But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Paul Nolley
Democrat · U.S. House, Illinois District 16
✓Opposes
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: In his own words the U.S. is facilitating and supporting a genocide, and nothing he says supports the weapons continuing. Reviewed by hand on 2026-10-01. This candidate has no recorded tracked floor votes.
In a May 2026 interview Nolley criticized U.S. money for the government of Israel's war in Gaza while food aid is cut at home. He has also said "we are facilitating and supporting a genocide" and putting these wars "on the credit card essentially of our country".
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Nolley is the Democratic candidate for Illinois's 16th District, running against Rep. Darin LaHood.
In a May 2026 interview on the digital programme Let's Address This he criticized the continued sending of U.S. tax dollars and funding overseas to support Israel's military campaign in Gaza while domestic programmes and food assistance face cuts at home. A volunteer watched the interview and confirmed that is what he says. It is a video, so no wording of his from it is quoted here.
A Capitol Hill Citizen profile of candidates running against the war, published September 10, 2026, quotes him: "When we are facilitating and supporting a genocide…we are getting into these wars that are costing, putting it on the credit card essentially of our country". The profile does not say when or where he said it.
His own campaign site's about page was read in full and contains no mention of Israel or Gaza, so the interview and that quote are the whole of his record located on the question. He has no federal voting record.
If you want his position in his own written words, you are better placed to get it than we are. Ask Nolley 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 2026-07-23) from the five lobbying groups we track; earlier cycles and earmarked donations not yet tracked.
Support-only OpenFEC data. Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
✓ Endorsed by Track AIPAC
Track AIPACA watchdog on AIPAC-linked money. It backs candidates who reject AIPAC support and call for an arms embargo and conditions on aid to the government of Israel.These endorsements come from groups that push to restrict or end U.S. weapons transfers to the government of Israel. Endorsements from these groups are shown for information; they do not decide the mark.
In their words
“When we are facilitating and supporting a genocide…we are getting into these wars that are costing, putting it on the credit card essentially of our country”
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
[Position, 2026-05-22] On the digital programme "Let's Address This" he criticized the continuation of U.S. tax dollars and funding sent overseas to aid Israel's military campaign in Gaza while domestic programmes and food assistance face cuts at home. Source: a YouTube video. **A volunteer has watched it and confirmed the substance**, so the card states it as fact. It is a video, so no wording of his from it is quoted. The video's own description, written by the host, Qasim Rashid, on his channel (published 2026-05-22, about 21 minutes): "We talk about rural hospital closures, why Paul will not support Hakeem Jeffries for speaker, and what it means that we're sending money to fund a genocide in Gaza while cutting food assistance here at home." That is the host's framing, not Nolley's words.
[Checked and absent, published 2026-08-12] His campaign about page was opened and read in full (842KB) and contains **no occurrence of "Israel" or "Gaza."** So there is no published platform statement on the question.
He has no federal voting record.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
No statement or documented position found by the research.
Characterization of the conflict
[Position; quoted in an article of 2026-09-10, which does not say when he said it] Capitol Hill Citizen, under "PAUL NOLLEY (Illinois 16)": "When we are facilitating and supporting a genocide…we are getting into these wars that are costing, putting it on the credit card essentially of our country," Nolley said. The ellipsis is the publication's.
Related rhetoric and lobbying
His campaign's messaging against the incumbent runs on the line that "Darin LaHood serves the powerful few" (Facebook post and video); login-walled, and about the incumbent generally rather than about aid. His opponent LaHood has his own card on this site.
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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