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

Riley Owen

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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. We found nothing in their own words about Israel, Gaza or the war.

Owen’s reported “America First” platform, listing himself as “anti” foreign aid and “anti: AIPAC”, is carried only by a Facebook self-introduction and is not yet confirmed until verified. His campaign site carries no AIPAC, foreign-aid, or Israel content. Nothing else was located.

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Your record on weapons and funding for the government of Israel [ref: ut1-owen]

Dear Riley Owen,

You're asking for my vote, and there is one question I can't find your answer to: should the United States keep sending weapons and funding to the government of Israel?

Your campaign hasn't said where you stand, and for many voters in this race it decides the vote. A short answer would help: will you vote against further weapons and funding for the government of Israel, or for enforceable conditions on that support?

I may share your answer publicly so other voters can see it.

Respectfully,
[Your name]

Website ↗X ↗Facebook ↗

Deep Dive

Owen, a Navy Reserve intelligence officer and former White House policy analyst, is the Republican nominee in Utah’s 1st District.

The research’s central material is an April 2026 social-media self-introduction declaring an "America First" foreign policy, listing him as "anti" foreign aid and "pointless foreign wars" and explicitly "anti: AIPAC", aligning himself with Reps. Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene. The only source is a Facebook post, which stays unconfirmed until it is confirmed; his campaign site’s about page was retrieved and carries none of it. If verified, the anti-AIPAC declaration would make him the rare Republican nominee running against the organization.

As a Princeton alumnus he co-signed a November 2023 open letter in The Daily Princetonian on campus antisemitism after October 7; that is on the research page.

No other statement on any tracked topic was located. Ask Owen directly and send us the reply: it goes on this page in his own words.

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 2026-07-23) from the five lobbying groups we track; earlier cycles and earmarked donations not yet tracked.

Support-only OpenFEC data. Opposition independent expenditures are excluded.

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 verified. [Held for human verification, 2026-04-16] The anti-foreign-aid platform post; Facebook source.

U.S. aid to Palestinians

Nothing located at any date.

Characterization of the conflict

Nothing located beyond the unconfirmed items-gated America-First framing.

Related rhetoric and lobbying

[Held for human verification, 2026-04-16] The "anti: AIPAC" declaration and the Massie/Greene alignment; the same Facebook source. No tracked committee support.

Safety and antisemitism

The November 24, 2023 Princeton alumni letter on campus antisemitism is not on the card summary.

Race and status context

Republican nominee against Ben McAdams, whose card carries its own record. His campaign site confirms identity and background.

Also in this race

– Ben McAdams (Democrat)
– Jesse West (Libertarian)
– Elias Henry Montgomery (Other)

All Utah candidates.