But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Thomas Laehn
Libertarian · U.S. Senate, Iowa
–No Position Found
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.
No recorded votes on the bills we track. We found nothing in their own words about Israel, Gaza or the war.
Nothing located as of September 2026 has Laehn taking a position on U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel, or on U.S. aid to Palestinians. His platform's plank on foreign policy is about blocking wars started without Congress and names no country.
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His campaign platform's foreign-policy plank, "Stopping wasteful wars", pledges "to block foolish wars declared by presidents without the consent of Congress, and to conserve our nation’s military strength for those rare occasions when our nation’s vital interests are truly at stake." It names no country. Nothing located has him speaking about U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel, U.S. aid to Palestinians, or the war in Gaza. An empty record carries no implication either way.
You are better placed to change this than we are. Ask Laehn directly, or at a candidate forum, and send us the reply: it goes on this page in his own words.
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 2026-07-13) from the five lobbying groups we track; earlier cycles and earmarked donations not yet tracked.
Support-only OpenFEC data. Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
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 Dr. Thomas Raymond Laehn making specific statements or taking action regarding U.S. military aid or weapons shipments to Israel.
**Characterization of the conflict:** There are no documented personal statements, writings, or official platform positions by Dr. Laehn characterizing the Israel/Palestine conflict.
**Rhetoric and lobbying:** There is no public record of Dr. Laehn addressing Israel-related lobbying or engaging in political rhetoric specifically focused on Israel.
**Safety and antisemitism:** There are no documented public statements, policy positions, or actions by Dr. Laehn specifically addressing antisemitism or safety issues pertaining to Jewish communities.
Foreign policy on his own site and in his own interviews
[Position, read 2026-09-25] His campaign issues page has eight planks, and one concerns foreign policy. Headed "Stopping wasteful wars", it says: "Although the Constitution grants Congress the sole power to declare war, every war since World War II has been initiated by the president." And: "As a U.S. Senator, I will fight to bring our men and women in uniform home, to block foolish wars declared by presidents without the consent of Congress, and to conserve our nation’s military strength for those rare occasions when our nation’s vital interests are truly at stake." It names no country. The other planks are domestic: political power, eminent domain, the balance of powers, the national debt, immigration, abortion and marijuana.
[Position, recorded 2026-06-02, posted 2026-07-05] Bleeding Heartland's interview with him, recorded the day he filed his nominating papers. Its description, Bleeding Heartland's summary rather than his words, says that asked about the war in Iran, "He considers that another example of Congress abdicating its responsibility to declare war." Nothing in the description concerns Israel, Gaza or U.S. aid to either.
[Read 2026-09-25] His campaign's about page says he studied at Drake University, Louisiana State University and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem before teaching American government, political philosophy and constitutional law. It states no position on this question.
Who he is
[2025-10-11] Iowa Public Radio: "Greene County Attorney Thomas Laehn is running for the U.S. Senate as a Libertarian. He's the first and only Libertarian to be elected to public office in Iowa’s history."
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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