NEW YORK (JTA) — Rabbi Shmuley Boteach lost his bid for a congressional seat from New Jersey.
The Orthodox rabbi, author and media personality was defeated handily in his effort to unseat Rep. Bill Pascrell, a Democrat. Boteach mounted a longshot run as a Republican in the heavily Democratic northeastern New Jersey district.
Pascrell had defeated a fellow congressman, Steve Rothman, in a redistricting-induced party primary.
Casino mogul and Republican supporter Sheldon Adelson and his wife twice during the campaign gave $500,000 to a Super PAC supporting Boteach’s bid for Congress.
The Adelsons gave the money to the Patriot Prosperity PAC. They also gave $10,000 directly to the Boteach campaign.
Boteach, who once was affiliated with the Chabad movement, bills himself as “America’s Rabbi.” He hosts a show on TLC called “Shalom in the Home” and is the author of several books, including “Kosher Sex,” “Kosher Adultery,” “The Kosher Sutra” and, most recently, “Kosher Jesus.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
