The Jewish contingent in the House of Representatives grew from 19 to 23 in the Nov. 8 elections, doubling its Republican representation from one to two.
Five Jews overall were newly elected to the House, while one Jewish congressman in Florida is retiring, for a net gain of four seats. The Senate Jewish contingent dropped from nine to eight.
Picking up seats for the Democrats were:
• Josh Gottheimer, a former speech writer for President Bill Clinton and a Microsoft executive, who won a hard-fought battle in New Jersey’s 5th District against Scott Garrett, a longtime congressman who was exceptionally conservative for the northeastern district. The election was marred in its final days with the appearance of an unsigned anti-Semitic leaflet targeting Gottheimer.
• Brad Schneider, who regained the seat he lost in 2014 from Bob Dold in Illinois’ 10th District, encompassing Chicago’s northern suburbs. Dold first won the seat in 2010, then lost it to Schneider in 2012.
• Jacky Rosen, a software developer and synagogue president, who won in Nevada’s 3rd District, covering the Las Vegas suburbs. Joe Heck, the district’s incumbent Republican, lost in his bid to replace Democrat Harry Reid in the Senate.
• Jamie Raskin, a Democratic Maryland state senator, who won the battle to replace Chris Van Hollen in Maryland’s 8th District. The district includes the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. Van Hollen, a Democrat, was elected to the Senate.
• David Kustoff, a former U.S. attorney, handily kept Tennessee’s 8th District Republican, replacing the retiring Stephen Fincher. He joins Steve Cohen, a Jewish Democrat representing the 9th District. Kustoff also becomes the second Jewish Republican in the House with Lee Zeldin, who was re-elected in New York’s 9th District encompassing Long Island’s eastern reaches.
Another Jewish Republican scoring a victory on Nov. 8 was Eric Greitens, a former Navy SEAL who became the first Jewish governor of Missouri.
Leaving Congress is Alan Grayson, who retired as a representative in Florida to run for the Democratic nomination to the Senate. He lost.
The Democratic contingent in the Senate will lose one member with the retirement of Barbara Boxer of California. — jta