But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Pat Dixon
Libertarian · Governor, Texas
?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: In a September 2026 statement he writes "I believe Israel has a right to exist and defend itself" and "I also recognize the history of Palestinian displacement surrounding the establishment of Israel", which points both ways. Reviewed by hand on 2026-10-09. This candidate has no recorded tracked floor votes.
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In a September 12, 2026 statement on his campaign site titled "Israel", Dixon objects to Texas's Israel Bonds purchase. Texas holds about $280 million in Israeli government bonds, he writes, after the acting comptroller announced in February that the state would double its investment from about $140 million. He does not object to the state investing abroad, he writes. "But Israel is different." Of the comptroller's announcement he writes: "That is no longer simply an investment decision. The Comptroller himself described it as an expression of solidarity and a political relationship with a foreign government." Then: "I believe that crosses a line." And: "I object to using Texas state funds to take sides in foreign-policy disputes that are properly addressed by the federal government." He closes: "But Texas should not use taxpayer-funded state institutions to conduct foreign policy."
The same statement gives his view of the conflict: "To be open and candid, I believe Israel has a right to exist and defend itself. I also recognize the history of Palestinian displacement surrounding the establishment of Israel and the suffering of Palestinian civilians. Opposing the policies of Netanyahu does not make you an anti Semite." He calls those serious issues, but "not issues that Texas should be trying to resolve through its investment portfolio."
He writes that he is running for governor, not for president, secretary of state or the Senate, that he receives no support from AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying group, and that foreign policy questions are better put to the party's U.S. Senate candidate, Ted Brown. When a reader asked under the statement, on September 28, how he would distance Texas from the government of Israel and its military actions, he answered that he had already addressed it and added: "I do not believe the Governor of Texas has any role in the policies of Israel. I do support repealing financial commitments that entangle Texas in foreign affairs. Therefore, whatever military actions Israel has are not the purview of the Governor of Texas." We found nothing from him on U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel, or on U.S. aid to Palestinians.
In their words
“I object to using Texas state funds to take sides in foreign-policy disputes that are properly addressed by the federal government.”
“To be open and candid, I believe Israel has a right to exist and defend itself. I also recognize the history of Palestinian displacement surrounding the establishment of Israel and the suffering of Palestinian civilians. Opposing the policies of Netanyahu does not make you an anti Semite.”
“That is no longer simply an investment decision. The Comptroller himself described it as an expression of solidarity and a political relationship with a foreign government.”
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 2026-09-26 unless the entry says otherwise. The Israel statement was opened again on 2026-10-08: its text is unchanged, and two comments now sit under it, a reader's question and his reply of September 28, 2026, which is added below. His campaign site's Israel statement, its Biblical Principles post, its Texas Muslims statement, its home page, its posts linking his iVoterGuide and League of Women Voters answers, and the archive of his Lago Vista council years were read in full. He has held no state or federal office, so none of the congressional votes this site tracks is his, and a state office has no federal funding badge. Bands: Position (2024-01-26 onward), Reaction window (2023-10-07 to 2024-01-25), Earlier record (before 2023-10-07).
U.S. military aid and weapons to the government of Israel
Nothing located from him on U.S. weapons, arms sales or military funding for the government of Israel, at any date.
[Position, 2026-09-12] His campaign statement titled "Israel" says he leaves foreign policy to federal office: "I am running for Governor of Texas. I am not running for President, Secretary of State, or the United States Senate. My responsibility is to Texans." and "Foreign policy is better directed toward our Libertarian US Senate candidate Ted Brown."
[Position, 2026-09-28] In a reply posted under the statement he wrote: "I do not believe the Governor of Texas has any role in the policies of Israel." The full reply is under state action below. It does not mention U.S. weapons or money.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
Nothing located, at any date. No statement by him about the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, Gaza humanitarian funding or the aid pipeline appears on his site.
Characterization of the conflict
[Position, 2026-09-12] The same statement: "To be open and candid, I believe Israel has a right to exist and defend itself. I also recognize the history of Palestinian displacement surrounding the establishment of Israel and the suffering of Palestinian civilians. Opposing the policies of Netanyahu does not make you an anti Semite. Those are serious issues, but they are not issues that Texas should be trying to resolve through its investment portfolio."
[Earlier record, 2010-05-07] On the archive of his Lago Vista council years, his post for his last council meeting, dated 5/7/10, lists joke items he proposed for the next agenda, beginning "Solve the Israel - Palestine conflict" and going on to Area 51 and Bigfoot. A joke about a city council's reach, not a position.
State action
[Position, 2026-09-12] His statement opens: "The State of Texas now holds approximately $280 million in Israeli government bonds. Why?" It continues: "To be clear, I do not object to Texas investing outside the United States." and "But Israel is different." It says: "In February, Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced that Texas would double its investment in Israel Bonds from approximately $140 million to $280 million", and quotes the comptroller saying the investment "reinforces our long-standing relationship" and that the partnership "stretches beyond finance." Dixon's reading: "The Comptroller himself described it as an expression of solidarity and a political relationship with a foreign government." and "I believe that crosses a line." His position: "I object to using Texas state funds to take sides in foreign-policy disputes that are properly addressed by the federal government." It ends: "But Texas should not use taxpayer-funded state institutions to conduct foreign policy." The figures are his statement's; the comptroller's announcement itself was not opened for this card.
[Position, 2026-09-28] Under the statement, a reader asked what his plan was to distance Texas from the government of Israel and its military actions. The reply beneath it, dated September 28, 2026 at 23:00, is posted from the site's own author account, the account that posted the statement (the page marks it as the post author's comment). It opens "I believe I addressed this." and repeats the statement's lines about the office he is running for, AIPAC and Ted Brown, then: "I do not believe the Governor of Texas has any role in the policies of Israel. I do support repealing financial commitments that entangle Texas in foreign affairs. Therefore, whatever military actions Israel has are not the purview of the Governor of Texas." It also answers a second, personal question from the reader that is not about policy. The reader's comment is not quoted here, and the reader is not named.
Related rhetoric and lobbying
[Position, 2026-09-12] The same statement: "I receive no support from AIPAC." AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, is a pro-Israel lobbying group. A statement about his campaign's money, not a position on what the United States sends.
[Position, 2026-09-20] In a post titled "Biblical Principles" he answers a church group's candidate questionnaire, which he says reached him by email on September 18. The group's checkbox form lists its own positions; its Israel item reads: "Support for Israel: “Unequivocal Support” Considered only country in the M.E. sharing essential US values of freedom of religion and speech. Committed to Israel’s security; will ensure that they have a strong military edge over adversaries against BDS mvmt. Recognizes Jerusalem as Capital." Those are the group's words, not his. His answer beneath it: "RESPONSE: See https://patdixon.org/israel/", the statement above. He writes of the form: "The survey below only allows checking a box. That is insufficient to respond accurately." The box he checked is in a questionnaire file on the page, which was not opened.
Safety and antisemitism (context)
[Position, 2026-05-28] His statement titled "Texas Muslims" (posted May 28, 2026, updated June 29, 2026) is about the governor's treatment of Muslim Texans. It includes: "If CAIR sent funding to HAMAS I would condemn them, but the principle of our law is that you are innocent until proven guilty." and "Every Texan is an individual with the same rights as every other Texan." It says nothing about U.S. weapons or aid.
The Israel statement's line "Opposing the policies of Netanyahu does not make you an anti Semite." is quoted in full above.
What the campaign site and own pages say
His campaign site carries a long list of policy statements and posts, among them the Israel and Texas Muslims statements quoted above. His biography on the Libertarian Party's candidate page: "Two term elected city council member in Lago Vista TX", "Served 10 years as chair of Libertarian Party of Texas". His council archive says: "I served 2 terms on city council in Lago Vista, Texas from 2005 to 2010."
The race
The Texas Secretary of State's ballot certification (2026-08-28) prints three names for governor: Greg Abbott (REP), Gina Hinojosa (DEM) and Pat Dixon (LIB). Its certified list of write-in candidates names four more for governor, including Jenn Mack. Ballotpedia: "He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026." and "He advanced from the Libertarian Party convention on April 11, 2026." Race page: Ballotpedia.
Places that could not be read, so nothing is claimed from them
His answers to iVoterGuide and to the League of Women Voters of Texas, which his site posts as file downloads on August 29, 2026, were not opened: https://patdixon.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/ivioter_questionnaire_review_2026-08-28.pdf and https://patdixon.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Your-Voters-Guide-Responses-League-of-Women-Voters-of-Texas.pdf. The League's online general-election guide on VOTE411 is looked up by street address and was not read.
The church group's questionnaire file on the Biblical Principles post was not opened.
Not on the card, and why
The 2010 council agenda joke: an earlier record, and a joke, not a position.
The church group's Israel item: the group's wording, not his; his answer points to his Israel statement, which is on the card.
The Texas Muslims statement: about Muslims in Texas and the governor's designation of CAIR, not about what the United States sends.
His statement that he receives no support from AIPAC: in the deep dive and here, and no longer on the front, which now gives his own reasons for objecting to the bond purchase. A statement about campaign money is not a position on what the United States sends.
The reader's comment of September 28 and the personal question in it: not quoted, and the reader is not named; only his reply is used.
Sources retrieved for this card (address; opened or could not open; date)
https://patdixon.org/israel/ ; opened ; 2026-09-26 (posted 2026-09-12)
https://patdixon.org/israel/ ; opened again ; 2026-10-08 (statement unchanged; his reply to a reader dated 2026-09-28 now under it)
https://ballotpedia.org/Pat_Dixon , https://lp.org/candidate/pat-dixon/ and https://www.sos.texas.gov/elections/forms/2026-ballot-cert.pdf ; opened again ; 2026-10-08
https://patdixon.org/biblical-principles/ ; opened ; 2026-09-26 (posted 2026-09-20)
https://patdixon.org/texas-muslims/ ; opened ; 2026-09-26 (posted 2026-05-28, updated 2026-06-29)
https://patdixon.org/ ; opened ; 2026-09-26
https://patdixon.org/ivoterguide-questionnaire/ ; opened (the post; its file was not opened) ; 2026-09-26
https://patdixon.org/league-of-women-voters-general-election-voters-guide/ ; opened (the post; its file was not opened) ; 2026-09-26
https://patdixon.org/lv_council.html ; opened ; 2026-09-26
https://lp.org/candidate/pat-dixon/ ; opened ; 2026-09-26
https://ballotpedia.org/Pat_Dixon ; opened ; 2026-09-26
https://ballotpedia.org/Texas_gubernatorial_election,_2026 ; opened ; 2026-09-26
https://www.sos.texas.gov/elections/forms/2026-ballot-cert.pdf ; opened ; 2026-09-26 (certified 2026-08-28)
https://www.sos.texas.gov/elections/forms/2026-write-In-ballot-cert.pdf ; opened ; 2026-09-26 (certified 2026-08-28)
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