Former JFNA chair Kathy Manning. Photo: Facebook.

A former head of the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) won a seat in the US Congress on Tuesday with a comfortable victory in North Carolina.

Democratic Party candidate Kathy Manning beat Republican Lee Harwood by nearly 25 points in the District 6 race in North Carolina, polling 62 percent against just over 37 percent for Harwood.

The seat is currently held by Rep. Mark Walker (R), who announced his retirement last year.

Manning ran her campaign on providing affordable and accessible health care, education and job training, The Hill reported.

Following the announcement of her victory on Wednesday, Manning emphasized that her priority was defeating the coronavirus pandemic.

“We have got to get kids back to school and people back to work and our businesses open,” Manning told local broadcaster WXII12. “That is only going to happen when we get the virus under control and people feel safe getting back to their normal lives.”

Manning, 63, was the first woman to chair the JFNA, holding the post from 2009-2012. She was also a founding chairwoman of Prizmah, the umbrella body for Jewish day schools of all denominations.

Manning’s successful election marked her second bid to enter the House of Representatives. An earlier attempt in 2018 was unsuccessful.