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Ohio senator who filled JD Vance’s seat joins Jew-hatred task force

Jon Husted’s press secretary said he joined the task force because of “violence against Jewish communities on the rise.”

Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) speaks during a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, in Wasington, D.C., on Sept.17, 2025. Credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images.
Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) speaks during a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, in Wasington, D.C., on Sept.17, 2025. Credit: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), who was appointed to the Senate on Jan. 21, 2025, to replace U.S. Vice President JD Vance, said on Tuesday he has joined the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism.

“With violence against Jewish communities on the rise, Sen. Husted joined the task force to support the 177,000 Jewish Ohioans, strengthen education efforts and work with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle to combat antisemitism nationwide,” Olivia Tripodi, the senator’s press secretary, told JNS.

“As a new member of the U.S. Senate and the task force, he looks forward to listening, learning and continuing to be a strong voice against violence and hate,” Tripodi told JNS.

Husted, who has been outspoken in support of Israel and against antisemitism, joined the task force, which now includes 52 senators from both parties.

He is currently running in the 2026 special election to retain his seat and fulfill the remainder of the term. A recent Echelon Insights poll has Husted ahead at 51%, with his Democratic challenger Sherrod Brown, a former senator, at 45%.

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