But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Ethan Baker
Republican · U.S. House, Michigan District 11
–No Position Found
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.
No recorded votes on the bills we track. We found nothing in their own words about Israel, Gaza or the war.
Baker 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 7 sources.
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7 sources checked and read, 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 Baker 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.
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 are no recorded public statements, policy stances, or official actions by Ethan Baker specifically addressing U.S. military aid, weapons transfers, or defense assistance to Israel.
**Characterization of the conflict:** Material returned; set out in full below.
**Rhetoric and lobbying:** Material returned; set out in full below.
**Safety and antisemitism:** Material returned; set out in full below.
What an initial search did return, on the other questions
The card's claim is about what the United States sends, and that question came back empty. These questions did return material. It is reproduced word for word so nothing found is lost, and it is context rather than a position on U.S. weapons or money. Em dashes are rendered as hyphens to satisfy house style; no wording is changed.
### Characterization of the conflict * **July 31, 2026:** Baker hosted six visiting Israeli mayors - three Jewish and three Arab - at Troy City Hall through the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. Reflecting on the exchange, Baker stated, *"Despite coming from different backgrounds and experiences, we were reminded that strong communities are built through collaboration, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to public service"*. * **August 10, 2026:** Baker attended a panel and community discussion hosted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) at Adat Shalom Synagogue, highlighting a favorite quote from the evening: *“You don't make peace with your friends, you make peace with your enemies”*.
*Sources: Mayor Ethan Baker Official Facebook Page (July 31, 2026; August 10, 2026)*.
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### Rhetoric and lobbying * **July 30, 2026:** Baker attended an event hosted by the Jewish Federation of Detroit featuring Ethiopian-Israeli advocate Sigal Kanotopsky. Baker characterized her work building bridges between communities as *"a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of standing against hatred and division"*. * **August 10, 2026:** Baker publicly praised the American Jewish Committee (AJC), writing that the organization *"has consistently provided education and guidance to elected Democrats, Republicans, and Independents throughout the country, from a Centrist position"*. * Baker has not issued public statements regarding federal lobbying organizations (such as AIPAC) or political fundraising surrounding Israel-related policy.
*Sources: Mayor Ethan Baker Official Facebook Page (July 30, 2026; August 10, 2026)*.
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### Safety and antisemitism * **Ongoing/Multi-year Initiative:** Baker signed on as a participating local official in the American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) *"Mayors United Against Antisemitism"* national initiative. * **March 23, 2026:** Baker visited a local Jewish Center in Troy, touring the facility, meeting with leadership, and publicly expressing strong municipal support and partnership for the local Jewish community. * **July 30, 2026:** Following a community gathering organized by the Jewish Federation of Detroit, Baker publicly emphasized the critical necessity of *"standing against hatred and division"*.
*Sources: American Jewish Committee ("Mayors United Against Antisemitism"); Mayor Ethan Baker Official Facebook Page (March 23, 2026; July 30, 2026)*.
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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