But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Jay J Bowman
Independent · U.S. House, Kentucky District 6
?Mixed
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 an October 2026 voter-guide answer on the Israel relationship he says "We must honor our strategic alliances" while strongly opposing "the devastating civilian toll and actions taking place in Gaza", which points both ways. Reviewed by hand on 2026-10-09. This candidate has no recorded tracked floor votes.
Jay J. Bowman, a small-business owner who came to Kentucky in the 1990s, is running as an independent for Kentucky's 6th District, an open seat. He filed for the November 3 ballot on April 13, 2026 and faces Ralph Alvarado, the Republican, Zach Dembo, the Democrat, Pete Lynch of the Kentucky Party, and Robert Quigley, an independent write-in. Ballotpedia also records his independent run for president in 2024. He has never held office, so there are no votes on this record.
His one located statement on the war is his answer to iVoterGuide's 2026 question on whether the relationship with Israel is important: "Important but our foreign policy must remain balanced and humane. Having personal family ties to the Palestinian community, I know the goodness of the people and strongly oppose the devastating civilian toll and actions taking place in Gaza. We must honor our strategic alliances while using our global leverage to demand the protection of innocent lives and uphold basic human dignity." He answered every other question on the same form. The answer does not say what the United States should send, fund or withhold, and it names no aid for Palestinians.
On the same form he chose the view that the United States "has become too involved in others' policies," with a "strict exception for upholding previously agreed treaties and international agreements currently in place," and he calls for "auditing all ongoing foreign expenditures to eliminate waste." None of it names a country. His campaign site's national defense plank asks the U.S. to "Work closely with allies and partners to share resources, intelligence, and coordinate defense strategies". Nothing on the site, or in his December 2025 Ballotpedia answers, mentions Israel, Gaza or foreign aid.
Ask Bowman what he would vote to send the government of Israel, and send us the reply: it goes on this page in his own words.
In their words
“Important but our foreign policy must remain balanced and humane. Having personal family ties to the Palestinian community, I know the goodness of the people and strongly oppose the devastating civilian toll and actions taking place in Gaza. We must honor our strategic alliances while using our global leverage to demand the protection of innocent lives and uphold basic human dignity.”
The notes behind this card: what we looked at, what we found, and where each item came from.
Every page named below was opened and read on 2026-10-08 unless the entry says otherwise. His campaign site was read in full: its home page, issues, about, team, tax plan, farmers and news pages, its two newsletter pages and its blog feed. Bands: Position (2024-01-26 onward), Reaction window (2023-10-07 to 2024-01-25), Earlier record (before 2023-10-07), Undated. Undated pages are recorded on the date we read them. Bowman has never held office, so none of the congressional votes this site tracks is his, and no funding from the committees this site tracks is recorded on this record. Nothing located on this subject falls in the reaction window.
U.S. military aid and weapons to the government of Israel
Nothing located that names U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel, at any date.
[Position, read 2026-10-08] His iVoterGuide profile for the November 3, 2026 general election, foreign policy question, choosing option C ("The United States has become too involved in others' policies and should remain focused on issues regarding our own sovereignty unless in imminent danger."): "C, I support a highly selective approach to foreign commitments, with a strict exception for upholding previously agreed treaties and international agreements currently in place. The United States must maintain its global credibility by honoring its lawful, constitutionally approved pacts while simultaneously auditing all ongoing foreign expenditures to eliminate waste." It names no country. The page gives no submission date.
[Position, read 2026-10-08] His campaign site's issues page, under "National Defense": prioritize strategic spending, modernize technology and equipment, reduce waste, and "Foster International Cooperation: Work closely with allies and partners to share resources, intelligence, and coordinate defense strategies, reducing the burden on the US military." It names no country.
[Undated, 2024 presidential run] Ballotpedia carries his survey answers from his 2024 independent run for president. Asked his approach to foreign policy: "A strong national defense is the foundation upon which every other aspect of our society and economy rests. Without a well-funded, well-equipped military, everything else is rendered moot." The page gives no date for that survey.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
Nothing located, at any date. His iVoterGuide answer below speaks of "personal family ties to the Palestinian community" and the civilian toll in Gaza but names no aid program.
Characterization of the conflict
[Position, read 2026-10-08] His iVoterGuide profile, answering "Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?": "Important but our foreign policy must remain balanced and humane. Having personal family ties to the Palestinian community, I know the goodness of the people and strongly oppose the devastating civilian toll and actions taking place in Gaza. We must honor our strategic alliances while using our global leverage to demand the protection of innocent lives and uphold basic human dignity." He answered every question on the form with his own text. On the same form he marks "Strongly Agree" that "Islamic terrorism is a threat to the United States' national security."
Israel-related rhetoric and lobbying
Nothing located, at any date, about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee or any other organization on this subject.
[Position, read 2026-10-08] His campaign site's issues page proposes campaign finance reform aimed at super PACs in general: stricter coordination rules, donor disclosure, contribution limits and public financing. It names no organization.
Safety and antisemitism
Nothing located, at any date.
What the campaign site and own pages say
[Read 2026-10-08] His about page: born in Michigan, raised in Salt Lake City, started his own business at 24, moved to Kentucky "In the early 1990s". His issues page covers a living wage, data centers, universal health care, national defense, agriculture, term limits, veterans, immigration, campaign finance, drugs, education, jobs and artificial intelligence. None of his site's pages mentions Israel, Gaza, Palestinians or foreign aid.
[2025-12-02] His 2026 Ballotpedia answers, which Ballotpedia dates December 2, 2025, cover parties, the budget, the deficit, a living wage and term limits; nothing on foreign policy.
[Read 2026-10-08] Ballotpedia: "Zach Dembo, Ralph Alvarado, Pete Lynch, Jay Bowman, and Robert Quigley are running in the general election for U.S. House Kentucky District 6 on November 3, 2026." Quigley is listed as an independent write-in. "There are no incumbents in this race." Ballotpedia also lists him as an independent candidate for president in 2024, on the ballot in Tennessee and a write-in in four other states.
Places that could not be read, so nothing is claimed from them
His campaign Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584741065528 , campaign X account https://x.com/Bowman2026_KY6 and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jbowman2026/ , as listed by Ballotpedia; not read.
A WTVQ news video linked from his campaign site, "U.S. sixth district candidate Jay Bowman running independent", published May 19, 2026: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X454lqv9qyU . Its description calls him "a lifelong Republican"; the video itself was not watched.
His campaign newsletters on https://www.bowman2026.com/news-letter and https://www.bowman2026.com/copy-of-news-letter carry almost no readable text and appear to be images.
Not on the card, and why
His foreign policy answer on treaties and auditing foreign spending, and his site's defense plank: about foreign policy in general, naming no country. In the deep dive as context.
The 2024 presidential survey answer on national defense: undated, about defense in general. Research page only.
His answer on Islamic terrorism: not about what the United States sends. Research page only.
His campaign finance proposals: about super PACs in general, naming no organization. Research page only.
Sources retrieved for this card (address; opened or could not open; date)
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.