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

Chris Reichard

Democrat · U.S. House, Missouri District 8
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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.

No recorded votes on the bills we track. We found nothing in their own words about Israel, Gaza or the war.

Reichard has not stated a position on U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel, or on U.S. aid to Palestinians. His platform says only: "As a product of forever wars, I support diplomacy first and foremost." Ask him.

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Deep Dive

Reichard is the Democratic candidate for Missouri's 8th District, a veteran who won his primary on 5 August 2026.

The one thing located that touches foreign policy at all is a single line from his campaign website, carried verbatim on his Ballotpedia page and dated 22 July 2026: "As a product of forever wars, I support diplomacy first and foremost." His Ballotpedia entry also describes "his staunch belief in diplomacy first."

That is a general disposition, and it says nothing about Israel, Gaza, weapons transfers or humanitarian aid. His campaign materials, read in full, do not mention Israel anywhere.

He has no federal voting record.

Six sources were checked and resolved. Most candidates at this level have simply never been asked.

You are better placed to change that than we are. Ask Reichard directly, or at a candidate forum, and send us the reply: it goes on this page in his own words, which is worth more than anything we could write about him.

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.

In their words

“As a product of forever wars, I support diplomacy first and foremost.”
Source ↗, 2026-07-22

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

  • No statement or documented position located.
  • [Position, 2026-07-22] His Ballotpedia page, opened and confirmed word for word, quoting his campaign website: "As a public statement: As a product of forever wars, I support diplomacy first and foremost." Ballotpedia notes the text is quoted verbatim from the original source. It appears in a list of campaign positions alongside veterans and cost-of-living items, and it names no country or conflict.
  • He has no federal voting record.

U.S. aid to Palestinians

  • No statement or documented position located.

Characterization of the conflict

Related rhetoric and lobbying

  • Nothing located.

Safety and antisemitism (context)

  • Nothing located.

⚠ A source that cannot support a claim

  • His localcandidates.org positions page was returned by the research. Under our standing rule a localcandidates.org citation cannot support a claim unless the page is rendered and the position confirmed under the subject's own heading, and that host cannot be rendered without JavaScript. Nothing is taken from it.

Consulted

Also in this race

  1. ✗ Jason Smith (Republican)
  2. – Rebecca Sharpe Lombard (Libertarian)

All Missouri 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.