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

Ned Lamont

Democrat · Governor, Connecticut
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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.

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Two reviewers, reading the public record as a whole, agree: In April 2024 remarks about voters protesting Gaza policy he says "They’re wasting their vote, and they are wasting my time", without saying where he 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.

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Deep Dive

Lamont is Connecticut’s incumbent Democratic governor, seeking a third term; a governor casts no federal votes on these topics, and this card carries his statements and state actions.

His sharpest recorded position came in April 2024, dismissing the roughly 11% of Connecticut Democratic primary voters who chose "uncommitted" in protest of Gaza policy: "They’re wasting their vote, and they are wasting my time. The hottest place in hell is reserved for those who stay neutral or can’t make up their minds at a time of moral crisis", per the CT Mirror. Pro-Palestinian protesters have repeatedly confronted him: interrupting his February 2024 State of the State address with stop-arming-Israel demands, a May 2024 West Hartford speech, and a May 2024 Capitol rally demanding state divestment from Israeli bonds; he took no divestment action, and his reported podium responses, including recalling his own aid work in Gaza, rest on television carriers and stay on the research page as reported.

His affirmative record is commercial and communal: a February 2022 trade mission to Israel building venture and biotech ties, appearances at synagogue memorials including the October 2024 Beth El commemoration, and in June 2026, signing two hate-crime laws at Congregation Beth Israel, consolidating prosecutions and adding $5 million in security grants for at-risk institutions, per JNS. His October 2023 solidarity statement is on the research page.

In their words

“They’re wasting their vote, and they are wasting my time. The hottest place in hell is reserved for those who stay neutral or can’t make up their minds at a time of moral crisis.”
Source ↗, 2024-04-05

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 federal role. [Event, 2024-05-08] The Capitol divestment rally, verified: protesters demanded state divestment from Israeli bonds; he took no executive action toward it.

U.S. aid to Palestinians

  • Nothing located as a policy position; his reported recollection of having "worked in Gaza" earlier in life sits on television carriers, reported, not confirmed directly.

Characterization of the conflict

  • [Position, 2024-04-05] The uncommitted-voters remarks, verified and quoted on the card.
  • [Reported, 2024-02-07 and 2024-05-29] His podium responses to protesters (State of the State; the West Hartford symposium); television carriers whose pages did not yield the quotes, reported, not confirmed directly.
  • His October 2023 statement of solidarity with Israel is not on the card summary.
  • [Prior era, 2006-08] His Senate-race statement that Israel has the right to defend itself; reported, not confirmed directly.

Related rhetoric and lobbying

Safety and antisemitism

  • [Action, 2026-06-08] The hate-crime signings, verified via JNS: statute consolidation plus $5 million in security grants.
  • [Reaction window, 2023-10-31] His convening of campus-security officials on hate crimes; not on the card summary, noted for the record.
  • [Event, 2024-10-07] The Beth El memorial appearance, per CT Public’s coverage.

Sources retrieved for this card

Race and status context

  • Incumbent governor. His Republican opponent’s card carries its own record.

Also in this race

  1. – Ryan Fazio (Republican)

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.