Josh Mandel visits Brunswick on his campaign tour with guest Michael Flynn

BRUNSWICK — U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel hosted a rally at Mapleside in Brunswick on Thursday night with former U.S. Gen. Michael Flynn. This "Faith and Freedom" rally, which was sponsored by the Strongsville GOP, took place inside The Barn. Mandel said his children were the main reason why he is running for the U.S. Senate. "The fight we're in is to save this country," he said, "for my kids, your kids (and) your grandkids." He spoke on issues such as keeping jobs local, small government and illegal immigration. Flynn said it is important for people to vote in the primary election. "Take a hard look at yourself and you're going to have to decide what it is that you're going to do to this country," he said. In February, Flynn endorsed Mandel's campaign. He said he did so because he supports Mandel's initiatives and who he is as a person. "Right now you're looking at a guy like Josh Mandel, who fully understands who he is," he said. "Nobody defines Josh Mandel but Josh Mandel and that's a really strong leader characteristic." Mandel enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2000. He spent eight years in the military and completed two tours in the Anbar province of Iraq. Later, Mandel was a Republican member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011. He served Ohio's 17th District. As a representative, he participated on committees such as the Alternative Energy Committee, Finance and Appropriations Committee, Public Utilities Committee and Veterans Affairs Committee. Starting in 2011, he took office as Ohio treasurer until he left office in 2019. Previously, Mandel ran for the U.S. Senate in 2018 but dropped out of the race. The Republican nomination ended up going to Jim Renacci. Flynn is a retired U.S. army lieutenant general. From 2012 to 2014, he served as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Under the Trump administration, he was the national security adviser until he resigned in February 2017. The race for the 2022 Republican nomination is between six other candidates: Matt Dolan, Mike Gibbons, Neil Patel, Mark Pukita, Jane Timken and JD Vance. Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.