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

Ray Pooley

Democrat · U.S. House, Michigan District 9
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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.

Reviewed by hand after the two reviewers read it differently: His 2026 campaign platform, as the record reproduces it, says to stop the genocide in Palestine, and nothing in his words says the weapons should keep flowing. Reviewed by hand on 2026-10-01. This candidate has no recorded tracked floor votes.

Pooley 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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Deep Dive

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 Pooley 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.

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.

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:** On his official 2026 campaign platform under "Diplomacy & International Relations" ("A Strong America Is A Force For Peace"), Pooley advocates for prioritizing diplomacy over conflict, noting that "true strength isn't just a mighty military, it's the wisdom to know when to use it".
  • **Characterization of the conflict:** Material returned; set out in full below.
  • **Rhetoric and lobbying:** Material returned; set out in full below.
  • **Safety and antisemitism:** There are no recorded public statements or actions by Ray Pooley specifically regarding antisemitism or the safety of Jewish communities.

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 On his 2026 campaign platform detailing his foreign policy stances, Pooley explicitly characterizes the situation in Palestine as a "genocide," including the bullet point statement: "Our allies are our responsibility; stop the genocide in Palestine".

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### Rhetoric and lobbying Throughout his 2026 congressional campaign, Pooley ran on a "Not Bought, Built" pledge. In April 2026 and leading up to the August 2026 Democratic primary, Michigan progressive organizations promoted Pooley as a grassroots candidate who refuses backing from pro-Israel lobbying groups such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

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Sources consulted and read (7)

Not found

  • No position located on U.S. weapons, arms sales or military funding for the government of Israel.
  • No position located on U.S. aid to Palestinians, UNRWA or Gaza humanitarian funding.
  • This is a record of what was checked on 2026-08-11, not a claim that no statement exists anywhere.

Also in this race

  1. ✗ Lisa C. McClain (Republican)
  2. – Kevin Vayko (Libertarian)
  3. – Destiny Clayton (Green)
  4. ? Jim Walkowicz (Other)
  5. – John Vlahos (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.