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

Michael Echols

Republican · U.S. House, Louisiana District 5
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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.

See a dash? Ask the candidate where they stand, then send us their answer and we'll review it and update the mark. Or volunteer to help review candidates.

Two reviewers, reading the public record as a whole, agree: As of August 2026 his issues page says he supports rebuilding America's military, "standing with Israel as it defends itself against terrorism" and confronting the Iranian regime, with nothing pointing the other way. Reviewed by hand on 2026-10-09. This candidate has no recorded tracked floor votes.

Echols's platform says he supports "standing with Israel as it defends itself against terrorism" and standing firmly with allies. He names no transfer or funding level, and nothing located addresses U.S. aid to Palestinians.

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Deep Dive

Echols is a Republican candidate in Louisiana's 5th District and has served in the Louisiana House of Representatives since 2019.

His position is on his own campaign site, under a heading about backing the President's foreign policy. He writes: "I support rebuilding America's military, standing with Israel as it defends itself against terrorism, and confronting the Iranian regime that sponsors violence across the Middle East." The same passage says the United States "must maintain the strongest military in the world and stand firmly with our allies", calls peace through strength the way to keep America safe, and describes the President as the greatest foreign policy President of our lifetime.

That is a clear stance on the relationship and it stops short of the question this project asks. He names no aid package, no weapons system, no funding level and no condition, and this card does not invent one. It also contains his only located characterization of the conflict: Israel defending itself against terrorism, with Iran as the sponsor of violence in the region.

Nothing located has him addressing U.S. humanitarian aid for Palestinians, and nothing located has him speaking about lobbying organizations or campaign funding on this subject.

If you want to know what he would vote to send, you are better placed to ask than we are. Ask Echols directly 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 2026-09-27) 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.

U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel

  • [Position, read 2026-08-20] His campaign issues page. Opened and confirmed word for word. Under the heading on backing the President's foreign policy: "Trump is the greatest foreign policy President of our lifetime. Peace through strength keeps America safe. The United States must maintain the strongest military in the world and stand firmly with our allies. I support rebuilding America's military, standing with Israel as it defends itself against terrorism, and confronting the Iranian regime that sponsors violence across the Middle East. America must project strength abroad, deter our adversaries, and protect our national interests while ensuring our troops have the resources they need to succeed."

⚠ He names no aid package, weapons system, funding level or condition. The card carries the stance and says in terms that it does not reach transfers. A live platform page with no publication date, so it is banded to the day it was read and no quote entry is created.

  • Also catalogued at BallotReady, which reproduces campaign platform material.

U.S. aid to Palestinians

  • Nothing located.

Characterization of the conflict

  • [Position, read 2026-08-20] The same issues page is the only located characterization: Israel defending "itself against terrorism", and "the Iranian regime that sponsors violence across the Middle East". Confirmed word for word. Nothing located on the war in Gaza, the humanitarian situation there, or Palestinian statehood.

Related rhetoric and lobbying

  • Nothing located. No statement about lobbying organizations or campaign funding on this subject was found.

Safety and antisemitism (context)

  • Nothing located.
  • ⚠ **Name collision, recorded so it is never used.** An address supplied under his name, an Oklahoma legislature report on a resolution supporting Israel, concerns Oklahoma State Representative Jon Echols. It opens, and it is a different state official. Nothing from it is used, here or on the card. A further address, https://www.facebook.com/cbnnews/posts/im-proud-to-stand-up-and-say-the-jewish-people-have-a-right-to-have-a-nation-rep/10164260188245393/, is a news organization's Facebook post whose own summary quotes an unnamed representative; it returns 400 to our requests and is treated as unread.

Where else the absence was checked

Race and status context

  • Qualified on Louisiana's certified list for the all-candidate November election in the 5th District, with a December runoff between the top two if nobody clears half the vote. Nine candidates are on the ballot in this district.
  • He has held no federal office, so there are no recorded votes on this card. His state legislative record is not a federal voting record and is not presented as one.

Also in this race

  1. – Austin Magee (Republican)
  2. – Gabe Firment (Republican)
  3. – Misti Cordell (Republican)
  4. – Oscar "Omar" Dantzler (Republican)
  5. ? Stewart Cathey Jr. (Republican)
  6. – Antonio Wilson (Democrat)
  7. ? Dan McKay (Democrat)
  8. – Patricia "Pat" Moore (Democrat)

All Louisiana 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.