But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Ritesh Tandon
Republican · U.S. House, California District 17
✗Supports
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.
Two reviewers, reading the public record as a whole, agree: His campaign's own caption sets him apart from rivals who did not support Israel funding, which reads as support for continuing U.S. funding to Israel. Reviewed by hand on 2026-10-01. This candidate has no recorded tracked floor votes.
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Tandon's campaign foreign-policy page condemns the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks in graphic terms and says the U.S. must help Israel get rid of Hamas and its supporters. The same page expresses feeling for innocent Palestinian casualties, calls the situation tragic, and says the only solution lies in the hearts of the two peoples.
On U.S. funding, his campaign's YouTube channel, TandonForCongress, posted a 75-second town-hall clip on February 18, 2024, titled "Ritesh Tandon supporting Israel". Its caption reads: "Ritesh Tandon's response during US Congressional CA17 town hall. Two candidates did not support Israel funding and the third was not clear. I support Israel." What he says in the clip is not quoted here; the caption is the campaign's own text. The same foreign-policy page criticizes his opponent: "My opponent has been supporting Iran and its proxies through his naive positions on no retaliation against Houthi rebels and an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza."
In a candidate questionnaire on iVoterGuide he marked himself neutral on the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement targeting Israel, commenting that it is a complicated subject needing wider discussion. His campaign education page calls for stringent policies against antisemitism on college campuses; that is community-safety context, not a weapons or aid position.
The money
Checked the five lobbying groups we track; no direct 2026 support found
2026 support from the five lobbying groups we track
Nothing recorded (as of 2026-07-23) from the five lobbying groups we track; earlier cycles and earmarked donations not yet tracked.
Support-only OpenFEC data. Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
In their words
“Ritesh Tandon's response during US Congressional CA17 town hall. Two candidates did not support Israel funding and the third was not clear. I support Israel.”
The notes behind this card: what we looked at, what we found, and where each item came from.
Identity: Ritesh Tandon (R), CA-17 candidate, advanced from the 2026-06-02 top-two primary. Ballotpedia primary page; JNS via whyisrael.org (2026-06-03; second place, 17.2%, in the primary).
U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel
2024-02-18 [Position]: His campaign's YouTube channel, TandonForCongress, posted a 75-second clip titled "Ritesh Tandon supporting Israel" with the caption: "Ritesh Tandon's response during US Congressional CA17 town hall. Two candidates did not support Israel funding and the third was not clear. I support Israel." The caption is the campaign's own text and sets him apart from rivals who did not support funding for the government of Israel. The date of the town hall itself is not given. The clip's audio is not quoted here, so what he said in it, including whether he named military aid, is not claimed. The JNS article above contains nothing about the town hall.
Undated [candidate questionnaire]: Marked "Neutral" on the BDS movement targeting Israel: "This is a complicated subject and needs a wider discussion." iVoterGuide.
Characterization of the conflict
2024-02-29 [Position; the page's metadata gives first publication 2022-04-21 and last modification 2024-02-29; read 2026-10-01]: Foreign-policy platform condemning the October 7 attacks: "Israel is suffering! I ask myself what I would do if my wife or teenage daughter was gang-raped, butchered, and roasted alive. What would America have done if thousands of its innocent citizens were massacred in the same fashion? The answers are painful and horrifying. We must help Israel get rid of the hateful Hamas and its supporters." Also: "I feel for the innocent casualties of the Palestinian people. The situation is tragic, and the only solution lies in the hearts of the two peoples," and questions including "How can we convince Palestinians to stop teaching their kids to hate Jews..." The same page criticizes his opponent: "My opponent has been supporting Iran and its proxies through his naive positions on no retaliation against Houthi rebels and an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza." And: "We must think beyond tactical ceasefires and Iran/Houthi blackmail." Campaign foreign-policy page.
Rhetoric and lobbying
Undated [candidate survey]: Criticized Rep. Ro Khanna over the Congressional Pakistan Caucus, claiming his opponent "favors radical Islamist." iVoterGuide. Attack rhetoric about an opponent, not an Israel-policy position.
Undated [campaign site; pending verification as above]: Foreign-policy platform recommends U.S. policy based on "world peace, non-interference, human rights of freedom to choose, fair trade practices... and balanced world economies." Campaign foreign-policy page.
No personal lobbying activity regarding Israel found.
A localcandidates.org positions page would not open (unlinked).
Safety and antisemitism (context, not a weapons or funding position)
Undated [campaign site; page's stored date 2020-06-17 likely predates the content; not verified]: Education platform on campus antisemitism: "To address and combat antisemitism and any hatred against any community in US colleges, it is imperative that we establish and enforce stringent policies that not only condemn such behaviors but also hold individuals accountable for their actions"; urges "immediate and decisive action, including disciplinary measures and, if necessary, legal consequences"; concludes that "through education, accountability, and a steadfast commitment to justice, we can eradicate antisemitism and create a more inclusive and respectful academic environment for everyone." Campaign education page.
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.
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