Ronald C. Russell
R · U.S. House, ME-1 · Tier 1/2
Tier 1/2, between “Firmly pro-Israel” and “Mainstream pro-Israel”
Republican nominee in ME-1, a retired Army colonel and defense contractor in a rematch with Chellie Pingree. In a May 2024 primary radio debate he and his rival said they would support continuing aid to Israel during its ongoing attack on Gaza (Maine Morning Star, via Yahoo); in May 2026 he called the Iran war beneficial — “we have been held hostage by Iran for 49 years” — and would not take ground troops off the table. At the October 29, 2026 Maine Public debate with Pingree, asked in a lightning round whether the U.S. should keep providing weapons and military support to Israel, he answered: “Of course. Israel is our most staunch ally in the Mideast.”
A 1/2 on a thin record. His one Israel-specific position is support for continuing aid during the assault on Gaza, reported from a 2024 primary debate and stated in his own words at the October 29, 2026 debate (“Of course. Israel is our most staunch ally in the Mideast”), alongside an Iran-hawk posture that does not, by itself, count as a stance on Israel. There is no leadership on the issue and no expressed concern for Palestinian civilians, so he reads as a 1/2. Open to a flat 2 if a Gaza-civilian statement surfaces; confidence is limited because his own words on Israel are a one-line debate answer and his case for the Iran war: Iran, he said in April 2026, would use a nuclear weapon “against Israel first and then the United States.”
Open the full card, with votes, money and every source, on elect26 →
elect26 places 2026 midterm candidates on a six-tier spectrum, from 1 (most pro-Israel) to 6 (most critical of Israel).