Next Congress Likely To Continue A Strong Jewish Presence

Several Jewish congressional members are expected to retain prominent leadership roles in the 117th Congress.

 Despite comprising just 2 percent of the total U.S. population, Jews have always played an outsized role in politics.

In the outgoing 116th Congress, nine Jewish members served in the Senate and 27 served in the House of Representatives. Reflective of American Jewish voting patterns overall, every Jewish member of the Senate and 25 members in the House are Democrats or caucus with Democrats, with the exceptions of David Kutsoff (R-Tenn.) and Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.).

While Congress traditionally does not play a prominent role in foreign policy, support for the State of Israel has long been a bipartisan consensus view. However, with the election of several supporters of the BDS movement in Congress comes concerns about the erosion of support on the left. At the same time, Jewish congressional members also largely reflect the liberal and progressive views of the majority of Jewish Americans, with support for expanding access to health care, climate change, reproductive rights, racial justice and gun control.

Here is a breakdown of how Jewish candidates have fared so far in the Nov. 3 general election.

Note: Reporting percentages are based on the Associated Press.

U.S. SENATE

All nine Jewish senators from the 116th Congress were not up for re-election and will continue to serve in the next Congress, including Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who was the minority leader and could serve as majority leader if the Democrats gain control of the upper chamber. Several Jewish candidates did compete for senate seats in the recent election.

In Alaska, with 50 percent reporting, Independent Al Gross, who was supported by Democrats, has been trailing incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, who is expected to hold onto his seat with the former getting 31.2 percent of the vote and the latter receiving 63.6 percent.

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In Georgia, with 95 percent reporting, Jon Ossoff, who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2018, has been trailing incumbent Republican Sen. David Perdue, 47.2 percent to 50.5 percent, respectively.

In accordance with Georgia electoral law, if no candidate gets at least 50 percent of the vote, a runoff between the top two finishers will be held on Jan. 5.

In the Georgia special election to serve the remaining two years of the term of Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), with 94 percent reporting, Matt Lieberman, a son of former Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), finished in fifth place with just 2.8 percent of the vote. Incumbent Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler will face reverend and pastor Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, in the special election. Warnock received 32.2 percent of the vote, Loeffler got 26.3 percent, and Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) received 20.3 percent.

In Wyoming, as expected, Israeli American scientist Merav Ben-David lost to former Republican Rep. Cynthia Lummis, 26.9 percent to 73.1 percent, respectively.

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Unlike the U.S. Senate, Read more at JNS