Democratic Georgia state Rep. Esther Panitch, the only Jewish member of the Georgia Statehouse, said Thursday she was “disheartened that both of our U.S. Senators voted in favor” of resolutions to block U.S. aid to Israel.

Sens. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) both voted for resolutions led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to block transfers of tank rounds and mortar shells to Israel; Warnock voted in favor of a third resolution to block bomb guidance kits, which Ossoff opposed.

The votes could impact both senators’ future political prospects — Georgia is among the most purple states in the nation, with a significant Jewish population in the Atlanta area. Ossoff, who won by approximately 50,000 votes in 2020, is up for reelection in 2026. Both senators have also been floated as potential Democratic presidential contenders.

“Last night’s votes contradict Senator Ossoff’s claims of [an] ‘ironclad’ commitment to and steadfast support of Israel, aimed at penalizing Israel and thereby weakening a democratically elected government at a critical time,” Panitch said in a statement to Jewish Insider.

She also criticized Ossoff for speaking on the Senate floor on Wednesday about a decision by former President Ronald Reagan, decades ago, to halt some arms transfers to Israel, “instead of standing with our current president, Joe Biden, who understands the history and the most recent intelligence coming from the region.”

Panitch said that the senators’ votes will do nothing to impact Israeli leaders but will be deeply hurtful to Georgia voters.

“In the end, the failed vote will not be felt by the Israeli forces or government, but acute feelings of abandonment by our senators are already being felt by pro-Israel and freedom-loving constituents, both Jewish and not Jewish, in Georgia,” Panitch said.

Asked by JI how she thinks his votes will impact Ossoff and other Democrats’ support among Jewish voters in the 2026 election, Panitch responded, “I won’t commit a vote for an election two years from now and without knowing who else is running, but [Ossoff] should be glad the election isn’t tomorrow.”

At least one Georgia Republican suggested on Wednesday night that he sees an opening.

“If Georgia’s U.S. Senators won’t stand with Israel, we should find new ones who will,” Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) said on X in response to Warnock and Ossoff’s votes.

Panitch further noted that Israeli opposition leaders also opposed the resolutions and described Israel as “fighting on behalf of the Western world so that this conflict doesn’t arrive on our shores.”

She praised the “strong pro-Israel voices at the federal level, led by President Biden” who opposed the resolutions and called Sanders’ push, “equally unsurprising and disappointing since Sen. Sanders has a long record of anti-Israel advocacy.”