Christian Menefee
D · U.S. House, TX-18 · Tier 3
Tier 3, “Pro-Israel, critical”
TX-18 incumbent (Houston); sworn in Feb 2026 after Sylvester Turner’s death, then beat longtime Israel critic Al Green in the May 2026 primary runoff. At a January 2026 debate, the Daily Cougar reported, he called the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas severe but Israel’s retaliation excessive, and called for a permanent ceasefire and more humanitarian aid — “I want a lasting ceasefire so that not a single baby in either Israel or Gaza has to worry about being bombed” — stopping short of genocide. In June 2026, however, he cosponsored the Block the Bombs Act (H.R.3565) — an offensive-arms-conditioning bill — joining as a cosponsor on June 2, 2026 per the bill’s official cosponsor list. AIPAC celebrated Green’s defeat but spent nothing in the race — no counted pro-Israel committee made an independent expenditure in TX-18 in 2026, for or against. His outside money was $6.5M from Protect Progress, the Fairshake crypto network’s House vehicle, which also spent $47K against Green. He stops short of calling for an arms embargo or backing a right of return.
A 3, on a short record: he was seated in February 2026. His one step toward limiting weapons is Block the Bombs, which he cosponsored in June 2026; he also voted Aye on the July 2026 Massie amendment to strip Israel’s military financing but has not explained that vote. He has not used the word genocide. At a January 2026 debate, the Daily Cougar reported, he called the Oct. 7 attack severe and Israel’s retaliation excessive, and called for a lasting ceasefire: “I want a lasting ceasefire so that not a single baby in either Israel or Gaza has to worry about being bombed.” Brad Lander, who names the genocide, is a 3/4. Counter-case: 3/4, on his Nay on the September 2026 anti-boycott bill, his cosponsorship of the West Bank Violence Prevention Act and his criticism of Israel’s retaliation as excessive.
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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).