James Gallagher
R · U.S. House, CA-1 · Tier 1
Tier 1, “Firmly pro-Israel”
Former California Assembly Republican leader who won the 2026 special election to succeed the late Doug LaMalfa and was sworn in in June 2026. In the Assembly he introduced ACR 119 (Jan 2024) condemning Hamas, the October 7 atrocities and antisemitism and calling for the hostages’ release — “The hatred and violence directed at Jews is a cancer that must be condemned” — and called the ceasefire protesters who shut down the Assembly’s opening session “pro-Hamas radicals.” In Congress he has voted against the July 2026 Massie amendment to strip Israel’s military financing, for H.R.8595 and for the September 2026 anti-boycott bill. Asked in iVoterGuide’s 2026 general-election questionnaire whether the U.S. relationship with Israel is important, Gallagher answered: “Yes. Israel is the only democracy and America's only ally in the middle east, as well as being a foothold for our historical Judeo-Christian values and traditions.”
A Tier 1. As the California Assembly’s Republican leader he introduced ACR 119 (January 2024), condemning Hamas, the October 7 atrocities and antisemitism and calling for the hostages’ release. Writing a state resolution on the war is the leadership Tier 1 turns on, and he called the ceasefire protesters who shut down the Assembly’s opening session “pro-Hamas radicals.” In Congress since June 2026 he has voted the same way: No on the Massie amendment and Yes on the anti-boycott bill. No concern for Palestinian civilians appears in his record; the resolution’s two lines on aid for Gaza blame Hamas for stealing it. Counter-case: 1/2, since ACR 119 addressed the attack and antisemitism rather than Israel’s conduct of the war, and he has written nothing on Israel in Congress.
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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).