WASHINGTON (JTA) — Elaine Luria, a Jewish Navy veteran running for Congress in a Virginia coastal district, and Max Rose, a Jewish Army veteran challenging for a House seat in New York’s Staten Island, each unseated Republican incumbents on Tuesday.
Luria was projected to win while holding a lead of 4,000 votes over Republican Scott Taylor in a district that includes the Norfolk U.S. Navy base. Luria, a former Navy commander, was the first woman to spend her entire Navy career aboard combat ships.
Rose, who was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for his service in Afghanistan, unseated Dan Donovan in New York’s 11th District. He campaigned as a Democrat who is ready to defy his party leadership.
Rose and Luria were among six Jewish veterans running for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Another Democrat who turned a House district from Republican was Chrissy Houlahan, an Air Force veteran whose father is a Holocaust survivor, in Pennsylvania’s 6th comprising the Philadelphia suburbs. Houlahan said her father’s story — he became a U.S. Navy officer — inspired her to run. She does not consider herself Jewish.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
