Derek Schmidt
R · U.S. House, KS-2 · Tier 1
Tier 1, “Firmly pro-Israel”
As Kansas attorney general he defended the state’s 2017 law requiring contractors to certify they do not boycott Israel against the ACLU’s First Amendment challenge (Koontz v. Watson), working with the legislature on a 2018 rewrite that lifted the court’s injunction; announcing the dismissal in June 2018 he said, “We have successfully preserved the ability of the State of Kansas, through its lawmakers, to choose to stand in support of the State of Israel.” He led a delegation of seven state attorneys general to Israel in May 2017 and in November 2021 joined 11 other attorneys general in pressing Unilever to reverse Ben & Jerry’s boycott. In Congress since January 2025 he has voted for ICC sanctions, H.R.8595 and the September 2026 anti-boycott bill and against the 2025 Greene and 2026 Massie cuts, was an original cosponsor of the IGO Anti-Boycott Act (H.R.867) and of Pfluger’s bill barring members and supporters of Hamas and other designated terrorist groups from entry (H.R.3926), and his House releases carry no statement on Israel or Gaza.
A clean 1, on his record as Kansas attorney general. His own office credits him with defending the state’s anti-boycott law in court and working with the legislature on the rewrite that let it take effect — personal anti-BDS enforcement, which marks a 1 rather than a reliable vote — and he led a delegation of attorneys general to Israel. His House votes are zero-daylight and no concern for Palestinian civilians surfaced. Counter-case: a 1/2 if acts as a state official before Congress are discounted — defending a statute is an attorney general’s duty, the rewrite narrowed the law under court pressure, the Unilever letter was joined rather than led, and his House record so far is votes and cosponsorships.
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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).