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

Wes Climer

Republican · U.S. House, South Carolina District 5
✗From money backing them
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. Backed with $5K by AIPAC PAC (FEC filings).

Climer’s iVoterGuide answer calls Israel “the United States’ most important ally in the Middle East” whose shared interests “merit durable support and investment”. AIPAC’s tracked support appears as a badge; a statehouse AIPAC meeting and his 2026 op-ed on “terrorist front groups” sit on the research page.

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Deep Dive

Climer, a state senator, is the Republican nominee in South Carolina’s 5th District.

His iVoterGuide answer, verified against the page: "Israel is the United States’ most important ally in the Middle East. Our nations’ shared economic, social, military, and intelligence interests merit durable support and investment." AIPAC’s $5,000 in tracked support appears as a badge on this card; a February 2025 statehouse meeting with AIPAC representatives and Israeli military officials is carried only on a colleague’s Facebook post, not yet confirmed.

In March 2026 he published a FITSNews op-ed, "Time for South Carolina to Confront Terrorist Front Groups", announcing state legislation aimed at organizations he characterized as fronts, naming the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim Brotherhood. The op-ed is his own byline and its characterizations are his; the card reports the fact of the legislation and the naming without adopting the labels.

No statement on aid levels, aid to Palestinians, the conflict’s conduct, or antisemitism as such was located.

The money

$5K in lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track

Lifetime support from the five lobbying groups we track
AIPAC PAC: $5,000
Support-only OpenFEC data (as of 2026-10-03). Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.
Who these lobbying groups are
AIPAC$5,000The American Israel Public Affairs Committee; its PAC backs candidates it sees as strengthening U.S. ties with the government of Israel, including continued U.S. military aid.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.
AIPAC Unlisted Endorsement
AIPAC's donation site has a page raising money for this candidate, but AIPAC has not listed or announced an endorsement. Shown for information; it does not decide the mark.

In their words

“Israel is the United States’ most important ally in the Middle East. Our nations’ shared economic, social, military, and intelligence interests merit durable support and investment.”
Source ↗, 2026-08-21
Endorsements

AIPAC Unlisted Endorsement

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

  • Nothing located as an aid position. [Framing, cycle 2026] The iVoterGuide answer, verified and quoted on the card.

U.S. aid to Palestinians

  • Nothing located at any date.

Characterization of the conflict

  • Nothing located at any date.

Related rhetoric and lobbying

  • [Not yet confirmed, 2025-02-19] The statehouse meeting with AIPAC representatives; carried only on state Sen. Josh Kimbrell’s Facebook post, not yet confirmed.
  • Tracked committee support appears as a badge on this card.

Safety and antisemitism

  • [Statement, 2026-03-27] The FITSNews op-ed announcing his state bill targeting what he calls terrorist front groups, naming CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood; his own characterizations, carried with attribution. The page is script-heavy; the title and his authorship verified in the retrieved copy.

Race and status context

  • Republican nominee for the open seat. His Democratic opponent’s card carries its own record.

Also in this race

  1. – Mallory Dittmer (Democrat)

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.