal Elections Commission, although he has stopped short of formally announcing that he will challenge incumbent Senator Sherrod Brown
Sherrod Brown
Sherrod Campbell Brown is the senior United States Senator from Ohio and a member of the Democratic Party. Before his election to the U.S. Senate, he was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Ohio's 13th congressional district from 1993 to 2007...
in 2012.
Early life, education, and military service
Mandel was born on September 27, 1977. He attended Beachwood High SchoolBeachwood High School
Beachwood High School is a four-year college preparatory public high school located in Beachwood, Ohio, an eastside suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. It is part of the Beachwood City School District.Beachwood has earned three U.S...
where he was the quarterback of the football team. Mandel attended The Ohio State University where he earned a BA in communications. At Ohio State, he served two terms as the undergraduate student government president. While there he was also a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi
Alpha Epsilon Pi
Alpha Epsilon Pi , the Global Jewish college fraternity, has 155 active chapters in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Israel with a membership of over 9,000 undergraduates...
fraternity. After graduating in 2000, he earned a JD
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law
Case Western Reserve University School of Law
Case Western Reserve University Franklin Thomas Backus School of Law is the law school at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. It opened in 1892, making it one of the oldest law schools in the country. It was one of the first schools accredited by the American Bar Association and was...
.
Mandel enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves, where he served eight years, including times as an intelligence specialist, having graduated first in his class from Marine Corps Boot Camp and first in his class from Marine Corps Intelligence School. His Marine Corps duty included two tours in Iraq, where he operated throughout the Al Anbar Province. During both tours, Mandel was awarded the Navy & Marine Corps
Marine corps
A marine is a member of a force that specializes in expeditionary operations such as amphibious assault and occupation. The marines traditionally have strong links with the country's navy...
Achievement Medal
Achievement Medal
The Achievement Medal is a military decoration of the United States military. The Achievement Medal was first proposed as a means to recognize the contributions of junior officers and enlisted personnel who were not eligible to receive the higher Commendation Medal or the Meritorious Service...
for "superior performance of his duties." His first tour was from February 2004 to November 2004, during which he was attached to a light armored reconnaissance
United States Marine Corps Light Armored Reconnaissance
The United States Marine Corps Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalions, or LAR Battalions, are fast and mobilized armored terrestrial reconnaissance units that conduct reconnaissance-in-force ahead of the battalion landing teams or division infantry forces...
battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
. He left for his second tour in September 2007. Attached to an infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
battalion, Mandel served in the city of Haditha
Haditha
Haditha is a city in the western Iraqi Al Anbar Governorate, about 240 km northwest of Baghdad. It is a farming town situated on the Euphrates River at . Its population of around 100,000 people is predominantly Sunni Muslim Arabs...
. Despite being an intelligence specialist, he would often go out on foot patrols with the infantry.
Lyndhurst Councilman
Mandel's previous elected experience includes service as a Lyndhurst, OhioLyndhurst, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,279 people, 6,642 households, and 4,397 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,480.1 people per square mile . There were 6,855 housing units at an average density of 1,561.4 per square mile...
city councilman, where he was elected in 2003. Mandel served three years on the council's finance committee. Additionally, Mandel introduced and led the fight for the first property tax rollback in Lyndhurst history, which currently remains one of the only property tax rollbacks in Ohio history.
Elections
Mandel was elected to the Ohio House of RepresentativesOhio House of Representatives
The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate....
in 2006. He represented Ohio's 17th House district, representing 17 communities of various sizes in southeastern Cuyahoga County. He was re-elected in 2008 and served a second term.
Tenure
Mandel's first piece of legislation as a State Representative, H.B. 151, was an initiative to force the multi-billion dollar Ohio pension funds to divest from companies doing business in IranIran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. He joined State Representative Shannon Jones (R) in an attempt to make Ohio the first state in the nation to divest from Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, but the legislation was never signed into law due to a compromise between state pension executives and Ohio House leadership, agreed to by Mandel. Then-Speaker of the Ohio House Jon Husted
Jon Husted
Jon A. Husted is an American politician of the Republican Party who currently serves as Ohio Secretary of State. Previously, he was a member of the Ohio Senate, representing the 6th district . He also previously served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 2001 to 2009 and Speaker...
brokered a deal to drop half of the state's investments in Iran and Sudan with the eventual goal of removing all investment from the two countries. In April 2010, Mandel appeared on CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
's "Squawk on the Street" to discuss his leadership on Iran divestment in Ohio.
In the 128th Assembly, Mandel was one of 19 house members to vote against HB108, a bill to make cockfighting a felony. Mandel defended his vote by stating that he believed the General Assembly's time would be better spent focused on job creation, keeping people from leaving the state and returning fiscal responsibility to state government.
Also in the 128th Assembly, Mandel voted against the Ohio House Bill 176, the Equal Housing and Employment Act which "[p]rohibits discriminatory practices on the basis of "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" under many of the Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC) Law's existing prohibitions against various unlawful discriminatory practices.". The bill passed the Ohio House by a vote of 56 to 39.
In the 127th Assembly, Mandel, along with other members of the Ohio House who served in Iraq, were excused from voting on HB649 in December 2008, which provided payments to military veterans of the Middle East wars and compensation to families who had lost loved ones in the conflicts.
State Treasurer
On November 2, 2010, Mandel was elected Ohio State Treasurer, defeating incumbent Kevin Boyce to become chief investment officer of state funds. Mandel's election marked the first time since 1958 that an incumbent Ohio Treasurer was defeated in a bid for reelection. Mandel won 54.89% of the votes cast for the Treasurer's race. Boyce won 40.21%. Mandel received a total of 2,008,892 votes, which was more than any other candidate running for an Ohio statewide executive office in the November 2010 election.In the summer of 2010, Mandel released a fiscal year "Top-Bottom Review" of the Treasurer's office in which he details cuts and modernizing banking practices in the office which helped "produce a $400,000 surplus" and an "estimated $1.2 million savings in the current biennium." While appearing on CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
's Worldwide Exchange
Worldwide Exchange
Worldwide Exchange is a television business news program on CNBC channels around the world. It is broadcast live from studios on three continents. The global program is anchored by Ross Westgate in London, Christine Tan in Singapore and various anchors in New York...
television program, Mandel stated he was proud to "walk the walk as a fiscal conservative."
According to the Ohio Treasurer's website, Mandel seeks "[t]o be the premier state treasury recognized for fiscal leadership and community engagement relevant to Ohio and its residents."
In May 2009, Mandel announced his candidacy for Ohio Treasurer of State via web video.
Mandel's campaign generated controversy in late September 2010 when it ran a commercial that, according to The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), "associated ... Kevin Boyce with a mosque". The commercial was met with criticism for "tapping into anti-Muslim biases". Mandel's campaign eventually replaced the ad.
2012 U.S. Senate run
In April 2011, Mandel set up a U.S. senatorial campaign committee with the Federal Elections Commission. A spokesman for Mandel said that the move was "not a formal announcement of candidacy", but a "step". The Ohio Democratic Party has criticized Mandel for the possible campaign, saying that "Mandel would be breaking a campaign promise to serve as treasurer for a full, four-year term if he runs for U.S. Senate."Nevertheless, national conservative pundits and blogs, such as Hugh Hewitt
Hugh Hewitt
Hugh Hewitt is an American radio talk show host with the Salem Radio Network, lawyer, academic, and author. An outspoken Republican, evangelical Christian, he comments on society, politics, and media bias in the United States. Hewitt is also a law professor at Chapman University School of Law.-...
, RedState
RedState
RedState is a conservative American political weblog.The site is currently a subsidiary of Eagle Publishing, Inc., a conservative publishing house which also owns Regnery Publishing and the weekly magazine Human Events...
, and various executive Ohio officeholders have encouraged Mandel to challenge Senator Brown. Josh Mandel has earned the endorsement of the Club for Growth
Club for Growth
The Club for Growth is a politically conservative 527 organization active in the United States of America, with an agenda focussed on taxation and other economic issues, and with an affiliated political action committee . The Club advocates lower taxes, limited government, less government spending,...
, Jim DeMint's Senate Conservatives Fund, Senator Rob Portman
Rob Portman
Robert Jones "Rob" Portman is the junior United States Senator from Ohio. He is a member of the Republican Party. He succeeded retiring Senator George Voinovich....
, Congressman Jim Jordan
Jim Jordan
James "Jim" Jordan was the actor who played Fibber McGee in Fibber McGee and Molly, and the albatross, Orville, in Disney's The Rescuers .-Biography:...
and conservative commentators Hugh Hewitt
Hugh Hewitt
Hugh Hewitt is an American radio talk show host with the Salem Radio Network, lawyer, academic, and author. An outspoken Republican, evangelical Christian, he comments on society, politics, and media bias in the United States. Hewitt is also a law professor at Chapman University School of Law.-...
and Mark Levin
Mark Levin
Mark Reed Levin is a lawyer, author and the host of American syndicated radio show The Mark Levin Show. Levin served in the cabinet of President Ronald Reagan and was a chief of staff for Attorney General Edwin Meese...
. He also raised $2.6 million in the first quarter for a campaign compared to Senator Brown's $1.5 million.
Current Middle East operations
Mandel supports U.S. military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. In October 2009, he appeared on the show "FOX & FriendsFox & Friends
Fox & Friends is an American morning television show on the Fox News Channel.-History:The show begins at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time with the latest Fox News Live headlines and analyzes the news of the morning...
" stating his support for the military surge plan to Afghanistan. In an interview at the Republican Jewish Coalition
Republican Jewish Coalition
The Republican Jewish Coalition , founded in 1985, is a political lobbying group in the United States that promotes Jewish Republicans. The RJC claims that it is the most important voice on conservative political issues for the Jewish-American community...
quarterly meeting in Ft. Lauderdale in 2009, Mandel thanked former President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
for his support on Iraq, and would not have "played Monday morning quarterback" on the decisions concerning the war, offering no dissent on the operation.
AIPAC
Mandel was a member of AIPAC at the Ohio State University. In 2008, he attended the 2008 AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, D.C, where he gave an address, and was quoted as saying "It was inspiring, the young people so motivated and gung ho about strengthening the Israel-United States relationship...Israel is our best friend and ally in the Middle East and it’s important that we maintain a strong and lasting relationship with them."At this conference, Mandel stated Iran was a threat, and discussed his divestment initiatives as a legislator in Ohio.
Operation Cast Lead
In February 2009, during Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli government issued a statement thanking Mandel for his support of the operation.World Alliance for Israel PAC
In May 2009, Mandel was a panel participant at the 2009 Awards and Installation Dinner held by the World Alliance for Israel PAC in the Los Angeles area.Family and personal life
Mandel and his wife Ilana reside in Beachwood, OhioBeachwood, Ohio
-External links:* *...
. They were married August 28, 2008, in Jerusalem.
Mandel's family emigrated to the United States. His grandfather Joe is originally from Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and is a Holocaust survivor while his grandmother, Fernanda, is originally from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and was hidden from the Nazis by a Catholic family during World War II. In a speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition, he said the tribulations of his grandparents and family inspired him to public service. Mandel's grandfather Harold served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.