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

Julie Fortier

Democrat · U.S. House, Illinois District 12
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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 an August 2026 campaign post she says "A Congress funded by Israel is a Congress influenced by Israel" and that she refuses AIPAC money, 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.

Fortier 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 5 sources.

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Deep Dive

5 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 Fortier 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

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.

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 recorded public statement or policy position from Julie Fortier specifically addressing U.S. military aid or weapons transfers to Israel.
  • **Characterization of the conflict:** There is no recorded public statement or policy position from Julie Fortier detailing her characterization of the broader Israel/Palestine conflict.
  • **Rhetoric and lobbying:** Material returned; set out in full below.
  • **Safety and antisemitism:** There is no recorded public statement or policy position from Julie Fortier specifically addressing antisemitism or safety regarding Jewish communities.

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.

### Rhetoric and lobbying * **August 6, 2026:** In a campaign statement published to her social media accounts, Fortier addressed the influence of pro-Israel lobbying, writing: *"A Congress funded by Israel is a Congress influenced by Israel. I refuse to take a single penny from AIPAC. My priority is answering to the people of Southern Illinois, first and always"*. In the same post, she contrasted her stance with incumbent Representative Mike Bost, criticizing his acceptance of campaign funds from pro-Israel political action committees. * **Campaign Platform Policy:** Throughout her 2026 congressional campaign, Fortier has included "No Corporate PAC/AIPAC Money Accepted" as a core pillar of her campaign rhetoric and official policy platform.

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Sources consulted and resolved (5)

Not found

  • No position located on U.S. weapons, arms sales or military funding for the government of Israel.
  • No position located on U.S. aid to Palestinians, UNRWA or Gaza humanitarian funding.
  • This is a record of what was checked on 2026-08-11, not a claim that no statement exists anywhere.

Also in this race

  1. ✗ Mike Bost (Republican)

All Illinois 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.