Get the word out: Support Josh Mandel for U.S. Senate
by Jim Irvine
Months ago, Josh Mandel (R) was considered an unlikely candidate to help the GOP gain a majority in the U.S. Senate. Many considered his opponent Sherrod Brown (D), who is closely tied to the unpopular Obama policies, unbeatable. Not anymore.
A year ago Public Policy Polling noted that Brown had a 48-33 lead over Mandel, and that Mandel was up from only 31%. Overcoming a 15-17 point deficit is almost impossible. But impossible is not in Josh Mandel's vocabulary.
On Saturday, elections projection.com moved Ohio from "Moderate DEM" to "Weak DEM." Real Clear Politics lists Ohio as a toss-up state. Some polls still show Brown with a sizable lead, but those polls seem to over-sample Democrats. Mandel's campaign is feeling confident with what their internal polls are telling them - this is a winnable race.
I first came to know Josh Mandel when he was working on then Representative Jim Trakas' re-election campaign. Trakas was being targeted by anti-gun groups for his support of concealed carry and we were asked to help. We were able to provide some help, but the real key was Mandel. He is organized and hard working. He had assembled a great team and while some predicted Trakas' support for Second Amendment issues would cost him, he was re-elected and voted for HB274, which became Ohio's first concealed carry law.
Several years later, Mandel replaced Trakas in that Statehouse seat, turning the three pair of shoes he wore out into a campaign ad. One pair hung on his office wall in Columbus as a sign of his hard work and dedication. He then went on to become Treasurer of Ohio taking 54.52% of the vote in a 3-way race to incumbent Kevin Boyce's 40.58%. Mandel won by a commanding 14 points even with a Libertarian in the race.
Each election cycle Mandel seems to work harder than the one before. He is organized and demands his team is prepared and works hard and smart.
Mandel is a two-tour Iraq war veteran as a U.S. Marine. He knows what it takes to fight and win. On the ballot or on the battlefield, failure is not an option.
Mandel has an excellent record on firearms issues. He does not just vote with us, he helps others understand the importance of Second Amendment-related bills and why they will make Ohio a better state. While Brown has consistently worked to erode your rights, Mandel has always worked to protect and restore them.
This is a critical, even dangerous election year. The election of President and U.S. Senate will determine what kind of person is appointed to judicial positions in Federal Courts. We must ensure those appointments go to those who will uphold our rights, not legislate from the bench to deny them. We have seen Brown's hostility toward the Second Amendment. We need to replace him with Josh Mandel.
Mitt Romney is surging in the polls, and down ticket Republicans will likely gain a boost from that surge, but we must not leave this election to chance. Gun owners have proven to be the critical difference in many elections in the past, and now we must do it again.
There is good reason that Josh Mandel was the first endorsement of this election season for Buckeye Firearms Association. Those reasons have only grown stronger as the months have passed. Please make sure to support Josh Mandel for U.S. Senate and remind your family and friends to do likewise. There are many reasons we need Mandel to win and he needs as much support as you can give him. Thank you to all gun owners helping Josh achieve another victory.
Jim Irvine is the Buckeye Firearms Association Chairman, and recipient of the NRA-ILA's 2011 "Jay M. Littlefield Volunteer of the Year Award."
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