Antigay GOP Senate Candidate Blasted by In-Laws

Discrimination against LGBT people will not fly among the family of Josh Mandel, a Republican running for Senate in Ohio. Ten cousins of Mandel's wife penned an open letter blasting Mandel for his stances against marriage equality and open military service.

The paid ad appeared in the Cleveland Jewish News. It said that Mandel's anti-equality stances conflicted with the views of his wife's family.

"Your cousins, Ellen Ratner and Cholene Espinoza, are among the many wonderful couples whose rights you do not recognize," the cousins wrote. "They were married almost eight years ago in Massachusetts, at a time when it was the only state in the nation to allow same-sex marriage. Their wedding, like yours, was a beautiful and happy occasion for all of us in our family. It hurts us that you would embrace discrimination against them and countless other loving couples in Ohio and around the country. " Read the letter in its entirety here.

Mandel, the 35-year-old Ohio state treasurer, is facing off against Sherrod Brown in his Senate battle. The race is very close, according to polls.