Sherrod Brown
Brown, seeking a Senate comeback, backed military aid to the government of Israel and voted against the 2024 attempts to block arms transfers; his spokesperson says he wants "a ceasefire that ends the war, frees the hostages, and delivers desperately needed humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people."
Brown, Ohio's Democratic senator until January 2025, is running for the state's other Senate seat against appointed Sen. Jon Husted. His Senate record from the war years is prior conduct in office, and it is consistent: he voted for the April 2024 supplemental that funded military aid to Israel alongside humanitarian aid for Gaza, and in November 2024 voted against all three resolutions that would have blocked specific arms transfers (S.J.Res. 111, S.J.Res. 113, S.J.Res. 115).
His current position came through a spokesperson in August 2025, as reported by Jewish Insider: Brown "strongly believes that Israel has a clear and undeniable right to defend itself against Hamas' brutal terrorism and voted to send military aid to Israel, along with much-needed humanitarian aid to Gaza," and supports "a ceasefire that ends the war, frees the hostages, and delivers desperately needed humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people." Both directions are named in his own campaign's words: military aid to the government of Israel, and humanitarian aid to Gaza and the Palestinian people.
His longer record runs the same way with an independent streak: a 2020 letter with 19 Senate Democrats opposing West Bank annexation, a 2022 rejection of the claim that supporting Israel conflicts with progressive values, and a 2017 Zionist Organization of America speech in which he said "I will always stand strong on Israel" while scolding the hosts over intolerance at home. Jewish Insider frames his comeback as a test of a pro-Israel progressive in a party moving the other way.
Tracked votes: backed sending U.S. weapons or funding to the government of Israel in 4 of 4 recorded votes.
Research
U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel
- [Position, 2025-08-12] Spokesperson statement (Jewish Insider, read and verified verbatim): Brown "strongly believes that Israel has a clear and undeniable right to defend itself against Hamas' brutal terrorism and voted to send military aid to Israel, along with much-needed humanitarian aid to Gaza."
- [Position, 2024] As senator: Yea on the 2024-04-23 national security supplemental (military aid to Israel and Ukraine, humanitarian aid for Gaza); Nay on all three 2024-11-20 resolutions to block arms transfers (S.J.Res. 111, S.J.Res. 113, S.J.Res. 115).
- [Reaction window, 2023-10-11] Statement: "Congress's priority right now must be providing robust military, economic, and humanitarian aid to support Israel..." (Banking Committee release; existing record quote). Off the card.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
- [Position, 2025-08-12] The ceasefire sentence, verified verbatim: "a ceasefire that ends the war, frees the hostages, and delivers desperately needed humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people." Direction named: more humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
Characterization of the conflict
- [Reaction window, 2023-10-10] "Israel has the right to exist and the right to self-defense"; "horrifying acts of terrorism" (Banking release). Off the card.
- [Prior, 2014-07-28] "Israel has a right and an obligation to defend its people against indiscriminate rocket attacks..." (per the existing record).
- [Position, undated] Longstanding support for a negotiated two-state solution.
- [Position, 2024-05-02] On campus protests: remarks distinguishing lawful protest from violence (WOUB).
Related rhetoric and lobbying
- [Prior, 2017-06-06] ZOA conference: "I will always stand strong on Israel... But I also find it's my duty to speak out when I see what's more and more common in my country" (Forward).
- [Prior, 2020-06] Joined 19 Senate Democrats' letter opposing unilateral West Bank annexation (J Street's letter page; multi-signatory).
- [Prior, 2022-09-28] Rejected Rep. Tlaib's framing that supporting Israel conflicts with progressive values (Jewish Insider).
- Community context pages (Jewish Cincinnati, Jewish Cleveland, AJCongress guide) are directories, not sources for claims.
Safety and antisemitism (context)
- [Prior, 2017-06-06] The ZOA speech above doubles as his fullest statement here.
Also in this race: Stephen I Mr Faris (Independent), Jon Husted (Republican), Gregory Lee Levy (Independent) · All Ohio candidates.
See the full record →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 the interactive card for votes, funding and contact details.