But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Houston Gaines
Republican · U.S. House, Georgia District 10
✗SupportsFrom money backing them
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.
Gaines has not spoken publicly on U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel, or on U.S. aid to Palestinians. No statement was found in source-checked research across 6 sources.
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6 sources checked and resolved, every one listed on the research page. Most candidates at this level have simply never been asked.
You are better placed to change that than we are. Ask Gaines directly, or at a candidate forum, and send us the reply: it goes on this page in their own words, which is worth more than anything we could write about them.
The money
$5K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
Lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
AIPAC PAC: $5,000
Support-only OpenFEC data (as of 2026-10-03). Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
Who these lobbying groups are
AIPAC$5,000The American Israel Public Affairs Committee; its PAC backs candidates it sees as strengthening U.S. ties with the government of Israel, including continued U.S. military aid.Direct contributions and independent expenditures supporting this candidate from the five lobbying groups we track, every cycle each has filed, through 2026. Excludes earmarked and conduit contributions.
Endorsed by AIPAC
AIPACThe American Israel Public Affairs Committee; its PAC backs candidates it sees as strengthening U.S. ties with the government of Israel, including continued U.S. military aid.These endorsements come from groups that back sending U.S. weapons and funding to the government of Israel.
In their words
Endorsements
AIPAC (2026 endorsement)
Research log
The notes behind this card: what we looked at, what we found, and where each item came from.
What was looked for, and what came back
**U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel:** There is no public record of statements or specific policy positions by Houston Gaines explicitly addressing federal U.S. military aid packages or weapons transfers to Israel.
**Characterization of the conflict:** Material returned; set out in full below.
**Rhetoric and lobbying:** Material returned; set out in full below.
**Safety and antisemitism:** Material returned; set out in full below.
What else came back
The card's claim is about what the United States sends, and no position was found there. These sections returned material beyond a bare verdict. It is reproduced word for word so nothing found is lost; none of it is a position on U.S. weapons or money. Em dashes are rendered as hyphens to satisfy house style; no wording is changed.
### Characterization of the conflict * **May 13, 2021:** In a social media post recalling a visit to Israel four years prior, Gaines described seeing "firsthand the threats it faces daily," citing "over a thousand rockets launched at Israel in recent days and growing threats from its enemies in the region". * **May 8, 2026:** In an interview with *Jewish Insider*, Gaines framed Middle Eastern security threats around Iran's regional influence, praising former President Donald Trump's "bold and decisive action to decimate" Iran's nuclear capabilities and aggression.
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### Rhetoric and lobbying * **May 13, 2021:** Gaines publicly declared on social media that "we must stand strong with our great ally, Israel". * **May 8, 2026:** In an interview with *Jewish Insider*, Gaines referred to Israel as one of America's "strongest allies" and pledged that he would "stand with Israel in Congress, as he said he has in the state Legislature". * **May 8, 2026:** During the same *Jewish Insider* interview, Gaines highlighted his support in the Georgia legislature for proposals requiring transparency for foreign funding in Georgia schools, asserting that foreign sources were pushing anti-Israel messages into school curricula.
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### Safety and antisemitism * **January 25, 2024:** Following a state legislative vote on a bill defining antisemitism in state law (HB 30), Gaines publicly stated on Facebook: "Antisemitism will not stand in our state - it's abhorrent, and today's bill strengthens Georgia's law to protect our Jewish community". * **April 9, 2026:** In a statement to *The Forward* regarding alleged antisemitic text messages sent by his Republican primary opponent, Gaines stated, "Antisemitism has no place in this country, and as a Christian, I'll always stand firmly against it," calling the alleged remarks "disqualifying". * **May 8, 2026:** In an interview with *Jewish Insider*, Gaines reiterated that he was "proud" of supporting antisemitism legislation in the Georgia General Assembly and working alongside local organizations to combat antisemitism, while reiterating that his opponent's reported comments were "just totally unacceptable for someone in public life".
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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