But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Curtis Stinnett
Independent · U.S. Senate, Oklahoma
✓OpposesFrom their own words
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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Stinnett is an independent running for the U.S. Senate in Oklahoma, a pharmacist from Tulsa. On 9 August 2026 he published an essay on his campaign site titled "Israel and Palestine": "We must stop all military aid to the country of Israel until they have stopped this campaign and begun to make restitution. This must be after a change from Netanyahu and his extremist governing partners." He writes that continuing aid "with knowledge of the war crimes the Netanyahu administration is committing is against both our own law as well as international law", and that Congress must take seriously the influence of the government of Israel and AIPAC, its American lobbying group, on U.S. military decisions.
Asked directly by a voter, he has answered twice. His emailed reply of 4 August 2026, published on this site in full, reads: "my actions as Senator would be to withhold any vote for funding to Israel while operations perpetuating the genocide of the Palestinian people are ongoing." He added that a new government would need to be in place before he could consider an affirmative vote, that he supports a two-state solution and "reparations for our part" in what he calls the destruction of Gaza, and that he refuses PAC and super PAC money generally, saying he would find AIPAC's support "particularly repugnant". That pledge is about who funds his campaign; his position on U.S. aid is the sentence before it. His second reply, of 2 September 2026, pointed the voter to the essay and put it in one line: "If elected I would be a no vote on continued funding to Israel until we see these changes made (by Netanyahu’s successor)."
In the essay he also writes that recognising the Israeli government's crimes "should by no means result in harassment of the Jewish members of our community" and that "Antisemitism and hate are not the solution." Nothing from him on U.S. aid to Palestinians as a distinct question was located. What was read, and the dates, are on the research page.
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 2026-07-13) 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
Replied to a voter who asked, 2026-08-04
Their reply to a voter
“I will share my response to a very similar question that i plan to make a
public post. I would welcome you sharing the response as you wish.
Israel, like the United States, has been conducting itself in a belligerent
manner towards those around them and those responsible are the ones with
political power. Netanyahu and the hardliners that maintain his fragile
hold on power (and his personal freedom) are guilty in plain sight of
genocide of the Palestinian people.
AIPAC is clearly advancing the interests of the Netanyahu administration.
While I refuse to receive campaign contributions now and forever from PACs
and SuperPacs, I would find their support particularly repugnant.
To wrap up on Israel/AIPAC, my actions as Senator would be to withhold any
vote for funding to Israel while operations perpetuating the genocide of
the Palestinian people are ongoing. This would require a new government
would need to be in place before I could consider giving an affirmative
vote.
The people of Israel deserve to exist, but I am appalled that the banner
over the people of Israel is responsible for the same atrocities we have
sworn never to forget. I support a two state solution and reparations for
our part in supplying Israels destruction of the Gaza strip and aggressions
in the West Bank Lebanon and elsewhere.
I welcome any follow up you may have and plan to have this response
published within the week.
Best regards,
Curtis Stinnett he/him/his
”
Written by the campaign to a constituent who asked on 2026-08-04. The full reply ↗
“https://www.stinnettforsenate.org/main-ideas/israel-and-palestine
We must stop all military aid to the country of Israel until they have stopped this campaign and begun to make restitution. This must be after a change from Netanyahu and his extremist governing partners.
If elected I would be a no vote on continued funding to Israel until we see these changes made (by Netanyahu’s successor).
Thank you for your interest in my campaign. Please follow up if you have any other questions about my stances.”
Written by the campaign to a constituent who asked on 2026-09-02. The full reply ↗
“We must stop all military aid to the country of Israel until they have stopped this campaign and begun to make restitution.”
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
[Position, 2026-08-09] "Israel and Palestine", an essay on his campaign site under Main Ideas, signed "Written By Curtis Stinnett", dated Aug 9 on the page (the year, 2026, is from the site's Main Ideas listing, which dates it 8/9/26). Read in full on 2026-09-02. Quoted on the card: "We must stop all military aid to the country of Israel until they have stopped this campaign and begun to make restitution. This must be after a change from Netanyahu and his extremist governing partners." Also there: continuing aid "with knowledge of the war crimes the Netanyahu administration is committing is against both our own law as well as international law"; "War powers and spending are Congress's most solemn duty and one we have abdicated."
[Position, 2026-08-04] His first emailed reply to a voter, sent from a personal gmail.com account that matches the campaign's published contact address, checked by a volunteer and published in full. Quoted on the card: "my actions as Senator would be to withhold any vote for funding to Israel while operations perpetuating the genocide of the Palestinian people are ongoing." He continues: "This would require a new government would need to be in place before I could consider giving an affirmative vote."
[Position, 2026-09-02] His second emailed reply, from the same account, answering the site's two standard questions: it links the essay, repeats its first sentence, and adds "If elected I would be a no vote on continued funding to Israel until we see these changes made (by Netanyahu’s successor)." Published in full with the greeting, signature and the voter's quoted question trimmed.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
Nothing located as a distinct position at any date. The 4 August reply supports "a two state solution and reparations for our part in supplying Israels destruction of the Gaza strip", which is about what the United States should pay, not about the aid pipeline; recorded here, not claimed as an aid position.
Characterization of the conflict
[Position, 2026-08-09] The essay describes the people of Gaza and the West Bank as "systematically driven from their land, bombed, and starved" and says the Netanyahu administration "shows no sign that it will ever heed the calls to cease the genocide of the Palestinian people." His words, quoted with attribution; the site does not adopt them.
[Position, 2026-08-04] The reply calls Netanyahu and his governing partners "guilty in plain sight of genocide of the Palestinian people" and says "The people of Israel deserve to exist."
Related rhetoric and lobbying
[Position, 2026-08-04] He refuses PAC and super PAC contributions "now and forever" and says he would find AIPAC's support "particularly repugnant". A money-refusal pledge is a statement about his campaign's funding, not about U.S. weapons or aid; kept off the front for that reason.
[Position, 2026-08-09] The essay says the United States must "take seriously the corrupting influence Israel and their American lobbying group AIPAC has had on our own and military decisions in the region as well as our politics at home."
Safety and antisemitism
[Position, 2026-08-09] "Recognizing that the governing administration of Israel is guilty of heinous crimes should by no means result in harassment of the Jewish members of our community. Antisemitism and hate are not the solution. We must begin embracing every life with the dignity that life deserves." On the card as context.
Not on the card, and why
A Facebook video attributed to him on this topic (facebook.com/watch/?v=972659591913044) was named in an August review note but has not been opened by anyone writing this card; it is on the carrier list and is not cited.
His earlier profile said nothing was found in which he mentions Israel or Gaza at any date. That was true of the sources read before 4 August 2026 and is superseded by the items above.
Sources retrieved for this card
https://www.stinnettforsenate.org/main-ideas/israel-and-palestine (200, read 2026-09-02, 333 words, his byline)
https://www.stinnettforsenate.org/main-ideas (200, read 2026-09-02; dates the essay 8/9/26)
https://www.stinnettforsenate.org/about-1 (200, read 2026-09-02; biography, no Israel content)
https://www.stinnettforsenate.org/ (200, read 2026-09-02; no Israel content)
https://butwhatcanyoudo.org/sources/direct-candidate-correspondence/ok-sen-stinnett-2026-08-04/ (200, the first published reply)
https://butwhatcanyoudo.org/sources/direct-candidate-correspondence/ok-sen-stinnett-2026-09-02/ (the second published reply)
But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and
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