But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check

Katie Hobbs

Democrat · Governor, Arizona
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Hobbs signed Arizona's 2026 law protecting display of Israel's flag and vetoed a 2025 antisemitism-education bill as "not about antisemitism; it's about attacking our teachers." In 2016 she voted against the state law barring contracts with companies boycotting Israel. Federal weapons and money decisions sit outside her office.

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Deep Dive

Hobbs is Arizona's governor, running for re-election. The office does not send weapons or money to anyone abroad, and she has taken no public position on what the United States sends to the government of Israel. What she has is a state record, and it points in more than one direction.

As a state senator in 2016, she was one of six Democrats to vote No on HB2617, the law barring Arizona from contracting with or investing in companies that boycott Israel or Israeli-occupied territory. As governor she signed SB1808 in June 2026, which stops homeowners' associations from prohibiting the Israeli flag, and she vetoed the 2025 Antisemitism in Education Act, writing "Unfortunately this bill is not about antisemitism; it's about attacking our teachers," because it let parents sue individual educators. She signed the 2025 law banning overnight encampments on public campuses after pro-Palestinian protests, expanded Holocaust education, and convened a Jewish Advisory Council in January 2026 as antisemitic incidents rose.

On the conflict itself, her fullest located statement came on the first anniversary of the October 7 attack: "My heart is with the families who mourn, the hostages who should be home, and the entire country of Israel as they pray and grieve." Arizona's other Israel-linked state acts belong to other officials: the treasurer, not the governor, directs the state's Israel bond purchases, and the legislature passed its 2026 resolution on Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank as a measure that never reached her desk.

The record

Notable actions

• As a state senator, voted No on HB2617, Arizona's 2016 anti-boycott law barring state contracts with and state investment in companies that boycott Israel or Israeli-occupied territory. The official Senate vote detail for the March 10, 2016 third reading records 'Katie Hobbs N'; the bill passed the Senate 23-6, with six Democrats opposed, and was signed by Gov. Doug Ducey on March 17, 2016 as Chapter 46. This is the only recorded vote or executive act by Hobbs that goes to the substance of the issue rather than around it.

• Signed SB1808 (2026) on June 22, 2026 (Chapter 243), barring Arizona homeowners' and condominium associations from prohibiting display of 'a flag from a nation that is allied with the United States as a major non-NATO ally and that was established on May 14, 1948' -- language the sponsor, Sen. David Gowan (R-Sierra Vista), told Capitol Media Services was always intended to cover Israel only.

• Did not act, and could not act, on HCR2047 (2026) -- the Arizona Legislature's measure affirming Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria and directing state agencies to stop using the term 'West Bank' -- because it was drafted as a concurrent resolution that takes effect on the vote of both chambers without the governor's signature. It passed the House on February 23, 2026 and the Senate on April 20, 2026.

How this mark works

We track key votes on sending U.S. weapons and money to the government of Israel. A check means every tracked vote they cast came down against sending more, on the side of peace and de-escalation. A question mark means a mixed record: they sided with sending up to half of the time. An X means they voted to send more weapons and money in over half of their tracked votes, even as the way those weapons and dollars were being used became more and more obvious. At exactly half, money this election cycle from a lobbying group we track, or an endorsement from a group that backs sending weapons, makes it an X. Only votes actually cast are counted. Where a candidate has no recorded votes on these bills, the mark comes instead from a reviewed reading of their public record (money from the lobbying groups we track, endorsements, and their own words since January 26, 2024). There an X also covers fully backing the conduct of the war by the government of Israel without significant reservations, and a question mark also covers speaking about Israel without saying clearly where they stand on U.S. weapons and funding. A dash means No Position Found: we found nothing in their own words about Israel, Gaza or the war.

See a dash? Ask the candidate where they stand, then send us their answer and we'll review it and update the mark. Or volunteer to help review candidates.

Two reviewers, reading the public record as a whole, agree: In an October 2024 statement she says her heart is with the families who mourn, "the hostages who should be home, and the entire country of Israel", without saying where she stands on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. Reviewed by hand on 2026-10-09. This candidate has no recorded tracked floor votes.

In their words

“One year ago today, Hamas' brutal attack on Israel took away the hopes and dreams of innocent people forever. My heart is with the families who mourn, the hostages who should be home, and the entire country of Israel as they pray and grieve.”
Source ↗, 2024-10-09
“Unfortunately this bill is not about antisemitism; it's about attacking our teachers.”
Source ↗, 2025-06-10
Endorsements

John Graham · Sharon Harper

Research log

The notes behind this card: what we looked at, what we found, and where each item came from.

U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel

  • No statement or action located. As governor, federal military aid decisions sit outside her jurisdiction; we searched her Israel statements, the trade office, and conflict coverage and found no position on what the United States sends. Her 2026 campaign site carries no foreign-policy or Israel content (record's prior research, read 2026-08-13).

U.S. aid to Palestinians

  • Nothing located here or in the record's prior research.

Characterization of the conflict

  • [Reaction window, 2023-10-09] Statement after the October 7 attack, published in a multi-governor roundup and Arizona reaction coverage: "I condemn the horrific terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas. Arizona stands with the people of Israel and supports their right to self defense. My heart breaks for the families of those who have been killed, injured or captured." Not on the card summary.
  • [Position, 2024-10-09] First-anniversary statement, AZ Free News, verified verbatim: "One year ago today, Hamas' brutal attack on Israel took away the hopes and dreams of innocent people forever. My heart is with the families who mourn, the hostages who should be home, and the entire country of Israel as they pray and grieve." The page quotes six other Arizona officials; her span sits under her own name.

Related rhetoric and lobbying

  • [Position, 2024-03-04] Criticized 17 state lawmakers' week-long Israel delegation trip mid-session (Tucson.com, KJZZ): "We have important issues in front of us, including the need to pass a balanced budget... I think that lawmakers should be doing the jobs that Arizonans elected them to." A remark about legislators' duties, not a position on the conflict or on aid.
  • [Position, 2025-03-28] Acknowledged Israeli trade and diplomatic representatives among Arizona's commerce partners in her International State of the State (transcript, azgovernor.gov).
  • [Position, 2026-06-22, from the record's prior research] Signed SB1808 (Chapter 243), barring homeowners' associations from prohibiting display of "a flag from a nation that is allied with the United States as a major non-NATO ally and that was established on May 14, 1948", language its sponsor said was always intended to cover only Israel's flag.
  • [Position, 2026, from the record's prior research] HCR2047, the legislature's resolution affirming Israeli sovereignty over "Judea and Samaria" and dropping the term "West Bank," passed both chambers (2026-02-23, 2026-04-20) as a concurrent resolution that required no gubernatorial action. Not her act; recorded so the state's 2026 Israel measures are not read as hers.
  • [Earlier record, 2016-03-10, from the record's prior research] As a state senator, voted No on HB2617, Arizona's anti-boycott law barring state contracts with and investment in companies boycotting Israel or Israeli-occupied territory; one of six Democrats opposed as it passed 23-6, signed by Gov. Ducey 2016-03-17. The record's only vote going to the substance of the issue.
  • [Context, other officials, from the record's prior research] Arizona's Israel-linked investment decisions sit with the elected State Treasurer: Republican Treasurer Kimberly Yee announced increased Israel bond holdings in October 2023 and earlier pulled state investments from Unilever under the anti-boycott law. Not Hobbs' acts.

Safety and antisemitism (context)

  • [Position, 2025-05-20] Signed HB2880 prohibiting overnight encampments at public universities after pro-Palestinian protests (Tucson.com).
  • [Position, 2025-06-10] Vetoed HB2867, the "Antisemitism in Education Act," over provisions exposing teachers to civil suits (Arizona Capitol Times, Times of Israel, veto letter PDF). Verified verbatim on the Capitol Times: "Unfortunately this bill is not about antisemitism; it's about attacking our teachers." An earlier account also attributes to the veto letter: "Antisemitism is a scourge on our society and a deeply troubling issue in our country. I continue to proudly stand with Arizona's Jewish community against acts of hate, violence, and harassment, and remain committed to fighting antisemitism in all its forms." That span is not on the Capitol Times page and could not be verified; it is carried here attributively against the letter and Times of Israel coverage.
  • [Position, as reported, 2024] Signed 2024 legislation expanding Holocaust education requirements; state budget funding for Phoenix's first permanent Holocaust education center (Hilton Family Holocaust Education Center), groundbreaking attended June 2025.
  • [Position, 2026-01-15] Convened a state Jewish Advisory Council amid a surge in antisemitic incidents (AZ Jewish Post).
  • [Position, 2026-03-12, reported; source unresolved] KTAR interview: state public safety agencies monitoring potential local threats tied to Middle East escalation, increased patrols around synagogues. The KTAR source returned 403 and is not used on the card.

Also in this race

  1. ✗ Andy Biggs (Republican)
  2. – Risa Lombardo (Green)
  3. ? Teri Hourihan (Other)

All Arizona candidates.

But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. Every claim on this page goes through at least two verification steps. Open Find Your Candidates for votes, funding and contact details.