But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Aristotle Eliopoulos
Independent · U.S. House, New Jersey District 8
?Mixed
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.
Two reviewers, reading the public record as a whole, agree: Answering a 2026 voter-guide question, he says the U.S.-Israel relationship is "generally considered important due to military and intelligence cooperation", without saying where he stands on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. Reviewed by hand on 2026-10-09. This candidate has no recorded tracked floor votes.
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What he has said on this question is one questionnaire answer. iVoterGuide, a voter guide published by AFA Action to inform faith-based voters, asked candidates “Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?” He answered: “Yes, U.S.-Israel relationship is generally considered important due to military and intelligence cooperation, economic and technology ties, and long-standing political support in the U.S. with Jewish Americans.” He answered nearly every other question on the same form, and on foreign policy in general he chose the option that “The United States has become too involved in others' policies and should remain focused on issues regarding our own sovereignty unless in imminent danger.” His answer on Israel says why the relationship matters. It does not say whether he would send, cut or condition U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel, and nothing he has published mentions Gaza or aid to Palestinians.
His other published words on foreign policy name no country in the war. His campaign site’s plank headed America abroad lists support for “America's allies and strategic partnerships”, a stronger relationship between the United States and Greece, “stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean” and “a strong national defense”. Asked about the war in Iran and defense spending in NJ Spotlight News’ guide to the candidates in this district, he wrote that he supports “a strong national defense” and would not support “open-ended military commitments without clear objectives/congressional oversight.” His Ballotpedia questionnaire answers are about education, special needs, health care and the cost of living. His campaign’s Facebook and Instagram accounts could not be read here; their addresses are on his research page.
You are better placed to change this than we are. Ask Eliopoulos directly, or at a candidate forum, whether he would send, cut or condition U.S. weapons and money for the government of Israel, 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.
In their words
“Yes, U.S.-Israel relationship is generally considered important due to military and intelligence cooperation, economic and technology ties, and long-standing political support in the U.S. with Jewish Americans.”
The notes behind this card: what we looked at, what we found, and where each item came from.
Every page named below was opened and read on 2026-09-24 unless the entry says otherwise. His campaign site, which is a single page carrying his biography and all twelve of his priorities, was read in full, along with his Ballotpedia questionnaire answers, his iVoterGuide questionnaire and his NJ Spotlight News answers. Bands: Position (2024-01-26 onward), Reaction window (2023-10-07 to 2024-01-25), Earlier record (before 2023-10-07), Undated. Eliopoulos has never held office, so none of the congressional votes this site tracks is his, and no funding from the committees this site tracks is recorded on this record.
U.S. military aid and weapons to the government of Israel
Nothing located, at any date, that says whether he would send, cut or condition U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel. No statement by him about arms transfers, Foreign Military Financing, security assistance or any bill on those subjects was found.
[Position; the questionnaire carries no date and was read 2026-09-24] His iVoterGuide questionnaire for the 2026 general election. Asked “Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?”, he answered: “Yes, U.S.-Israel relationship is generally considered important due to military and intelligence cooperation, economic and technology ties, and long-standing political support in the U.S. with Jewish Americans.” The answer gives reasons the relationship matters, the first of them military and intelligence cooperation; it states no view on aid levels, conditions or transfers. Under the questionnaire test this answer is evidence of his own view, because he answered all but one of the form’s questions. iVoterGuide is published by AFA Action; its own page describes its aim as “informing and mobilizing more faith-based voters”.
[Position; read 2026-09-24] In the same questionnaire, on America’s foreign policy in general, he chose option C: “The United States has become too involved in others' policies and should remain focused on issues regarding our own sovereignty unless in imminent danger.” He answered “Strongly Agree” that “The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.” and “Agree” that “Islamic terrorism is a threat to the United States' national security.” Neither of the last two names Israel or Gaza.
[Position, page updated 2026-09-18; read 2026-09-24] NJ Spotlight News’ guide to the 8th District, in his answer to “Do you support the war in Iran and federal defense spending? If not, what would you change?”: “I support a strong national defense, but military action should have a clearly defined objective, congressional authorization is required and a plan for protecting American service members and taxpayers. I would support diplomacy and deterrence while maintaining the capability to respond to threats against Americans and our allies. I would not support open-ended military commitments without clear objectives/congressional oversight.” It names no ally. The page was first published on 2026-05-05 for the primary and last updated on 2026-09-18; its general-election text was written after the June 2 primary, so the answers are dated to the update.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
Nothing located, at any date. Gaza, the West Bank, Palestinians, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and humanitarian funding appear nowhere in his campaign site, his questionnaire answers or his guide answers. His iVoterGuide answer on immigration names “humanitarian protection” as one ground for admission to the United States, which is about immigration.
Characterization of the conflict
Nothing located, at any date. He has not been found describing the war in Gaza or the conflict in any terms. The words genocide, apartheid, occupation, self-defense and ceasefire do not appear in anything of his that was read.
Israel-related rhetoric and lobbying
[Position; read 2026-09-24] The same iVoterGuide answer names “long-standing political support in the U.S. with Jewish Americans” among the reasons the relationship is important. No statement by him about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, about any other advocacy organization on this subject, or about money from any of them was found. His campaign site says the campaign “is powered by people — not billionaires or lobbyists”, which names no organization.
Safety and antisemitism (context, not an answer to what America sends)
Nothing located, at any date. His campaign site lists “Protect religious liberty” and “Defend democracy, human rights, and religious freedom” among his priorities; neither names a faith or a country.
What his campaign site and own pages say
[Undated; read 2026-09-24] His campaign site lists twelve priorities: education, special needs families, the cost of living, housing, jobs, small business, public safety, health care, immigration, communities, veterans, and one headed “America abroad”, which reads in full: “Support America's allies and strategic partnerships” · “Strengthen the relationship between the United States and Greece” · “Defend democracy, human rights, and religious freedom” · “Support stability and security in the Eastern Mediterranean” · “Maintain a strong national defense”. No country other than the United States and Greece is named anywhere on the site. The page carries no date and is recorded on the date it was read.
[Position, 2026; read 2026-09-24] His Ballotpedia page records that he completed its Candidate Connection survey in 2026. His answers cover his background, education reform, health care, the cost of living and special needs advocacy, which he names as the policy area he is most passionate about. No question on the form asks about foreign policy, and he raised none. Ballotpedia records the year of the survey and not the day.
[Position, page updated 2026-09-18; read 2026-09-24] NJ Spotlight News’ guide gives his hometown as Jersey City, his occupation as teacher and his age as 35, and reports that he is running under different slogans in each county: “Results not Rhetoric” in Essex, “People Before Politics” in Hudson and “Working Families Matter” in Union.
The race
[Read 2026-09-24] Ballotpedia’s page for the 2026 election in New Jersey’s 8th District: “Incumbent Robert Menendez Jr., Craig Honts, Da'Shone Hughey, and Aristotle Eliopoulos are running in the general election for U.S. House New Jersey District 8 on November 3, 2026.” Menendez won the Democratic primary on June 2, 2026; the Republican primary was cancelled.
[Position, 2026-05-29] The New Jersey Globe, in a report by Joey Fox, says he “filed to run for the district today with the support of the GOP county chairmen in Hudson, Essex, and Union Counties. Eliopoulos is a registered Republican, but he won’t appear on the November general election ballot with any party affiliation at all.” It reports that the Republicans’ original candidate could not get the 500 signatures needed for the primary ballot, and quotes the Hudson County Republican chairman, Jose Arango, on the decision to back an independent. It says nothing about this subject.
Places that could not be read, so nothing is claimed from them
Independent Political Report’s account of the Republican endorsement, https://independentpoliticalreport.com/2026/06/new-jersey-republicans-reportedly-back-independent-in-8th-congressional-district-race/ , which could not be opened. The New Jersey Globe report above covers the same event.
His campaign’s accounts linked from his site, https://www.facebook.com/AriForCongress and https://www.instagram.com/ariforcongress , which return an error or no readable posts.
A Facebook video offered by our research, https://www.facebook.com/61580161815984/videos/aristotle-eliopoulos-is-running-for-congress-in-district-8-go-to-his-meet-and-gr/3077303452465240/ . The page opens only far enough to show its title, which promotes a meet-and-greet with him and is posted by an account named “Teacher in NJ”. The account could not be tied to him or to his campaign, so it is treated as unread.
The League of Women Voters guide, VOTE411. The candidate page offered, https://onyourballot.vote411.org/m/candidate-detail.do?id=72945963 , returns a program error on every attempt and does not show whose page it is; the same address was also offered for another candidate in this race.
Not on the card, and why
His questionnaire answers on China and on Islamic terrorism: not about U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel, or about U.S. aid to Palestinians. Recorded above.
His answer on the war in Iran and defense spending beyond the two spans in the deep dive: about Iran and defense spending generally. Quoted in full above.
His positions on education, special needs, the cost of living, housing, jobs, small business, public safety, health care, immigration, veterans, religious liberty and social questions on the iVoterGuide form: out of scope, and listed above so the absence can be checked.
The Republican county chairmen’s reasons for backing him: their words, not his.
Rob Menendez’s, Craig Honts’s and Da’Shone Hughey’s answers in the same guides: they belong on their own cards.
Sources retrieved for this card (address; opened or could not open; date)
https://arieliopoulosforcongress.com/ (opened; 2026-09-24; the whole site is one page)
https://www.njspotlightnews.org/special-report/2026-primary-8th-congressional-district/ (opened; 2026-09-24; first published 2026-05-05, updated 2026-09-18)
https://newjerseyglobe.com/congress/lacking-a-candidate-republicans-will-back-independent-campaign-in-cd-8/ (opened; 2026-09-24; published 2026-05-29)
https://ivoterguide.com/race/33271/election/1478 (opened; 2026-09-24; the race page listing all four candidates)
https://independentpoliticalreport.com/2026/06/new-jersey-republicans-reportedly-back-independent-in-8th-congressional-district-race/ (could not open; 2026-09-24)
https://www.facebook.com/AriForCongress (could not open; 2026-09-24)
https://www.facebook.com/61580161815984/videos/aristotle-eliopoulos-is-running-for-congress-in-district-8-go-to-his-meet-and-gr/3077303452465240/ (title only; 2026-09-24; owner not resolved)
https://onyourballot.vote411.org/m/candidate-detail.do?id=72945963 (could not open; 2026-09-24)
This is a record of what was checked on 2026-09-24, not a claim that no statement exists anywhere.
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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