But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
J. Matt Baker
Independent · U.S. House, Virginia District 2
?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: As of October 2026 his campaign website says "Israelis and Palestinians both deserve a lasting peace" and criticizes AIPAC and PAL PAC money, without saying where he stands on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. Reviewed by hand on 2026-10-09. This candidate has no recorded tracked floor votes.
J. Matt Baker, a retired Marine Corps colonel and power-grid engineer who lives in Norfolk, is running as an independent in Virginia's 2nd District. He is on the November 3 ballot with Representative Jen Kiggans, the Republican, Elaine Luria, the Democrat, and Bishop Staten, another independent. He has never held office, so there are no votes on this record.
His campaign site's home page, in a list headed "What party candidates won't say out loud", includes this: "Israelis and Palestinians both deserve a lasting peace, one where children and innocents are safe and prosperity is possible. AIPAC, PAL PAC, and big money on both sides of this issue reward conflict and punish compromise. I will not be bought, and I will say when I believe leaders on both sides, including our own in the US, are wrong." AIPAC is the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying organization; PAL PAC is a pro-Palestinian political action committee founded in 2026. The statement names no aid, weapons or condition.
Ask Baker what he would vote to send the government of Israel, and send us the reply: it goes on this page in his own words.
Research log
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 2026-10-08 unless the entry says otherwise. His campaign site was read in full: its home, about, vision and media pages. Bands: Position (2024-01-26 onward), Reaction window (2023-10-07 to 2024-01-25), Earlier record (before 2023-10-07), Undated. Undated pages are recorded on the date we read them. Baker has never held office, so none of the congressional votes this site tracks is his, and no funding from the committees this site tracks is recorded on this record. Nothing located on this subject falls in the reaction window.
U.S. military aid and weapons to the government of Israel
Nothing located that names U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel, at any date.
[Position, read 2026-10-08] His platform's "National Security & Alliances" section: "Wars without defined objectives do not end — they consume." It says the Iranian regime "is hostile to the United States" and that "being clear about the enemy does not excuse Congress from asking hard questions about the war's objectives, and when and how they'll be achieved," and it defends U.S. alliances "in Europe and the Indo-Pacific". It does not mention Israel.
[Position, 2026-09-28] The Virginia Mercury's race report, republished by WHRO, says he would advocate for the U.S. to conclude its war in Iran and quotes him: "We’ve got to figure out a way to extricate ourselves." It reports nothing from him on Israel.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
Nothing located, at any date.
Characterization of the conflict
[Position, read 2026-10-08] His campaign site's home page, under "What party candidates won't say out loud": "Israelis and Palestinians both deserve a lasting peace, one where children and innocents are safe and prosperity is possible. AIPAC, PAL PAC, and big money on both sides of this issue reward conflict and punish compromise. I will not be bought, and I will say when I believe leaders on both sides, including our own in the US, are wrong." The page gives no date.
[Position, read 2026-10-08] His WHRO questionnaire answers: "This campaign takes no PAC money — not corporate, not party, not billionaire super PACs." His Ballotpedia answers: "This campaign takes no PAC money." Neither names an organization on this subject.
Safety and antisemitism
Nothing located, at any date.
What the campaign site and own pages say
[Read 2026-10-08] His about page and vision page cover his Marine Corps career, the debt, January 6th, abortion, guns, immigration, data centers and the war with Iran. His media page lists a podcast appearance and his ballot qualification.
[2026-10-06] His Ballotpedia Candidate Connection answers, which Ballotpedia dates October 6, 2026: fiscal honesty, defense accountability, votes on the use of force, data centers and artificial intelligence. He lists Independent Veterans of America as an endorser. Nothing on Israel or Gaza.
[Read 2026-10-08] WVTF's page carrying his WHRO candidate questionnaire covers where he lives, his career, affordability, data centers, trade, abortion and the Speaker race; the page gives no date. Its editor's note says his Statement of Candidacy lists a Washington, D.C. address and that the Virginia Department of Elections cleared him to run in the 2nd District. Nothing on Israel or Gaza.
[Read 2026-10-08] Ballotpedia: "Incumbent Jennifer Kiggans (R), Elaine Luria (D), J. Matt Baker (Independent), and Bishop Staten (Independent) are running in the general election for U.S. House Virginia District 2 on November 3, 2026." DeVinche Albritton, an independent, is listed as withdrawn or disqualified.
Places that could not be read, so nothing is claimed from them
His campaign Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MattBakerVA , Instagram https://www.instagram.com/MattBakerVA and TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@missiondadforcongress , as listed by Ballotpedia; not read.
His appearance on the Independents for America podcast, listed on his media page; not heard.
Not on the card, and why
His statements on the war with Iran: outside this site's question. Research page only, apart from one sentence in the deep dive saying the section does not mention Israel.
His no-PAC-money pledge: about campaign money in general, naming no organization on this subject. In the deep dive only as a fact about his answers.
Sources retrieved for this card (address; opened or could not open; date)
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.