“I’ve noticed a lot of conservative to moderate Jews shying away form the Republican party becuase they are afraid of how dominated and controlled it is by the radical religious right,” said IU’s Hillel President, Joanna Blotner. Blotner, who has campaigned for Democratic candidate Baron Hill’s bid for Congress, does not know of any IU Jews who are campaigning for or supporting incumbent Republican Congressman Mike Sodrel.
According to the National Jewish Democratic Council, both candidates in the 9th district congressional race, Baron Hill and Congressman Mike Sodrel, are supporters of Israel. Nevertheless, the NJDC highlights some major differences that may be of Jewish interest:

While both candidates are supportive of Israel, Hill’s record is more supportive of reproductive rights and stem cell research than Sodrel’s. Hill’s House career also shows more support for the separation of church and state than Sodrel’s.

Blotner listed student rights, student loan programs, Israel, and the war in Iraq as issues that are important to Jewish college students. However, she stressed that: “Every single student is different. A lot of political issues are very personal and affect us all differently. So I don’t think it’s fair to say that there are just a few issues that are the most important to all Hillel students.”
This election will be very close and very significant. The Jewish community in Bloomington will, on average, favor the Democratic candidate, Baron Hill, by a significant margin.