But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Derek Merrin
Republican · U.S. House, Ohio District 9
✗SupportsFrom an endorsement
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.
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Merrin is the Republican nominee in Ohio's 9th District, a former state representative and Waterville mayor running a rematch against Rep. Marcy Kaptur, who defeated him in 2024.
His one located statement on the conflict came in the days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's July 24, 2024 address to Congress. In a campaign statement criticizing Kaptur's reaction to the speech, reported by the Sandusky Register and The Blade, he wrote: "Neither the Israeli nor the Palestinian people will be able to live in peace with Iranian backed terrorist organizations fomenting chaos and death. Hamas has rightfully been designated a terrorist organization and has repeatedly rejected ceasefire agreements that would include the return of hostages. I continue to stand with Israel against the evil espoused by Hamas and other Iranian proxies." He did not say what the United States should send the government of Israel, and nothing located since has him addressing U.S. weapons, military funding or aid to Palestinians. His campaign site, read on September 4, 2026, describes his record on taxes, regulation and school choice and does not mention the conflict.
As a state representative he cosponsored a 2017 Ohio resolution condemning the boycott movement against Israel and rising antisemitism. If you can ask him where he stands on U.S. weapons and money for the government of Israel and on aid to Palestinians, send us the reply: it goes on this page in his own words.
The money
$3K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
Lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
Republican Jewish Coalition: $2,500
Support-only OpenFEC data (as of 2026-10-03). Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
Who these lobbying groups are
Republican Jewish Coalition$2,500The Republican Jewish Coalition's PAC; it financially supports Republican candidates who reflect its priorities, including strong U.S. backing of the government of Israel.Direct contributions and independent expenditures supporting this candidate from the five lobbying groups we track, every cycle each has filed, through 2026. Excludes earmarked and conduit contributions.
Endorsed by Republican Jewish Coalition
Republican Jewish CoalitionThe Republican Jewish Coalition's PAC; it financially supports Republican candidates who reflect its priorities, including strong U.S. backing of the government of Israel.These endorsements come from groups that back sending U.S. weapons and funding to the government of Israel.
In their words
“Neither the Israeli nor the Palestinian people will be able to live in peace with Iranian backed terrorist organizations fomenting chaos and death. Hamas has rightfully been designated a terrorist organization and has repeatedly rejected ceasefire agreements that would include the return of hostages. I continue to stand with Israel against the evil espoused by Hamas and other Iranian proxies,”
The notes behind this card: what we looked at, what we found, and where each item came from.
Two searches were read as one lead list for this card: one run 2026-08-11 and one run 2026-09-03. Every page cited below was opened and read on 2026-09-04 unless marked otherwise. Bands: Position (2024-01-26 onward), Reaction window (2023-10-07 to 2024-01-25), Earlier record (before 2023-10-07), Undated.
U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel
Nothing located has Merrin stating a position on U.S. weapons, arms sales or military funding for the government of Israel, in the Ohio House, in his 2024 campaign or in the 2026 campaign. Both searches returned a not-found verdict on this dimension. His campaign site (home and About, 973 words retrieved) covers his state legislative record, taxes, regulation and school choice; nothing on Israel, Gaza, aid or foreign policy. The AP report of his June 2025 campaign launch (2025-06-23) and his Wikipedia article carry nothing on the subject.
[Position; read 2026-09-04] iVoterGuide's profile for the May 5, 2026 Republican primary records "Did not answer" against every questionnaire item, including the foreign-policy multiple-choice question and "Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?" A fact about the guide's coverage, not a statement by him.
[Position, 2024-07-25] His July 2024 statement (below) says "I continue to stand with Israel" without saying what the United States should send.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
Nothing located on UNRWA, Gaza humanitarian funding or the aid pipeline.
Characterization of the conflict
[Position, 2024-07-25] After Prime Minister Netanyahu's address to a joint session of Congress on July 24, 2024, Merrin's campaign issued a statement responding to Rep. Marcy Kaptur's video reaction to the speech. The Blade (Alice Momany; page metadata datePublished 2024-07-25) reports: "State Rep. Derek Merrin (R., Monclova Township) condemned Ms. Kaptur’s statement, calling it “misguided.”" and carries the statement with two elisions: "Neither the Israeli nor the Palestinian people will be able to live in peace with Iranian-backed terrorist organizations fomenting chaos and death ... I continue to stand with Israel against the evil espoused by Hamas and other Iranian proxies." The Sandusky Register (Tom Jackson; datePublished 2024-07-26) carries the fuller text: "Neither the Israeli nor the Palestinian people will be able to live in peace with Iranian backed terrorist organizations fomenting chaos and death. Hamas has rightfully been designated a terrorist organization and has repeatedly rejected ceasefire agreements that would include the return of hostages. I continue to stand with Israel against the evil espoused by Hamas and other Iranian proxies," he said. Both pages render behind a subscriber wall; the article text is present in each page's source and was verified there character for character. The quotes on the card follow the Register's text.
[Reaction window, 2023-10-11] As a state representative he was one of 84 sponsors and cosponsors of Ohio House Resolution 292 (135th General Assembly), "To express the 135th General Assembly of Ohio's unwavering support for the people of Israel and condemnation of recent attacks against the state of Israel"; introduced October 10, 2023 and adopted October 11, 2023 (BillTrack50 record). Primary sponsors Justin Pizzulli and Dani Isaacsohn. Not on the card summary.
The 2026-08-11 search attributed to him an October 2023 remark about "horrific and cruel attacks on Israelis by Hamas terrorists" and 2024 remarks calling campus demonstrations "dangerous ignorance" and warning of a "disturbing spread of antisemitism". Its only source for all three is a Facebook post on the page of a different candidate's Ohio Senate campaign (https://www.facebook.com/SteveforOhioSenate/posts/anti-semitism-has-no-place-in-our-society-terrorism-is-reprehensible-and-anyone-/725166960026982/, status 400, unread). Those are not established as his words and are not attributed to him.
Related rhetoric and lobbying
[Position, 2024-07-25] The same statement opened with criticism of his opponent: "Marcy Kaptur's misguided criticism of key U.S. ally Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's address before a joint session of Congress and expression of her disapproval of Hamas being designated a terrorist organization should be a wakeup call for every Ohioan who hopes for peace in the Middle East," per the Sandusky Register (The Blade prints the sentence with the middle clause elided). The Register adds that Kaptur's office said the statement misrepresented her remarks: "Congresswoman Kaptur had repeatedly called Hamas a terrorist organization and it is a lie to imply otherwise," a spokesman said. Her own remarks are on her card, not narrated here.
[Earlier record, 2017-12-05] Ohio House Concurrent Resolution 10 (132nd General Assembly), long title "To condemn the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement and increasing incidents of anti-Semitism." Primary sponsors Andy Thompson and Dave Greenspan; Merrin is listed among the House cosponsors. Introduced June 6, 2017; adopted by the House December 5, 2017; adopted by the Senate November 28, 2018; enrolled December 5, 2018 (status record).
Nothing located has him commenting on pro-Israel lobbying organizations. The Republican Jewish Coalition's contributions to his campaigns appear on the card's funding badge.
Safety and antisemitism (context, not a position on what America sends)
HCR 10 (above) also condemns "increasing incidents of anti-Semitism".
The 2026-08-11 search said he "authored and filed Ohio House Resolution 508" in the 135th General Assembly condemning support for Hamas on college campuses. HR 508 of the 135th General Assembly is a resolution "Honoring Lexi Tucci as a 2024 Division III State Track and Field Champion", sponsored by Reggie Stoltzfus, Monica Robb Blasdel and Brett Hudson Hillyer; Merrin's name does not appear on it. The claim's source was the other candidate's Facebook page named above. Excluded.
[Position; read 2026-09-04] iVoterGuide's questions on security and domestic threats: "Did not answer".
Not on the card, and why
HR 292 (October 2023): not on the card summary.
The Kaptur-directed sentence of his statement and her office's reply: rhetoric aimed at the opponent, disputed by her office; her answers belong on her card. Research page only.
The "horrific and cruel attacks", "dangerous ignorance" and "disturbing spread of antisemitism" remarks and HR 508: source belongs to another candidate; HR 508 is a different resolution. Wrong-person material, excluded.
The Iran clauses inside his statement ("Iranian backed", "Iranian proxies") stay off the front and are quoted in full in the deep dive.
A 2026-08-21 letter to the editor in The Blade (a retired union leader on Kaptur's record) is a third party writing about his opponent; the rendered page is behind the subscriber wall and nothing about him on this topic was retrieved.
A Facebook post by WBIR Channel 10, a Tennessee television station, was attached by the 2026-09-03 search to his biography; it does not concern him.
Sources retrieved for this card (URL, HTTP status, date read 2026-09-04)
https://www.toledoblade.com/local/politics/2024/07/25/area-legislators-react-to-israeli-prime-ministers-address-to-congress/stories/20240725171 (article read; behind a subscriber wall; the Wayback snapshot of 2024-07-26 has no article text)
https://sanduskyregister.com/news/532697/updated-tension-over-gaza-spills-over-into-race/ (article read; behind a subscriber wall)
https://apnews.com/article/election-2026-derek-merrin-ohio-9th-kaptur-f3e7fc33f348775b149e741f6560ff70 (200); https://mynorthwest.com/national/republican-derek-merrin-launches-bid-for-rematch-against-rep-marcy-kaptur/4102622 (200, the same AP story)
Addresses the searches returned that were not read
https://www.facebook.com/SteveforOhioSenate/posts/anti-semitism-has-no-place-in-our-society-terrorism-is-reprehensible-and-anyone-/725166960026982/ (400; another candidate's page)
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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