AIPAC and J Street wage proxy battle in Ohio via rival pro-Israel candidates

A tight Ohio Senate race between Republican Jon Husted and Democrat Sherrod Brown has become a proxy battleground for AIPAC and J Street, with each lobbying group heavily backing its preferred candidate. Husted has received over $544,000 through AIPAC, while Brown has received over $800,000 from J Street supporters. The campaigns have also traded accusations over Epstein-linked contributions.

A tight race in Ohio may determine control of the US Senate, with the campaigns of Republican Sen. Jon Husted and Democrat Sherrod Brown serving as a proxy battleground for two Israel-lobbying groups with different ideologies. Husted, appointed to fill the seat vacated by JD Vance, has received more than $544,000 in individual contributions through AIPAC, as well as a direct $5,000 PAC contribution. Brown, a former three-term senator who lost his seat in 2024, has received more than $800,000 from supporters of J Street, which describes him as a 'long-time champion.' Both candidates have records of supporting Israel and combating antisemitism. The campaigns have also traded accusations over contributions linked to Jeffrey Epstein, with Brown attacking Husted for donations from Les Wexner, and Husted accusing Brown of taking money from people named in the Epstein files. Additionally, a controversy emerged over a Husted campaign staffer who once used a photo of SS soldiers as his Facebook profile picture; the staffer was fired.