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

Mike Bouchard

Republican · U.S. House, Michigan District 10
✗From an endorsement
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.

No recorded votes on the bills we track. Endorsed by Republican Jewish Coalition.

Nothing located has Bouchard taking a position on U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel, or on U.S. aid to Palestinians. His campaign platform covers the economy, immigration, education and health care and does not mention the conflict, and neither did an August 2026 Fox News interview.

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Deep Dive

Bouchard is the Republican nominee in Michigan's 10th District, the open seat John James left to run for governor. He is an Army National Guard captain and Bronze Star recipient, the son of Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, and faces Democrat Christina Hines and three minor-party candidates in November.

Nothing located has him speaking to this conflict. His campaign site lists the economy, immigration and security, education, affordability, Medicare and Social Security, and health care; the only foreign references are to his own service in Iraq, at the southern border and on a task force against ISIS. In an August 8, 2026 Fox News interview he criticized Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed and said Michigan voters are moderates, without mentioning Israel, Gaza or aid. He has not completed Ballotpedia's candidate survey, and primary coverage records no statement from him on the question.

As a reserve sheriff's deputy he helped clear Temple Israel in West Bloomfield after the March 12, 2026 vehicle attack, and told The Detroit News that the congregation's preparation "absolutely prevented a larger tragedy." That is his one public statement touching the Jewish community, and it is about the attack, not about U.S. policy.

You are better placed than we are to find out where he stands on U.S. weapons and money for the government of Israel and on aid to Palestinians. Ask him 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 Republican Jewish Coalition
Republican Jewish CoalitionThe Republican Jewish Coalition's PAC; it financially supports Republican candidates who reflect its priorities, including strong U.S. backing of the government of Israel.These endorsements come from groups that back sending U.S. weapons and funding to the government of Israel.

In their words

“You could see that they had taken a lot of preparation up until this event that absolutely prevented a larger tragedy. Everything that was supposed to go right to prevent an attack, I think, did that day. And that’s why no innocent lives were lost.”
Source ↗, 2026-03-22
Endorsements

Republican Jewish Coalition (2026 endorsement)

Research log

The notes behind this card: what we looked at, what we found, and where each item came from.

Identity

  • This card is about Michael Bouchard Jr. ("Captain Mike Bouchard"), Republican nominee for MI-10, not his father Michael J. Bouchard, the Oakland County Sheriff. Several pages found in research concern the father and are excluded below.

U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel

  • Nothing located, as of September 2026, has Bouchard stating a position on U.S. weapons, arms sales or military funding for the government of Israel. His campaign site (read 2026-09-03 and again 2026-09-26; navigation: Meet Mike, Issues, Donate, Endorsements, News, Volunteer, Yard Signs, Internships; issues: Economy, Immigration & Security, Education, Affordability, Medicare & Social Security, Health Care) has no mention of Israel, Gaza, Palestinians, the Middle East, military aid or antisemitism. A separate /issues address did not open; the issues are a section of the home page. His Ballotpedia page (read 2026-09-03 and 2026-09-26): "Michael Bouchard has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey."
  • [Third-party claim; Position band, 2026-05-31] A reader comment signed "Leanne", dated May 31, 2026 at 1:50 pm, under a Ballenger Report article on AIPAC money in the Senate race (article by Simon Johnson and Tom Little, published 2026-05-30), says: "I attend virtually all campaign appearances and debates involving the MI10 GOP candidates AND NOT ONE WILL PUBLICY ENDORSE MILITARY AID TO ISRAEL:" and then "(B) Mike Bouchard, Jr. when asked merely averred Israel was a “stabilizing force in the Middle East”;". This is an anonymous commenter's account of what he said at an unnamed event, not reporting and not his own account. The comment was posted the day after the article, and the words are a commenter's. Unverified as his words; research page only.
  • [Position, 2026-08-08] Fox News Digital (Andrew Mark Miller): a post-primary interview in which he criticized El-Sayed's campaigning with Hasan Piker, said "The people in Michigan are hard workers. They work hard, they love their families, and you know what? They're moderates.", "Socialism doesn't work.", and "I stand for the victims." No mention of Israel, Gaza, AIPAC, aid or the Middle East. A Facebook photo post by Fox News Politics sharing the article (https://www.facebook.com/FoxNewsPolitics/photos/gop-nominee-mike-bouchard-jr-rips-el-sayeds-michigan-senate-primary-win-saying-t/1441446761184572/) could not be read; the article itself was read.
  • [Position, 2026-08-04 to 2026-08-05] Primary coverage read on 2026-09-03: CBS Detroit ("Bouchard's campaign specifically focuses on securing the border, according to his website"), Fox 2 Detroit (won with 72 percent; Trump endorsement), WSLS/AP (one sentence on the MI-10 result). Nothing on this topic.

U.S. aid to Palestinians

  • Nothing located.

Characterization of the conflict

  • Nothing located in his own words. The only item is the commenter's report above that he called Israel a "stabilizing force in the Middle East"; see the aid section for why it is not treated as his statement.

Related rhetoric and lobbying

  • Nothing located has him addressing pro-Israel lobbying organizations or Israel-related legislation. His criticism of El-Sayed in the Fox News interview is not a statement on this subject: his quoted words in the article concern 9/11, socialism and policing, not Israel or aid.
  • [Position, 2026-08-04] The AP Senate-primary report carried by WSLS describes the El-Sayed race. That is context about another race, not about him. A PBS NewsHour address on the same race (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/high-profile-democratic-primary-in-michigan-pits-moderate-against-progressive-for-senate) could not be read.

Safety and antisemitism (context)

  • [Position, 2026-03-22] The Detroit News, republished by Police1 (Grant Schwab, March 22, 2026): "“That was some of the worst smoke I’ve ever seen in my life,” said Mike Bouchard Jr, an Oakland County Sheriff’s reserve deputy and son of the longtime county sheriff of the same name." The article identifies him as "running for Congress as a Republican in Michigan’s 10th Congressional District". On the March 12, 2026 attack at Temple Israel, West Bloomfield: "Seeing 600 law enforcement people just running up and securing a building gave me a lot of hope for how we respond to these kind of things," he said. "And also the preparation that Temple Israel had done. You could see that they had taken a lot of preparation up until this event that absolutely prevented a larger tragedy. Everything that was supposed to go right to prevent an attack, I think, did that day. And that’s why no innocent lives were lost." And: "They got food out for the Jewish community, and there were a lot of people crying, but having a safe spot to come together and heal, I mean, it said a lot that each community was looking out for each other". Verified verbatim 2026-09-03 and again 2026-09-26. Context on the attack and the response; not a policy statement.

Not on the card, and why

  • The "stabilizing force in the Middle East" line: a blog commenter's account, not a report and not his own account; unverified as his words. It would be the only characterization on record if verified, so it is preserved here with its address.
  • The commenter's claim that no MI-10 Republican would publicly endorse military aid to Israel: same source, same status.
  • The Temple Israel statements: safety context, in the deep dive as a fact, not as an answer on what America sends.
  • Items about his father: CBS Detroit, 2026-03-24 (the Sheriff's press conference on an antisemitic image of him), a Washington Times report (https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/mar/20/acceptable-sheriff-denounces-antisemitic-attack-michigan-synagogue/, could not be opened) and a Times of Israel report (https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-chief-who-responded-to-detroit-synagogue-attack-targeted-by-online-vitriol/, could not be opened). The Sheriff's words are not the candidate's. Excluded on identity.
  • The Fox News interview's political content (El-Sayed, socialism, Hasan Piker): not this topic; cited on the card only for what it does not contain.

Sources retrieved for this card (address; opened or could not open; read 2026-09-03 unless noted)

  • https://www.bouchardforcongress.com/ (opened; opened again 2026-09-26); https://www.bouchardforcongress.com/issues (could not open)
  • https://ballotpedia.org/Michael_Bouchard_(Michigan_congressional_candidate) (opened; opened again 2026-09-26)
  • https://www.foxnews.com/politics/socialist-wave-ripping-america-apart-hit-wall-michigan-voters-rising-star-house-candidate (opened; opened again 2026-09-26)
  • https://www.police1.com/terrorism/first-responders-recount-chaotic-rescue-after-truck-attack-at-mich-synagogue (opened; opened again 2026-09-26)
  • https://www.theballengerreport.com/is-aipac-money-a-big-factor-in-michigans-u-s-senate-race/ (opened; the item is in the comment thread; opened again 2026-09-26)
  • https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/michigan-10th-congressional-district-august-primary-election/ (opened)
  • https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/michigan-primary-results-bouchard-takes-hines-open-john-james-house-seat (opened)
  • https://www.wsls.com/news/politics/2026/08/04/michigan-democrats-pick-between-moderate-and-progressive-in-high-profile-senate-primary/ (opened)
  • https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/news/oakland-county-sheriffs-office-clarifies-arrest-after-antisemitic-image/ (opened; about the father)
  • https://michiganadvance.com/voter-guides/contests/10th-district-representative-in-congress/ (opened: candidate biographies only, no questionnaire answers; opened again 2026-09-26, when it listed Andrea Kirby of the Working Class Party, Kwabena Nkromo of the Green Party and Mike Saliba of the Libertarian Party as also on the ballot)
  • https://mi-boe.entellitrak.com/etk-mi-boe-prod/page.request.do?page=page.miboePublicReport&electionType=GEN&electionYear=2026 (opened 2026-09-26: the Michigan Department of State's candidate listing names five candidates for the 10th District: Christina Bertrand Hines, Bouchard, Mike Saliba, Kwabena Nkromo and Andrea L. Kirby)
  • https://www.facebook.com/BouchardforMI/ (opened 2026-09-26: his campaign's Facebook page, "Republican Nominee for U.S. Congress in Michigan’s 10th District", linked from his campaign site; one recent post was visible, and nothing on this subject)
  • https://www.facebook.com/FoxNewsPolitics/photos/gop-nominee-mike-bouchard-jr-rips-el-sayeds-michigan-senate-primary-win-saying-t/1441446761184572/ (could not be read)
  • https://agencelhme.fr/de/news/articles/9hymzlfeavpz (could not be read; it was cited for the Temple Israel items, which were checked against The Detroit News instead)
  • https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/mar/20/acceptable-sheriff-denounces-antisemitic-attack-michigan-synagogue/ (could not open), https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-chief-who-responded-to-detroit-synagogue-attack-targeted-by-online-vitriol/ (could not open), https://newstral.com/en/article/en/1281046933/socialist-wave-ripping-america-apart-will-hit-a-wall-with-michigan-voters-rising-star-house-candidate (could not open; an aggregator copy of the Fox News article, which was read at source), https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/high-profile-democratic-primary-in-michigan-pits-moderate-against-progressive-for-senate (could not be read)

Addresses found that were not read

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Bouchard (the father's article).
  • https://www.facebook.com/sbsnews/posts/the-democratic-partys-progressive-wing-scored-a-high-profile-victory-when-abdul-/1507279861443569/ (could not be opened; about the Senate race).
  • https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/lebanese-official-says-man-in-michigan-synagogue-attack-lost-family-members-in-israeli-airstrike (could not be read; about the attacker, not the candidate).
  • https://www.lordofhosts.net/loh-cloud-intro.html (unrelated to the candidate).
  • This is a record of what was checked on 2026-09-03 and 2026-09-26, not a claim that no statement exists anywhere.

Also in this race

  1. ✗ Christina Hines (Democrat)
  2. ✓ Mike Saliba (Libertarian)
  3. – Kwabena Nkromo (Green)
  4. – Andrea L. Kirby (Other)

All Michigan 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.