SYDNEY ROBINSON

Age: 21
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Party: Democratic
Occupation: Student
Family: Single
Jewish Denomination: Reform
2024 Vote: Kamala Harris
News Sources: POLITICO, WSJ, NBC News, The Economist, MS NOW, CNN

 

What is top of mind for you as the 2026 midterms approach? I can’t pinpoint one single issue, because everything is going 100 mph right now. The American people are dealing with rising gas prices and crazy inflation at home, while our president has blatantly said that he does not think about Americans and their living conditions while he’s making foreign policy decisions that affect them, like the war with Iran. It’s something that I find insanely concerning, especially as someone from the youngest generation able to vote. I’m very worried that I will never be able to own a house and will have to work multiple jobs after I graduate, because the job market is so bad.

Where does Israel fit into your analysis? I’m extremely critical of Netanyahu. I believe that he and his backers need to be out of the government in Israel. But I support with my whole heart Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state and believe that Israel is a beautiful country. I’m the president of my J Street university chapter, and so a lot of what I do is help educate other students on the conflict between Israel and Palestine, the war in Iran and everything related to that. All of the fighting needs to come to an end. I believe that the war with Iran was a complete mistake.

“Everything is going 100 mph right now.”

What’s it like to be a Jewish peacenik on campus? It’s a very polarized environment on campus, much like the broader political spectrum in the United States. I have often been called a self-hating Jew because of my criticism of Israel. I love Israel and support it as a Jewish state, but I can criticize the government of a country that I love. That is extremely important for any citizen of any democracy in any country in the world. Unfortunately, there are a lot of students too scared to pick a side, or who feel pushed to the extremes. I wish that people understood that there is a place for nuanced points of view.

How does this all translate into support for either Democrats or Republicans? While I am proud to be a Democrat, the party as a whole is a bit more to the center-right than I would consider myself. But I’m okay with that, because I understand that that’s what needs to happen in order for the Democratic Party to regain power. I do plan to vote for Democrats with enthusiasm, such as former Governor Roy Cooper, who is running against Republican Michael Whatley for Senate. Cooper is a UNC alum whom I have had the opportunity to meet on many occasions, and I think that he will be an amazing senator for North Carolina.

 

DON COHEN

Age: 67
Location: West Bloomfield, Michigan
Party: Independent
Occupation: Retired Jewish community relations professional
Family: Married, two children, one grandchild
Jewish Denomination: Conservative
2024 Vote: Kamala Harris
News Sources: WSJ, NYT, The Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, The Times of Israel, The Jerusalem Post, Moment, The Forward, The Free Press, Axios, JTA, POLITICO, CNN

 

Now that Abdul El-Sayed is the Democratic nominee for Senate and will face Republican Mike Rogers in November, have you decided whom you’re voting for? Along with his demonizing of pro-Israel Jews and their political expression, I don’t share El-Sayed’s view of America and government. I’m far from blind about our nation’s problems, but I’m also not blind to our strengths. Expecting government to solve everyone’s problems has not worked anywhere, and blaming the past is not enough to build a future. It will be hard to watch the Democratic Party coalesce around him, providing a hechsher he doesn’t deserve. No way will I vote for him. At the moment I’m voting for Rogers. I need to look at him more closely, but I doubt I’ll sit it out.

As an Independent who leans Democratic, are you comfortable with either party at this point? I’m homeless among the major political parties. Additionally, I’m homeless among the supporters of the two parties. Everybody is so confrontational and extreme. The candidates, the parties, the partisans…they’re all going after each other. I see my friends tearing each other apart on social media. I can go to a “No Kings” rally and very quickly be surrounded by people who have viewpoints very different from my own—and not just on Israel. I don’t have a place.

“Not everything is tainted because it’s Trump.”

How exactly does Israel factor into you feeling politically lonesome? I’m a strong supporter of Israel. Does that mean I support Netanyahu and everything Israel does? No! I don’t like Netanyahu. Even my right-wing friends in Israel say it’s time for Bibi to go. But what really concerns me is the overall importance of Israel and the U.S-Israel alliance. Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and others like her just want to talk about evil Israel. And they tar anybody who doesn’t agree with them, calling them supporters of genocide. The subtleties get lost, and reporters like covering a dogfight. So that frustrates me.

Are there other issues apart from Israel that affect which party you support? I think we need to have a serious discussion about immigration in this country, and I think ICE needs to change, but eliminating it isn’t part of a serious discussion. Some of the attacks on the Trump administration’s policies are fair, but the idea that anything Trump does is necessarily evil and wrong and for his own self-interest…I mean, I get it. But not everything is tainted because it’s Trump.

Antisemitism is another important issue. Republicans held hearings on academia and antisemitism. Were they doing it for political reasons? Yes. Did they do it the right way? I don’t think so. Will the Democrats ever do it? No. So, I’m sort of stuck in that regard. I want to see Democratic Party leadership address these issues responsibly.

 

ROSA ERGAS

Age: 51
Location: Camden, Maine
Party: Democratic
Occupation: Epidemiologist
Family: Married, two children
Jewish Denomination: Unaffiliated
2024 Vote: Kamala Harris
News Sources:Maine Public Broadcasting Network, The Midcoast Villager, The Maine Monitor, NPR, NYT, The Guardian,The Times of Israel

 

What are the most important issues for you as Election Day 2026 approaches? I think a lot about shoring up our democracy and about economic justice. Working in public health, I’m also thinking about how to fix our terribly broken healthcare system. My identity as a Jewish American ranks well behind those concerns. I’m in a space of resignation around the idea of voting in a way that best represents that identity.

Why is that? A curtain was pulled aside on October 7 in the sense that I felt like my Jewish identity was no longer appreciated and welcomed—at least in the progressive political world. When issues of Israel come up, even among my friends who I think are pretty well versed in understanding broader geopolitical issues, I find myself feeling like the things they say are ultimately rooted in Russian propaganda: that Zionism represents some sort of cabal of Jewish power and that you have to renounce all connection to Israel in order to be a good Jew. I’m talking about gentile friends and even Jews who don’t have any sense of a Zionist identity. On the other hand, I know people who are pro-Israel all the time, and I am not one of those either. I have very, very strong connections to Israel, but I have huge problems with the current government. The people I know in Israel are all peaceniks; we all want human rights for Palestinians.

“I’m not about to give an advantage to the Republican Party.”

Where do you stand on the Maine Senate race? My view of the race is essentially the same now that we’ve moved on from Graham Platner’s overt misogyny and the question of the Nazi tattoo, which to me felt like less of an issue of bigotry than a misjudgment. Before the whole tattoo business, he was one of those progressive Democrats who made it clear they weren’t taking money from AIPAC. I don’t love AIPAC, but there are all kinds of other corrupt money sources people aren’t talking about, just as there are other places in the world where terrible things are happening. The focus on AIPAC feels very antisemitic-coded to me.

I will be voting for Democrat Troy Jackson in November. Of course, Jackson supports cutting aid to Israel, but I’m not about to give an advantage to the Republican Party and Trump’s anti-democratic march to make a point. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but if Democrats control Congress, there’s at least a possibility of some guardrails for the remaining two years of the Trump presidency.

 

SHOSHANA SHAMBERG

Age: 73
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Party: Independent
Occupation: Retired occupational therapist and accessibility specialist
Family: Married, six children, 24 grandchildren
Jewish Denomination: Neo-Hasidic
2024 Vote: Nikki Haley (write-in)
News Sources:Fox, CNN, Times of Israel, YNET, i24NEWS

 

What issues are concerning you in the lead-up to the midterms? Tariffs are just ridiculous. I say, “Let’s work with Canada. Let’s work with Mexico. Why are you making enemies out of our allies?” And on immigration, Trump is all wrong. People who are here who have proven themselves to be hardworking, who pay their taxes and follow the law, should be given a grace period to become citizens. Whereas the people who are criminals or have criminal records, send them back. I don’t have any problem with that. My husband hired all Latino workers for his landscaping business, and when he retired he gave it to his main worker, who is from Nicaragua. The guy came to him as a kid. And 25 years later, he took over my husband’s business.

As an Independent, do you feel “politically homeless,” as other voters have expressed in surveys? That’s a great line! I wish I had thought of it. I was a staunch Democrat most of my life. The Republican Party never really attracted me, because I was very much into a more socialist frame of mind; I believe that everybody should have adequate housing, healthcare, education, access to public transportation. But it’s sad to me how crazy the Democratic Party is getting, sad how Democrats demonize Israel. Republicans are more willing to have a dialogue even when they disagree with you, whereas the Democrats, and especially the liberals, if you don’t agree with them, then you’re evil.

“If more people like Zohran Mamdani get elected, I’m out of here.”

What’s your view of Trump’s second term? I campaigned for Nikki Haley and RFK Jr. in 2024, but Trump’s not as bad and evil as people think. I think he’s stupid, and he’s got a garbage mouth. He would be much more palatable if he could learn to control himself and learn how to speak in a way that’s respectful. The blanket pardons of the January 6 people were an atrocity. Some are violent and should not have gotten out of prison. But my son-in-law defended many of them who did not deserve to be in prison, including Richard Barnett, the guy who put his feet on [then House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi’s desk. He was among the non-Jewish people who came to my house for Shabbat at the time of the trial in DC. He’s basically a wonderful family guy who made a stupid decision. He wasn’t violent, and now his life is ruined.

Who will you vote for in 2026? What about 2028? Kweisi Mfume is my representative. I like him and will vote for him in the midterms. He’s a Democrat who embodies the better, more temperate part of the party. I don’t know his voting record on Israel, but he’s always had good relations with the Jewish community. In 2028, maybe I won’t even be in this country. It depends on how hot it gets. If more people like Zohran Mamdani get elected, I’m out of here. To me, Israel feels much safer. A lot of people who are Holocaust survivors feel that America is like Germany in the 1930s. Extremists on both sides are antisemites. I consider anybody who’s an anti-Zionist to be an antisemite—I don’t care if they’re Jewish or not. I believe that Israel is what is saving the Jewish people at this point in time.

 

ANYA-MAE DAVIDSON

Age: 43
Location: Readfield, Maine
Party: Democratic
Occupation: School nurse
Family: Partner, two children
Jewish Denomination: Reform
2024 Vote: Kamala Harris
News Sources: The Free Press, The Times of Israel, CNN, Tablet, The Atlantic, WSJ, various podcasts and influencers

 

What is life in a small Maine town like for a Jewish family? Readfield is very rural. There aren’t a lot of Jews here, so we belong to a synagogue about 20 minutes away in Augusta, the

 state capital. I think there’s a lot of ignorance about Judaism, but I can’t say that I’ve really experienced antisemitism in Readfield. For the first 100 or so days after October 7, I wore masking tape on my shirt like Rachel Goldberg-Polin, who each day marked the number of days since her son was taken hostage by Hamas. Some people asked me what it was for, but I never encountered anything negative. My son, who is in elementary school, is very openly Jewish and loves telling his class about the holidays. So we’ve kind of become little ambassadors.

The Maine Senate race, especially the Democratic primary, has been quite dramatic. What’s your outlook? There was some initial relief after Graham Platner dropped out of the race; however, it was short-lived. All the possible replacement nominees, including Troy Jackson, who was ultimately chosen to face incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins, were quickly speaking up about stopping aid to Israel and calling what’s happening in Gaza a genocide. I feel strongly that both of these positions fuel antisemitism and anti-Zionism. 

Yes, I know the mantra: We need to flip the Senate. But there are limits. I felt that Graham Platner was a misogynist, a racist and an antisemite, and I didn’t want him representing the state of Maine in Congress.

“A lot of people I know have actually become Independents.”

For a lot of Jews in Maine, either they don’t define themselves as Zionist or these issues aren’t so important. But I define myself as a Zionist. My parents are both American but met in Israel. I was born in Maine but made aliyah at age 24 in 2008 and lived there until 2017. I feel like there are few left in the Democratic Party who can be critical of Israel but still support it.

A lot of people I know have actually become Independents because they feel abandoned by the Democratic Party. At this point, I’m still registered as a Democrat but plan on voting for Susan Collins. 

Did you ever consider voting for Trump? Briefly, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I didn’t think that he was good for America. I do give Trump credit for getting the hostages out, but his stance on Israel wasn’t enough. I wasn’t going to be a one-issue voter. I am a firm believer in science, and his approach to COVID did not sit well with me. I believe in women’s right to choose and have control over their own bodies. I disagreed with the appointment of Brett Kavanaugh as a Supreme Court Justice. I believe in the Affordable Care Act and not making major cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. I believe in marriage equality and equal rights for all people regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. I believe in immigrant rights. What happened on January 6, 2021, was a disgrace and a crime. 

A lot of people I know have strong feelings about the war in Iran. I’m no fan of Netanyahu, but I hate the Revolutionary Guards more, and I want a better future for the Iranian people. I was hoping that this war would help bring that about. My friends in Israel kept saying, “We’ll suffer for this regime to go down.” Not many Americans see that perspective. And I’ve tried to explain it. Something else that I have to explain a lot to people is that just as there’s a spectrum of views in the United States about Trump, there’s a spectrum of views in Israel about Bibi. He got elected, but many Israelis don’t like him.

 

NOA FAY

Age: 25
Location: Lexington, Massachusetts
Party: Independent
Occupation: Politics
Family: Single
Jewish Denomination: Conservative
2024 Vote: Kamala Harris
News Sources: WSJ, The Free Press, CNN, The Jerusalem Post

 

As we approach the midterms, what’s top of mind for you? My top issue is national security. My master’s degree is in international security policy, so I am highly focused on this. The elephant in the room is really Iran. We need to do everything we can to make sure that we are safe from Iran, as does Israel. If anything, that is really what’s driving my vote, making sure there is a leader in place who understands national security threats like the Iranian regime. I don’t know that I can name a single Democratic leader who truly is showing at least that she or he understands the Iranian threat. Maintaining the amazing alliance that we have with Israel is also important to me.

Which of the major parties do you align more closely with? I am 100 percent politically homeless, and I think this is representative of not just Jews. A lot of Americans in general are starting to feel this way. People are discouraged by the levels of extremism that we’re seeing on both sides of the aisle.

“I am more concerned about racism on the left because it is rapidly engulfing the entire party.”

Do you see a greater threat to America from the political left or from the right? I’ve been seeing a lot of formerly moderate Democrats accommodating extremist views that are clearly not favorable to the vast majority of Americans. People like Zohran Mamdani, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders will sometimes hedge a little bit and explain that they’re Democratic Socialists, but they are definitely justifying the reintroduction of communism into American society. And that’s not something I’m happy about. When I was at Barnard College and graduate school at Columbia, people who supported those leaders would use the words communism and socialism interchangeably. AOC and Bernie seem to have taken Mamdani under their wing. I don’t know why they would do that. I think Mamdani is the most Hitlerian figure we’ve seen yet in America.

The Republicans also have issues that revolve around their own extremist base. But from where I’m standing, there seems to be more of a fight going on within the GOP against that extremism. But the left is the area that I’m more familiar with because I grew up in a leftist environment. I’m not seeing that same resistance.

Given your leftist upbringing, could you bring yourself to vote Republican? I’m still in the process of figuring out my vote—more just speaking generally, not so much about who’s on the ballot in Lexington, Massachusetts, where I vote. I’m not wedded to a single party at this point; ultimately it does come down to the individual. So whichever candidate has the better policies and stances, that’s who I’m going to vote for. I would expect that to be a Republican at this point.

As a young Jew of color, what’s the political dimension of your life been like? While at Columbia, I championed our extremely liberal community because of all of my minority identities—African American, Native American, Jewish woman. I learned after October 7 that people on the left were actually picking and choosing which identities of mine they wanted to support, and my Jewish ethnicity was not included. I am more concerned about racism on the left because it is rapidly engulfing the entire party.

 

BILL LEVENSON

Age: 56
Location: Washington, DC
Party: Republican
Occupation: Contracts administrator
Family: Single
Jewish Denomination: Conservative
2024 Vote: Donald Trump
News Sources: WaPo, NYT, WSJ, Fox News, Times of Israel, JTA, JNS, Jewish Insider

 

What’s top of mind for you as Election Day draws near? I am concerned about the economy—jobs, inflation and the high cost of living—and of course support for Israel and issues affecting the Jewish community. Among those are antisemitism and security. I am deeply concerned that the Democratic Party has been compromised and is being taken over by socialists.

Taken over? The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has several prominent and loud candidates who are making opposition to Israel and AIPAC their main talking points. It is sadly alarming how many people are listening to and voting for these troubling candidates.

It’s also sad to see Jews and Jewish organizations like J Street try to defend these candidates. Because they are anti-Trump, they disregard the anti-Israel and antisemitic rhetoric coming from these Democratic candidates. If they win in the general election, that would be alarming and disturbing for the U.S.-Israel relationship.

“Today’s Democratic Party is not the same party as FDR’s and JFK’s.”

Feeling politically “homeless” is a leitmotif among some Jewish voters. Do you feel that way? It is interesting reading about Jewish Democrats who feel that way since they are waking up to the anti-Israel, antisemitic sentiment coming from socialists in the Democratic Party. These are people who remain Democrats because they feel that party fights for social justice, but they need to realize that today’s Democratic Party is not the same party as FDR’s and JFK’s. Jews who feel they are politically homeless would find a welcome home in the Republican Party.

What about antisemitism on the right? Antisemitism from the right is concerning; however, as seen in recent primary elections, while those on the left are influencing the Democratic Party, antisemitic voices on the right are shunned. Republicans James Fishback and Dan Bilzerian, for example, got clobbered in the Florida primaries. Still, it’s troubling that they got as many votes as they did.

What’s your view of Trump’s second term? I was more impressed and pleased with Trump’s performance during his first term, which included moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. While Trump’s second term has seen some embarrassing actions, such as his renaming the Palm Beach airport, he has spared the country from seeing Kamala Harris as president. A liberal-left President Harris would have been a disaster.

What are your thoughts on the DC mayoral race? As a DC resident, I am concerned about responses Janeese Lewis George gave to a questionnaire during the primary that were regarding Israel and Gaza. However, I hope that as mayor she will take more centrist rather than leftist positions, especially while Trump is in office. I met Lewis George at a Jewish Community Relations Council event, and while she didn’t speak at that event, it was nice that she attended and met members of the Jewish community.

Are you concerned about political violence around the midterm elections or election interference? I am not concerned about political violence. Hopefully everyone will accept the results of the election. 

 

ADAM GRUMBACH

Age: 57
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Party: Democratic
Occupation: Lawyer
Family: Married, two children
Jewish Denomination: Unaffiliated
2024 Vote: Kamala Harris
News Sources: NYT, The Guardian, Substacks of Peter Beinart, Jonathan Katz

 

Politically speaking, what is uppermost in your mind as the midterms approach? I am horrified by the state of our government and what feels like an anemic Democratic Party. I’m especially horrified by world events, particularly in the Middle East but also in places like Sudan. I’m not terribly optimistic that Democrats will be able to make much of a difference if they take Congress, which I think they will. I also think there’s a good chance the Democrats will win the Oval Office and hold on to Congress in 2028. But I am also not terribly optimistic that they will find the guts to effectively hold accountable the various bad actors of the Trump era, including the many corporations that have bankrolled and cozied up to Trump.

I’m a Scandinavian-style socialist. I want the welfare state that Sweden and Denmark have. As long as there is heavy regulation and a tremendous amount of redistribution, capitalism is not evil. But what capitalism has done to the planet and the environment should make everyone reconsider if it is the best system for the world.

“To say ‘I think it’s terrible what Israel is doing, but I continue to support Israel’ is a morally indefensible position.”

What are your views on Israel? To say “I think it’s terrible what Israel is doing, but I continue to support Israel” is a morally indefensible position. Israel has demonstrated it is not contemplating a two-state solution; it is enacting a Jewish “from the river to the sea.” If you think that’s bad and you want it to stop, then you have to support some kind of sanctions and accountability. Israel does not have a right to exist as an apartheid genocidal state, any more than South Africa did in the 1980s. Yes, I believe, along with 85 percent of genocide scholars in one poll, that Israel has engaged in genocide. 

I spent a good portion of my life buying into the Zionist myth, believing that Jews worked the land and made it their own. And there is this tremendous biblical attachment to the land that makes it legitimate. But largely through friendship with some Palestinians and people who challenged that myth, I started to read other sources and came to different conclusions. I think the situation now is terrible for American Jews. It is making our lives much more dangerous.

Do you share a feeling of political homelessness that other voters have expressed in surveys? I don’t know that I feel politically homeless, but I do wish there were a possibility for a third party. The Democratic Party is changing rapidly as support for Israel is no longer an electoral bonus. The Biden administration was atrocious; I think they were complicit in and actively supported genocide. The Republicans are worse. It’s a white supremacist, white nationalist party with antisemites of the old-school, really terrifying kind. There’s a lot of slinging of the term “antisemite” toward people who are anti-Israel. That’s unjustified.

Whom are you backing in New York? I supported Brad Lander in the Democratic primary for the 10th district. He’s an experienced New York politician and an observant Jew. I’m sure he wouldn’t call himself anti-Zionist, but he has called Israeli military action in Gaza a genocide and has been moving steadily toward the Bernie Sanders position of halting millions in military aid to Israel.

Do you support the Democratic Socialists of America? What do you think of claims that it is antisemitic? I’m not a DSA member. I don’t doubt that they have members who are antisemitic, but I’d want to hear the specific accusations—who, based upon what evidence—before I’d agree in a particular case and certainly before I’d agree about the party as a whole. I don’t think Mayor Mamdani is an antisemite; the attacks on him have been scurrilous.

More important, I think the people and organizations lodging those charges do so while defending obvious antisemites on the right. For example, Jonathan Greenblatt and the ADL go after Mamdani while gaslighting us that Elon Musk’s Nazi salute was just an over-enthusiastic gesture. Antisemitism is ugly in all its forms, but it’s most dangerous in this country coming from the right.

 

MARC ROSS

Age: 67
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Party: Republican
Occupation: Property manager
Family: Married, two children
Jewish Denomination: Conservative
2024 Vote: Donald Trump
News Sources: Fox News, CNN, MS NOW, WSJ, San Antonio Express-News, The Free Press

 

What issues are top of mind for you as we approach Election Day in November? The political environment today is crazy. I see what’s happening in Colorado, New York City, Seattle and Washington, DC, where the DSA candidates are winning. Democrats getting rid of moderates is somewhat like what the Republicans have done. But the extreme far left really scares me, because they want to change the fabric of the country. They’re talking about rent freezes, things like that. I’m a ball-and-strike caller. What’s bad is bad. That’s how I was brought up.

The extremism on the right is based more on religious stuff: prayer in schools, putting up the Ten Commandments. I’m not comfortable with it from a Jewish viewpoint, but it doesn’t affect what I call the fabric of our capitalist society. I watched an interview with a DSA vice chair. They want to get rid of the police, get rid of ICE, get rid of the Pentagon. To me, that’s scary.

What other issues are you concerned about? The economic situation. Learning to spend within our means is very high up on my priority list, and neither party is necessarily good at that. The other thing that is of concern is how we as Americans tolerate the fraud that’s going on. Like the stuff in Minneapolis and California, where people were bilking the government out of billions of dollars and nobody seems to care. And then the other thing I just don’t understand is this whole voter ID thing. I can’t go anywhere without an ID. Why is it a big deal?

“Cutting off military aid to Israel is 100 percent wrong.”

Immigration is another important one. There are parts of San Antonio that were overrun with immigrants. They were just camping out on the street and there was a big uptick in property crime. Part of what I manage is self-storage, and we would have break-ins every other day. That has stopped. Unfortunately, the pendulum swung one way, and now it’s gone all the way in the other direction. A lot of people have self-deported or moved. Our apartment occupancy is down. (We don’t ask for immigration status when we rent to people.) There is a shortage of workers in restaurants and so on. I don’t know that Americans want those jobs, but I also know forcing wages up to $20 or $30 an hour is not good either for restaurants trying to stay in business.

Political leaders need to sit down in a room and come up with an immigration policy that everybody can agree on. I’ll add that I don’t understand the vitriol against ICE. I have always respected law enforcement. I appreciate that they put their lives on the line to keep me safe. Shootings are happening because the police don’t cooperate with ICE, so they have to go out and use tactics to find people. I don’t necessarily like it, but I don’t know what else you can do. Do you just let them stay here? Everybody is saying it’s OK to ignore the law, and I just don’t believe that.

What’s your take on the Senate race between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton? I prefer neither. I was a very big proponent of John Cornyn. And if Talarico was a little bit moderate, I would consider voting for him. But based upon his record and what he is saying, I can’t in good conscience pull the lever for him. I don’t necessarily like Paxton. But I never vote for a candidate who doesn’t have a shot at winning, so I’m not going to vote Libertarian. I’m more interested in the Senate staying in Republican hands, and the Supreme Court rules not changing (term limits or expanding the number of justices). So I’m probably voting for Paxton…with regrets. 

Do politicians’ positions on Israel affect your support? Cutting off military aid to Israel is 100 percent wrong. I don’t understand how Jewish people can support candidates who advocate that. I have lots of family in New York, most of them Democrats. I just don’t understand how you can continually vote against your personal interests.

The House race in your district pits Democrat Katy Padilla Stout against Republican Brandon Herrera. Could you vote for Herrera, given that he supports cutting military aid to Israel? I’m undecided on Herrera, but I could never vote for Stout. She supports many things I oppose, such as higher minimum wage, paid parental leave and “Medicare for All.”

 

MICHAEL KAUFMAN

Age: 71
Location: Dallas, Texas
Party: Democratic
Occupation: Lawyer
Family: Married
Jewish Denomination: Conservative
2024 Vote: Kamala Harris
News Sources: CNN, PBS, MS NOW, Dallas Morning News, NYT, The Atlantic

 

As Election Day approaches, what’s top of mind for you in the political realm? In 2015, when Donald Trump had his very first rally, there were people heckling him, and he had big muscular guys there to pick these people up and carry them out of the stadium. And I remember thinking, I’ve seen this before. It doesn’t work out well for the Jews.

What’s uppermost in my mind is the continuing attack on voting and constitutional rights coming both at the federal level and the state level. Here in Texas, I would say the majority of the affiliated Jewish community is absolutely Republican. Republicans have basically controlled Texas for 27 years, and they have worked very hard to limit voting rights and limit the ability to have an impact on the legislature or the courts.

Whom are you supporting in the Senate race? I’m a big fan of James Talarico. But you know, I liked Beto O’Rourke too, and there are other Democratic candidates I have supported with

effort and money, and we’ve not gotten there yet. But it does feel different this time with Talarico, because he is using the language that the right has used for decades about Christianity and family in a much more effective way. It’s scaring the right because there are people all across the state who are attracted to it. Is it going to be enough? I don’t know.

“I am not happy with the vilification of everything Israeli that seems to be popular now. ”

Do you have an interesting House race in your Dallas district? It’s a district that’s remained Democratic, even after redistricting. I’m amazed they left a part of the earth unscorched. I don’t even know who the Republican candidate is and doubt they have a chance.

Democratic state lawmakers had, as you know, left Texas to try to keep the redistricting vote from happening, but ultimately, it did happen. My House member was Jasmine Crockett, whom I liked, but then when she got redistricted, she decided to run for Senate. Julie Johnson, who’s a good friend of mine and my husband’s and had been a very effective state legislator, became our U.S. representative. Enter Colin Allred, who had left his House seat in 2024 to run against Ted Cruz. He lost and then entered this year’s Senate race to fill John Cornyn’s seat. We had supported Allred’s Senate campaign, but he did not run it well. This happens with Democrats in Texas: He relied on out-of-state money and out-of-state people, and I don’t think he knocked on a single door. He dropped out and then jumped into the House race against Johnson and beat her in the primary. Am I going to support Allred with money or effort? No, but it has been a very long time since I pulled the lever for a Republican.

How do you feel about the Democratic Party? I am not happy with the vilification of everything Israeli that seems to be popular now. 

As a kid, I was taught that Israel functioned as a democracy to recognize the inherent humanity of all people, that it stood as a light in the Middle East for what things could be. What’s happening today does not reflect that at all, and I understand that Netanyahu has been elected over and over, not by a large majority, but obviously by a majority. When I’ve been in Israel—my husband’s been three times, I’ve been twice—I find the Israeli people smart and wonderful, but their fears are very real to them. However, this strategy of destruction and militarization and war that they have pursued seems like it’s just designed to create ongoing enmity from the people they have to live among. I understand they have to defend themselves. I understand October 7 was a horror that deserved retribution and that Hamas locates themselves in schools and hospitals and makes it very difficult. But the destruction of Gaza to create this homeless multitude is not a good strategy. Going into Iran thinking one thing was going to happen and not really having a way to deal with what did happen is not a good strategy. Blowing up Lebanon…I mean, just, yeah.

Meanwhile, listening to some of the people who won Democratic primaries in New York, I don’t think that Israel is central to what they’re looking to do. And a whole bunch of Jews voted for these people, so I’m going to rely on their good judgment. I have a bunch of family in New York City, and I asked them what they thought of Mayor Zohran Mamdani. They were all pretty happy with him. 

Is any of this causing you to take a second look at the GOP? I’m a lawyer in a big law firm. Happily, I do pretty well, and I used to say to my friends, if the Republican Party were a party of limited government and individual rights, then I would probably be attracted to it. But until Republicans get their goddamn faces out of my bedroom and women’s uteruses, I have nothing to say to them. So there it is.

 

LOREE BLOOMFIELD RESNIK

Age: 80
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Party: Democratic
Occupation: Retired school psychologist, synagogue director emerita
Family: Married, two children, four grandchildren
Jewish Denomination: Reform
2024 Vote: Kamala Harris
News Sources: The Plain Dealer, NYT, J Street podcasts

 

What is uppermost in your mind as Election Day approaches? I used to be a news junkie who watched MSNBC all the time. I can’t watch anything anymore, it’s too upsetting. I can’t sleep at night because of everything going on between Israel and the United States. It hurts me that Israel is no longer a beacon of light. It makes me sad, angry and wanting to do more. I think about the children in the West Bank, in Gaza. If they don’t all have PTSD, it will be a miracle.

I am very much in favor of there being an independent Palestine, but it needs to be governed by people who don’t support terrorism. It needs to be, as J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami would say, a 23-state solution. Israelis and the Palestinians aren’t going to make peace by themselves. It has to come from the whole Middle East.

“Under Trump, kitchen table issues (inflation, gas prices) are so much worse. ”

Do you think the war with Iran will affect how people vote? I abhor that President Trump started a war with no approval from Congress, for no reason and with no end game. And this from a person who tore apart Obama’s Iran deal. Do I think Netanyahu was an influence? Yes! He is more despicable than Donald Trump to me.

Most Americans oppose this war, so that can be a campaign issue for Democrats. Under Trump, kitchen table issues (inflation, gas prices) are so much worse. 

Whom are you supporting in Ohio in the midterms? We’re hoping to flip a Senate seat back to Democrat Sherrod Brown, who represented Ohio in the Senate for almost 20 years before losing to Republican Bernie Moreno in 2024. Brown is running against Republican incumbent Jon Husted, who was appointed in 2025 to fill the seat vacated by JD Vance. Brown is one of the most spectacular people I’ve ever known. On the other hand, one of the worst people in Congress is Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, who is supported by AIPAC. I know what AIPAC used to be. Its board changed into this extremely conservative right-wing group whose message is: We will never ever criticize anything Israel does; we will love Donald Trump, etc. They fired every liberal person who worked there. And while it’s not my district, I’m 100 percent behind the DNC’s push to support Democrat Brian Poindexter in his bid to flip the House seat held by disgraced Republican Rep. Max Miller.

Do you have any fear about election interference—from ICE, Trump’s DOJ or red state officials? I am definitely concerned about the Trump DOJ and red-state officials interfering in our election process. We really must be especially vigilant both at the polling places and when the votes are counted. We can certainly imagine how far they will go to win, particularly after we saw what happened on January 6.

 

MIKE JAWER

Age: 65
Location: Vienna, Virginia
Party: Democratic
Occupation: Retired federal contractor; nondenominational chaplain student
Family: Married, two children
Jewish Denomination: Reconstructionist
2024 Vote: Kamala Harris
News Sources: WSJ, WaPo, The New York Post, The New Republic, National Review, Reason, Tablet

 

As we approach Election Day, what’s top of mind for you? This country needs competent leadership that addresses the broad concerns of the middle of the political spectrum. What people can generally agree upon—common sense. So, I am concerned about the extreme elements on the right as well as the increasingly extreme folks on the left being elected to office and taking a more radical perspective.

I understand the impulse of younger voters and people who are rightly frustrated with our politics to push back against Trumpism with positions that are more socialist. I just don’t think that’s going to lead anywhere good.

You call yourself an “independently minded” Democrat. What does that mean? I’ve had frustrations with the Democrats nationally and got involved in No Labels for a while. I’m still involved with a group called Braver Angels—both groups focus on trying to bring people together on issues or priorities that many Americans support. 

“I try to find sensible approaches and positions, whether theological or political. ”

I’ve always had more of an independent streak than just aligning with Democrats. As a kid, I thought George McGovern was correct in wanting to end the Vietnam War, and I went door to door handing out campaign literature, which is essentially the same thing I did for Kamala Harris in October of 2024. I also campaigned for John Anderson in 1980. And when it comes to being independent-minded, I think my Reconstructionist affiliation reflects my overall approach to life: I question received wisdom, I question authority. I try to find sensible approaches and positions, whether theological or political.

Does the topic of Israel influence your vote? The situation in the Middle East has long been tragic, and every single day seems to suggest it can get worse still. I respect candidates who don’t engage in sloganeering or suggest Israel doesn’t have a right to exist or see Israel as either right or wrong. Simplistic approaches have never cut it and are mostly self-serving. One commonality between Netanyahu and Trump is that they are both arrogant people who love being in power, and I can’t help but think that much of what Netanyahu has carried out with the right wing in his country, which is very strong, has been to protect himself. (I have to say, I’ve never been to Israel, so I’m not informed firsthand about the Israeli public. But I’ve talked to people who have traveled there, including my rabbi.)

Of course, Israel has always faced an existential threat. I guess I’m just very suspicious of people who say “this will be the war to end the Iranian threat” and “let’s go all in and destroy that country, or at least try to depose the leadership,” which is much easier said than done, right? At the same time, I object to people saying Israel’s a pariah nation and we should no longer provide it any arms. I don’t support suspension of military aid, but there needs to be some leverage the United States can exert on Israel, because I don’t trust Netanyahu. As barbaric as October 7 was, the swath of destruction that Israel has wreaked on the Palestinians has been an overreaction, and as often happens in the Middle East, retribution raises the stakes and causes more innocent deaths and just makes the situation horribly worse. 

Would you say the war with Iran is a top election issue for you? It’s certainly a pressing foreign policy issue. In my view, Trump has made things worse. He encouraged the Iranian people to overthrow their government, and then he completely let them down. There was that bloodbath in the streets in January where the Iranian government killed thousands of protesters in the most gruesome ways. I think about Obama’s red line in Syria, where he said to Assad, basically, if you use poison gas on people, we’re going to come after you. People pointed out Obama’s hypocrisy, that he never followed that up. Syria completely unraveled, and we weren’t there. You could say that what Trump’s doing is worse, because it’s not simply been inactivity. But it never fails to amaze me that Democrats will look past the very same things in their presidents and their candidates that outrage them with Trump and vice versa, that Trump voters and Republicans will put up a hue and cry when Democrats do effectively what their guy does.

 

JENNIE SHAPIRO

Age: 36
Location: Falmouth, Maine
Party: Independent
Occupation: Co-founder of a Jewish learning center
Family: Married, three children
Jewish Denomination: Unaffiliated
2024 Vote: Donald Trump
News Sources: The Free Press, “Ask Haviv Anything” podcast, X, WhatsApp

 

What is uppermost on your mind in the political realm as election season approaches? Antisemitism—Jew hatred—is something I think about way more than I ever anticipated. What troubles me most is how the turn against Israel feels like a broader turn against Western values and the Jewish people themselves. Supporting a democracy that shares our commitment to individual rights, rule of law and self-defense, especially after the horrors of October 7, used to be a given. Now it is treated as suspect.

Have disagreements over Israel affected you personally or the local politics where you are? My great-grandparents came to Portland from Latvia and Eastern Europe, and they helped build the Jewish community here. I grew up going to temple and Hebrew school on Sundays, but after my bat mitzvah, I felt like I was done. Then I went to Brandeis and became more involved in Judaism again. I went on Birthright, married my husband, and we’ve been to Israel many times. I think my identity solidified as soon as I had children. I wanted to make sure I raised them in a way where they don’t feel like once they turn 13, they’re done. 

“I was a pretty politically disengaged person until October 7.”

I later felt a strong rebellion against Jewish passivity when the BDS resolution passed unanimously in the Portland City Council. [The 2024 resolution called for the city to divest from companies tied to the Israeli military and its campaign in Gaza.] The Jewish community here was fractured by the whole thing. My husband and I were debating moving out of Maine to find a Jewish community where we could be openly Zionist and love Israel, but then we decided to instead open the Chavurat Habayit learning center. Habayit means “the home.” We formed this community to make sure that our kids feel like they have a big extended family to fall back on. 

You voted for Trump in 2024. Do you feel he’s delivered? I was a pretty politically disengaged person until October 7. To see the vitriol coming out of the left was terrifying to me, and I saw Trump take an unequivocal stance on Israel. To say that it was a horrible thing that happened and that Israel has a right to defend itself was, at the time, an indicator of someone’s moral clarity, and that’s what I needed to vote for. Israel represents democratic values to me. So the same people who want to support Israel want to make sure that America is a thriving democracy. So I don’t regret my vote, but I’m not happy about the war with Iran dragging on. 

I certainly don’t love to hear the things that come out of Trump’s mouth, but policywise, I’ve been okay with everything. I don’t know enough about global warming to say whether I agree with Trump on that issue. I support immigration enforcement, but I think the ramp-up outpaced the training. The ICE agent in Biddeford [Maine] who shot and killed a Colombian national who was authorized to work in the United States did not have a body camera. That failed both the victim’s family and the agent. The fixes are not radical: cameras on everyone, real de-escalation training, better vetting, and a policy that releases footage rather than withholding it.

Whom are you supporting in the roller-coaster Maine Senate race? I will be voting for Susan Collins. She understands the nuance of the situation in Israel, has visited multiple times, has advocated for the release of hostages and speaks out against extremism on both sides. Most importantly, she stresses the need for more moderates who are willing to work across the aisle. Democrat Troy Jackson had said very little publicly about Israel until right after Graham Platner stepped aside. Then he quickly adopted the same strong anti-Israel language Platner had used. This is not about Maine’s needs. It is a national progressive litmus test that has taken over the Democratic Party. 

Feeling politically “homeless” is a leitmotif among some Jewish voters. Is that part of the reason you’re an Independent? I’m not sure I ever felt like I had a home in either party, but it’s certainly scary as a Jew to see the fringe on either side of the political spectrum becoming less and less fringe. The most centrist people right now seem the most grounded.

 

HARRY LEVY

Age: 69
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Party: Democratic
Occupation: Retired highway construction firm owner
Family: Married, three children, five grandchildren
Jewish Denomination: Reform
2024 Vote: Kamala Harris
News Sources: NYT, WaPo, San Antonio Express-News, The Texas Tribune, San Antonio Report, NPR, Haaretz, The Jerusalem Post, eJewishPhilanthropy

 

How far back does your family go in Texas, and how would you describe yourself politically vis-a-vis the Lone Star State? My family were merchants who arrived in the 1820s. Many of them ended up settling in Galveston. My father’s family opened a clothing store there in 1877 called E. S. Levy & Company, which was in business until 1979.

As far as Texas politics, former Democratic Texas Governor Ann Richards used to categorize Austin as the blueberry in the tomato soup, but it’s not just Austin that votes Democratic anymore; Bexar County, which includes San Antonio, tends to, as do El Paso, Houston, Dallas and parts of the Rio Grande Valley. That said, Texas is overwhelmingly conservative, and it troubles me. I’ve lived my entire life here, so it’s hard to imagine living in any other state, although I have toyed with the idea of making aliyah. But it is getting increasingly difficult when I see Christian dogma infused into public school classrooms here and a very concerted effort to make this into a Christian state. It’s hard for me to see a home for me and my fellow Jews in Texas when it’s going that way.

“I feel like the party that I’ve associated with for my entire voting life…is saying, you really don’t have a home with us.”

What’s your take on the Senate race between Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton? It does feel like maybe we’ve seen this movie before; I had a lot of hope in 2018 that Beto O’Rourke would beat Ted Cruz. And had John Cornyn won the Republican primary runoff this past May, I would have said there’s no way Talarico could win. Now I feel like he has a strong chance. Even Cruz is saying so.

People I know who would have absolutely voted for Cornyn are saying one of two things: either they’re going to take a strong look at Talarico, or they’re just not going to vote. Which, in my opinion, is still a vote for Talarico. I’ll definitely vote for him.

As Election Day approaches, do you feel any sense of alienation from the Democratic Party because of Israel or any other issue? Absolutely. I feel like I’m a steel pendulum with two strong magnets on either side. One pull says that Israel can do no wrong, and the other says that Israel is all wrong and should go away. And I’m in the middle swinging back and forth, unable to land on a middle ground. I don’t want to be accused of being a self-hating Jew. On the other hand, I don’t want to be told that Israel shouldn’t exist and by extension that I shouldn’t exist.

I feel like the party that I’ve associated with for my entire voting life, and especially the far left, is saying that if you’re a Zionist or pro-Israel, you really don’t have a home with us. I have actually voted for Republicans before, such as former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus. So, I wouldn’t say I would never vote for a Republican, but I certainly can’t see doing so with the current crop in this state. And I can’t possibly see myself switching to the Republican Party.

 

DIANA LEYGERMAN

Age: 43
Location: Warwick, Pennsylvania
Party: Democratic
Occupation: Project manager
Family: Married, two children
Jewish Denomination: Reform
2024 Vote: Kamala Harris
News Sources: The Philadelphia Inquirer, Bucks County Courier-Times, WaPo, NYT, The Atlantic, Reuters, The Bucks County Beacon

 

What’s top of mind for you going into the midterms? Forget gas, going grocery shopping is literally scary. I live in Bucks County, it’s the suburbs of Philadelphia. We live in a townhome in a good school district. We’re middle income, and grocery prices are what we’re struggling with. I can only imagine how anyone making less than we are is dealing with all of this. Trump promised low prices, and I’m seeing higher prices across the board for goods and services.

And it’s all because of the tariffs and the war. You would think that would be enough for people to say, “Oh, we’ve been scammed, maybe we shouldn’t have reelected Trump. Maybe we’ll fix it come this November.” If there’s ever been a time for Democrats to sweep, it would be this year. 

I understand how realities are split, that the MAGAs feel the same way about Democrats—that we live in a completely different reality. What I don’t understand is what they think when they go to the grocery store and see actual prices.

“I don’t just fear election interference, I expect it.”

How do you feel about the Democratic Party today? I ran a PAC to elect Democratic school board candidates; I participated in rallies; I organized all of the social justice work that needed to be done in our community, and in my prior career as a teacher. I have walked away from many of the organizations and organizers locally because they started doing anti-Israel protests, calling Zionists Nazis, things that very much cross the line of criticizing the war and Netanyahu and the Israeli government. I went to the first “No Kings” protests, and then when they started bringing the anti-Zionism and anti-Israel and everything else, I just couldn’t go anymore.

I am someone who’s very critical of the Israeli government. And I’ve lost friends since October 7 based on—I don’t even know what—antisemitism, I guess. I don’t know what else to call it. 

What pains me is that most Jewish people historically have fought for social justice, probably because they have been persecuted for so long. It pains me that former progressive allies have been going against Jewish people in the spaces where Jews have been organizing, participating for centuries. When you exclude a segment of people, you’re hurting the entire movement. 

And so, it has been a very difficult position to be in as a Jewish progressive, because I will align with a progressive on around 85 percent of my beliefs. It’s a weird time to be a Jewish MAGA right now, too. They are also fractured on the issue of Israel. Do I wish that Jewish people overall were more united because of all of this? Yes, but we are still so very far apart. I think in some ways, there are forces at play that continue to divide us on purpose.

I do find the rhetoric—this new wave of antisemitism dressed up as anti-Zionism—interesting from the point of view of history and human behavior and sociology and psychology. That’s my bright side, that at least I can study it and learn something from it for the future and teach my children about it. If you take an active academic approach rather than a personal approach, it’s easier to disconnect and disassociate from the pain.

Do you have any fears about election interference—from ICE, Trump’s DOJ, red state officials? I don’t just fear election interference, I expect it. They already do it by gerrymandering and intimidation at the polls. Not much is stopping them from using other methods.

AARON WEISMANN

Age: 54
Location: Great Falls, Montana
Party: Independent
Occupation: Restauranteur
Family: Married, two children
Jewish Denomination: Reform
2024 Vote: Kamala Harris
News Sources: Great Falls Tribune, Billings Gazette, The Electric (local blog), WSJ, NYT, The Boston Globe, The Atlantic, Slate

 

What is top of mind for you as the 2026 midterms approach? I am in the retail restaurant business, and I can tell you that tariffs are really hurting us. And since the war with Iran started, gas prices have increased, groceries prices have increased, and our overall costs have increased. And because of this my sales are taking a nose dive. I’m trying not to raise prices, but if this goes on much longer, I’m going to have to. So far, I am allowing myself to break even or lose money on most sales. 

“No one in Montana gives a damn about DC beautification projects.”

What other impacts do you see the war having? I think the war is going to result in a massive increase in antisemitism in this country. Because people are blaming the Jews worse than all parties waging the war. I also don’t think much of the idea of going to war with no plan, no goals, no real mission, no consensus of allies and no support from the population. Nor do I have many good things to say about Benjamin Netanyahu. He should have known better.

The Montana Senate race has shaped up to be really interesting, with Independent Seth Bodnar facing Republican Kurt Alme and Democrat Alani Bankhead. I’m supporting Bodnar. Otherwise, I plan to vote a straight Democratic ticket. I left the GOP in 2016 and won’t vote for anyone who will support Donald Trump’s fascist agenda, his destruction of democracy. I want my voice to stand out there saying enough is enough—stop this. 

In your view, what’s at stake in the battle for who controls Congress? Democracy is at stake. The corruption and profit-taking are  awful. The impact on farmers and those who work in the food industry is outrageous. Buying foreign beef is a slap in the face. And let me add, no one in Montana gives a damn about DC beautification projects.