Josh Mandel is a Marine veteran who served two tours in the Iraq War and currently serves as State Representative from the 17th Ohio House District. He was first elected State Representative in 2006, knocking on 19,679 doors and wearing out three pairs of shoes. In 2008 he was re-elected to a second term. He currently serves as the Ranking Member of the Financial Institutions, Real Estate and Securities Committee.
Josh’s first piece of legislation as State Representative was an initiative to force the multi-billion dollar Ohio pension funds to divest from companies doing business in terrorist-sponsoring countries. He led this bipartisan effort to make Ohio the first state in the nation to divest pension dollars from terrorist-sponsoring nations. Since this success, Josh has worked with legislators and fiscal officers across the country to support Iran divestment nationwide, and today over a dozen states have embarked on terror-free investment initiatives. Due to his leadership on this and other issues, Josh was named legislative "Rookie of the Year" by the non-partisan Columbus Monthly Magazine and “Watchdog of the Treasury” by the United Conservatives of Ohio.
Through his role as member of the House Insurance Committee, Josh participated in the reconstruction of investment oversight for the multi-billion dollar Bureau of Workers’ Compensation investment fund. This overhaul of BWC investment oversight was the Ohio Legislature’s response to the BWC investment scandals of the past decade. Josh has also served as Vice-Chairman of the Public Utilities Committee and as a member of the Criminal Justice, Judiciary, and Alternative Energy Committees.
Josh’s previous elected experience includes service as a Lyndhurst City Councilman, where he was elected in 2003 with more votes than any candidate for Council or Mayor. As Councilman, Josh served three years on the Finance Committee, dealing with issues including long-term fiscal forecasting, municipal investment strategy and bond-rating protections. Additionally, Josh introduced and led the fight for the first Property Tax Rollback in Lyndhurst history, which currently remains one of the only property tax rollbacks in Ohio history.
Josh’s family, like many, came to this country seeking a chance at the American Dream. His Grandpa Joe came from Poland, his Grandma Fernanda from Italy, and his Grandpa Harold served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. Inspired by his grandparents, Josh carries a strong sense of family, integrity and duty to serve his country.
These values led Josh to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, where he served eight years as an Intelligence Specialist, having graduated first in his class from Marine Corps Boot Camp and first in his class from Marine Corps Intelligence School. His Marine Corps duty included two tours in Iraq, where he operated throughout Al Anbar Province. During both tours, Josh was awarded the Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal for "superior performance of his duties."
Josh holds a Bachelor Degree from The Ohio State University, where he served two terms as the Undergraduate Student Government President, and also holds a law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. He and his wife Ilana reside in Lyndhurst, Ohio, close to their families and just minutes from the homes where they grew up.
