Carmen Bucco
R · U.S. House, NJ-10 · Tier 1/2
Tier 1/2, between “Firmly pro-Israel” and “Mainstream pro-Israel”
Republican nominee in NJ-10 on his third run against LaMonica McIver. In an August 2024 Jewish Link questionnaire he said “Israel is a critical ally and deserves our unwavering support as a strategic partner in protecting our interests abroad,” and on Gaza spoke of “our sympathies for the effects on innocent people from the devastation of Gaza and Palestine as Israel justifiably roots out terrorists,” adding that “I recognize Israel’s need to protect itself and the consequential military action required to suppress threats” but that we must “envision a future for those who are currently displaced through no fault of their own and have a right to their own culture.” Asked in iVoterGuide’s 2026 general-election questionnaire whether the U.S. relationship with Israel is important, Bucco answered: “They are our Ally. With out them the Middle East and terrorists would eliminate the united states. We should always protect them as they protect us.”
A 1/2, not a flat 2 — a close call. He is reliably pro-Israel with no leadership on the issue (unwavering support, a Judeo-Christian framing of the alliance, Israel justified in rooting out terrorists). He does name Gaza's civilians and the displaced, which is more than boilerplate, but the sympathy is framed inside Israel's justified campaign and followed at once by Israel's need to protect itself — exactly the pairing that discounts such concern. His 2024 call for allies to share the aid burden is fiscal, not a condition on weapons. Open to a flat 2 if he voices that civilian concern on its own terms.
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elect26 places 2026 midterm candidates on a six-tier spectrum, from 1 (most pro-Israel) to 6 (most critical of Israel).