2020

Abortion

What is your stance on abortion?
- Pro-life

Gun Control

Should there be more restrictions on the current process of purchasing a gun?
- No

Gay Marriage

Do you support the legalization of same sex marriage?
- Yes, but allow churches the right to refuse same-sex ceremonies

LGBT Adoption Rights

Should gay couples have the same adoption rights as straight couples?
- Yes, as long as they pass the same background checks as straight couples

Equal Pay

Should employers be required to pay men and women the same salary for the same job?
- No, there are too many other variables such as education, experience, and tenure that determine a fair salary

Stay At Home Order

Should the government enforce a "stay-at-home" order to combat the coronavirus?
- Yes

Climate Change

Should the government increase environmental regulations to prevent climate change?
- No

Planned Parenthood Funding

Should the government continue to fund Planned Parenthood?
- No

Trump Impeachment

Do you support the impeachment of President Donald Trump?
- No

Mandatory Vaccinations

Should the government require children to be vaccinated for preventable diseases?
- Yes, but only for deadly contagious diseases

Marital Rape

Should marital rape be classified and punished as severely as non-marital rape?
- Yes, and consentual sex with a spouse under the age of 18 should be classified as statutory rape

Pre-Existing Conditions

Should health insurers be allowed to deny coverage to individuals who have a pre-existing condition?
- No, it is immoral to deny health insurance to people with pre-existing conditions

Police Body Cameras

Should police officers be required to wear body cameras?
- Yes, this will protect the safety and rights of police officers and citizens

Gun Buyback

Should the federal government institute a mandatory buyback of assault weapons?
- No

Religious Freedom Act

Should a business be able to deny service to a customer if the request conflicts with the owner’s religious beliefs?
- Yes

Drug Price Regulation

Should the government regulate the prices of life-saving drugs?
- Yes, and the government should regulate the price of all prescription drugs

Gender Identity

Should "gender identity" be added to anti-discrimination laws?
- No

Armed Teachers

Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
- Yes

Government Mandates

Should health insurance providers be required to offer free birth control?
- No

Immigrant Children

Should adults that are illegally attempting to cross the U.S. border be separated from their children?
- No, but immediately deport them and their children

Taxes

Should the U.S. raise taxes on the rich?
- No

Mental Health

Should the government increase funding for mental health research and treatment?
- Yes, but only increase funding for personalized care instead of subsidizing pharmaceutical companies

Stay-At-Home Order

When should your state end the "Stay at Home" order and reopen its economy?
- May 1st

Border Wall

Should the U.S. build a wall along the southern border?
- Yes

Immigration Ban

Should there be a temporary ban on all immigration into the United States?
- No, but we should spend more to increase our border security

Student Loans

Do you support increasing taxes for the rich in order to reduce interest rates for student loans?
- No

Minimum Wage

Should the government raise the federal minimum wage?
- No

Muslim Immigrants

Should Muslim immigrants be banned from entering the country until the government improves its ability to screen out potential terrorists?
- No, but we should ban immigrants from "high risk" countries

Muslim Surveillance

Should local police increase surveillance and patrol of Muslim neighborhoods?
- No, this decision should be based on crime rates instead of race or religion

Free College for All

Should the federal government pay for tuition at four-year colleges and universities?
- No

Gerrymandering

Should the redrawing of Congressional districts be controlled by an independent, non-partisan commission?
- Yes, gerrymandering gives an unfair advantage to the party in power during redistricting

Women in Combat

Should the military allow women to serve in combat roles?
- Yes, as long as they can pass the same physical tests as men

Paid Sick Leave

Should businesses be required to provide paid leave for full-time employees during the birth of a child or sick family member?
- Yes, but only for maternity leave

Iran

Should the U.S. go to war with Iran?
- No, the U.S. should encourage Iran to disarm through diplomatic channels

Immigration Healthcare

Should illegal immigrants have access to government-subsidized healthcare?
- No

No-Fly List Gun Control

Should people on the "no-fly list" be banned from purchasing guns and ammunition?
- Yes, but not until the no-fly list screening process is improved for accuracy and includes due process

Immigration

Should children of illegal immigrants be granted legal citizenship?
- No

Mandatory Military Service

Should every 18 year old citizen be required to provide at least one year of military service?
- No, service should be a choice instead of an obligation

Deporting Criminal Immigrants

Should immigrants be deported if they commit a serious crime?
- Yes

United Nations

Should the U.S. remain in the United Nations?
- Yes, but scale back our current involvement

Drug Policy

Are you in favor of decriminalizing drug use?
- No

Foreign Lobbying

Should foreign lobbyists be allowed to raise money for American elections?
- No, foreign interests should not be able to buy the influence of our politicians

Medicaid

Should the federal government increase funding of health care for low income individuals (Medicaid)?
- No

Obamacare

Do you support the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)?
- No

Term Limits

Should there be term limits set for members of Congress?
- Yes, term limits will increase performance and prevent corruption

Marijuana

Do you support the legalization of Marijuana?
- Yes, but only for medical use

Electoral College

Should the electoral college be abolished?
- No

Corporate Tax

Should the U.S. raise or lower the tax rate for corporations?
- Lower

Illegal Immigrant Detainment

Should local law enforcement be allowed to detain illegal immigrants for minor crimes and transfer them to federal immigration authorities?
- Yes, all illegal immigrants should be turned over to federal authorities and deported

Death Penalty

Do you support the death penalty?
- Yes

Campaign Finance

1. Should there be a limit to the amount of money a candidate can receive from a donor?
- No

Fracking

Do you support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources?
- Yes

Foreign Elections

Should the government attempt to influence foreign elections?
- No, and we should not try to influence any other country’s elections or policy

NSA Domestic Surveillance

Should the NSA (National Security Agency) be allowed to collect basic metadata of citizen’s phone calls such as numbers, timestamps, and call durations?
- No, only with a warrant showing probable cause of criminal activity

Single-Payer Healthcare

Do you support a single-payer healthcare system?
- No

Immigrant Assimilation

Should immigrants be required to learn English?
- Yes, and remove multilingual translations from government documents and services

Israel Boycott

Should it be illegal to join a boycott of Israel?
- No, this is a violation of free speech

Immigrant Laborers

Should working illegal immigrants be given temporary amnesty?
- No

Sanctuary Cities

Should sanctuary cities receive federal funding?
- No, and we should ban the use of sanctuary cities

Transgender Athletes

Should transgender athletes be allowed to compete in athletic events?
- No

NATO

1. Should the U.S. remain in NATO?
- Yes, but NATO should focus more on counter-terrorism strategies

Gun Liability

Should victims of gun violence be allowed to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers?
- No, manufacturers and dealers should only be held liable for negligence

Alternative Energy

Should the government give tax credits and subsidies to the wind power industry?
- Yes, the government should support more sustainable energy technologies

Military Congressional Approval

Should the President be able to authorize military force against Al-Qaeda without Congressional approval?
- Yes

Confederate Flag

Should states be allowed to display the Confederate flag on government property?
- Yes, each state should have the right to display any flag they choose

Right of Foreigners to Vote

Should foreigners, currently residing in the United States, have the right to vote?
- No

Soleimani

Do you support the killing of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani?
- Yes

Torture

Should the military be allowed to use enhanced interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding, to gain information from suspected terrorists?
- Yes

In-State Tuition

Should illegal immigrants be offered in-state tuition rates at public colleges within their residing state?
- No, and all illegal immigrants should be deported

Social Media Regulation

Should the government regulate social media sites, as a means to prevent fake news and misinformation?
- No, social media companies are private and should not be regulated by the government

Border Security

Should the U.S. increase restrictions on its current border security policy?
- Yes, and allow border states to manage their own security policy

Voter Fraud

Should a photo ID be required to vote?
- Yes

Gender Workplace Diversity

Should businesses be required to have women on their board of directors?
- No, board members should be the most qualified regardless of gender

Private Prisons

Should the government hire private companies to run prisons?
- No, private prisons will sacrifice quality of care and rehabilitation services for profit

Corporate Mega Mergers

Should the government prevent "mega mergers" of corporations that could potentially control a large percentage of market share within its industry?
- Yes, if the merged corporation would have more than 50% of the market share

Net Neutrality

Should internet service providers be allowed to speed up access to popular websites (that pay higher rates) at the expense of slowing down access to less popular websites (that pay lower rates)?
- No, this would allow them to remove competition, create artificial scarcity, and increase prices

Plastic Product Ban

Should disposable products (such as plastic cups, plates, and cutlery) that contain less than 50% of biodegradable material be banned?
- No

Welfare Drug Testing

Should welfare recipients be tested for drugs?
- Yes

Oil Drilling

Should the U.S. expand offshore oil drilling?
- Yes

Israel

Should the U.S. continue to support Israel?
- Yes, but respect Israel’s sovereignty and do not dictate how it should interact with its neighbors

Citizenship Test

Should immigrants be required to pass a citizenship test to demonstrate a basic understanding of our country’s language, history, and government?
- Yes, and it should test more than just a basic level of understanding

Euthanasia

Should terminally ill patients be allowed to end their lives via assisted suicide?
- Yes, but only if there is no chance they will survive their illness

Candidate Transparency

Should political candidates be required to release their recent tax returns to the public?
- No

Paris Climate Agreement

Should the U.S. withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement?
- Yes

Government Spending

Should the government make cuts to public spending in order to reduce the national debt?
- Yes

Campaign Finance

1. Should corporations, unions, and non-profit organizations be allowed to donate to political parties?
- Yes

Skilled Immigrants

Should the US increase or decrease the amount of temporary work visas given to high-skilled immigrant workers?
- Decrease

Patriot Act

Do you support the Patriot Act?
- Yes

Medicaid Work Requirement

Should people be required to work in order to receive Medicaid?
- Yes

Universal Basic Income

Do you support a universal basic income program?
- No, this will encourage people not to work and harm economic growth

Medicare Drug Prices

Should the federal government be allowed to negotiate drug prices for Medicare?
- Yes

Safe Spaces

Should universities provide "trigger warnings" and "safe spaces" for students?
- No, college is meant to challenge students thoughts and opinions so they are prepared for real life

Flag Burning

Should it be illegal to burn the American flag?
- Yes

Lobbyists

Should there be a 5-year ban on White House and Congressional officials from becoming lobbyists after they leave the government?
- Yes, and ban all forms of lobbying

North Korea Military Strikes

Should the U.S. conduct military strikes against North Korea in order to destroy their long-range missile and nuclear weapons capabilities?
- No, we must use every diplomatic option first

Minimum Voting Age

Should the minimum voting age be lowered?
- No, and voters should be required to pass a basic test demonstrating their understanding of politics in order to vote

Welfare

Should there be fewer or more restrictions on current welfare benefits?
- More

Labor Unions

Do you believe labor unions help or hurt the economy?
- Hurt

Whistleblower Protection

Should the government pass laws which protect whistleblowers?
- Yes, but only if releasing the information does not threaten our national security

Yemen

Should the U.S. provide military aid to Saudi Arabia during its conflict with Yemen?
- No, we should stay out of conflicts that are not an immediate threat to our security

Niqab

Should women be allowed to wear a Niqab, or face veil, to civic ceremonies?
- Yes, but their identity must be privately verified by a female staff member

Military Spending

Should the government increase or decrease military spending?
- Increase

Supreme Court Reform

Should the Supreme Court be reformed to include more seats and term limits on judges?
- No

Solitary Confinement for Juveniles

Should prisons ban the use of solitary confinement for juveniles?
- No

Free Tax Filing

Should the IRS create a free electronic tax filing system?
- Yes

Syrian Refugees

Should the U.S. accept refugees from Syria?
- No

Affirmative Action

Do you support affirmative action programs?
- No

Common Core

Do you support Common Core national standards?
- No

Foreign Assassination

Should the US assassinate suspected terrorists in foreign countries?
- Yes

First Amendment

Should the government support a separation of church and state by removing references to God on money, federal buildings, and national monuments?
- No

Capital Gains Tax

Should the government increase the tax rate on profits earned from the sale of stocks, bonds, and real estate?
- No, increasing the capital gains tax will limit investment in our economy

Animal Testing

Should researchers be allowed to use animals in testing the safety of drugs, vaccines, medical devices, and cosmetics?
- Yes

Safe Haven

Should cities open drug "safe havens" where people who are addicted to illegal drugs can use them under the supervision of medical professionals?
- No

Dakota Access Pipeline

Should the government stop construction of the Dakota Access pipeline?
- No

Foreign Aid

Should the US increase or decrease foreign aid spending?
- Decrease, until we drastically reduce our national budget deficit

ISIS Ground Troops

Should the U.S. send ground troops into Syria to fight ISIS?
- No, conduct targeted airstrikes instead

Overtime Pay

Should the government require businesses to pay salaried employees, making up to $46k/year, time-and-a-half for overtime hours?
- No

Eminent Domain

Should the government be allowed to seize private property, with reasonable compensation, for public or civic use?
- No

Terrorism

Should foreign terrorism suspects be given constitutional rights?
- No, they are not U.S. citizens and do not have constitutional rights

Drones

Should the military fly drones over foreign countries to gain intelligence and kill suspected terrorists?
- Yes, the U.S. needs to use all means necessary to combat terrorism

Economic Stimulus

Should the government use economic stimulus to aid the country during times of recession?
- Yes, but in the form of tax breaks for all citizens

VA Privatization

Should there be more or less privatization of veterans’ healthcare?
- More, veterans should be able to see any doctor of their choice

Social Security

Should the government raise the retirement age for Social Security?
- No, eliminate the income cap on taxable earnings and stop spending current funds on other programs instead

GMO Labels

Should producers be required to label genetically engineered foods (GMOs)?
- Yes, but I would prefer to ban GMOs

Universal Pre-K

Should the federal government fund Universal preschool?
- No

Criminal Voting Rights

Should convicted criminals have the right to vote?
- No

Afghanistan

Should the United States pull all military troops out of Afghanistan?
- No

Dual Citizenship

Should immigrants to the United States be allowed to hold dual citizenship status?
- Yes, but they should not be able to claim citizenship status of more than two nations

Criminal Politicians

Should a politician, who has been formerly convicted of a crime, be allowed to run for office?
- Yes, as long as it was not a felony, violent, financial, or sexual crime

Mandatory minimum prison sentences

Do you support mandatory minimum prison sentences for people charged with drug possession?
- Yes

Estate Tax

Should the current estate tax rate be decreased?
- Yes, and we should eliminate it

NAFTA

Should the U.S. continue to participate in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?
- Yes

Nuclear Energy

Do you support the use of nuclear energy?
- Yes

Drug Trafficking Penalties

Should drug traffickers receive the death penalty?
- No, sentence them to life in prison without parole instead

Space Exploration

Should the government fund space travel?
- Yes, and drastically increase NASA’s current budget

War on ISIS

Should the U.S. formally declare war on ISIS?
- No, we should stay out of Middle Eastern conflicts

Cuba

Do you support President Obama’s move to lift the trade and travel embargo on Cuba?
- No

Tariffs

Should the government add or increase tariffs on products imported into the country?
- No, a global free trade system is better for our businesses and consumers

China Tariffs

Should the U.S. increase tariffs on imported products from China?
- Yes, China should be punished for artificially manipulating their currency

Ukraine

Should the U.S. provide military assistance to defend Ukraine from Russia?
- No, we should stay out of conflicts that do not directly threaten us

Domestic Jobs

Should the President offer tax breaks to individual companies to keep jobs in the U.S.?
- Yes, and drastically increase taxes and import tariffs on outsourcing businesses

Tech Monopolies

Should the government break up Amazon, Facebook and Google?
- No

NATO

1. Should the U.S. defend other NATO countries that maintain low military defense budgets relative to their GDP?
- No, we should not defend any NATO country that spends less than 2% of their GDP on military defense

Federal Reserve

Should the Federal Reserve Bank be audited by Congress?
- Yes, we deserve to know who the bank gives money to

Farm Subsidies

Should the government subsidize farmers?
- Yes, but only as a temporary measure to stabilize prices

Political Advertising on Social Media

Should social media companies ban political advertising?
- No

Property Taxes

Would you favor an increased sales tax in order to reduce property taxes?
- No, property taxes are the most reliable and consistent form of state revenue

NSA Surveillance

Should the U.S. continue NSA surveillance of its allies?
- Yes, surveillance of all foreign countries is essential to tracking potential terrorist threats

Offshore Banking

Should U.S. citizens be allowed to save or invest their money in offshore bank accounts?
- Yes, as long as offshore income is reported

Pension Reform

Should pension plans for federal, state, and local government workers be transitioned into privately managed accounts?
- Yes, but only for future workers

Edward Snowden

Should the U.S. government grant immunity to Edward Snowden?
- No

Charter Schools

Do you support charter schools?
- Yes

Russian Airstrikes in Syria

Should the U.S. prevent Russia from conducting airstrikes in Syria?
- No, we should not get involved

Prison Overcrowding

Should non-violent prisoners be released from jail in order to reduce overcrowding?
- Yes, but place them under house arrest using an electronic bracelet

Trans-Pacific Partnership

Do you support the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)?
- No, this will incentivize companies to move jobs out of the country

Government Pensions

Should pension payments be increased for retired government workers?
- No, not until we decrease our national debt

Public Transportation

Should the government increase spending on public transportation?
- No

Jerusalem

Should Jerusalem be recognized as the capital of Israel?
- Yes

Online Sales Tax

Should an in-state sales tax apply to online purchases of in-state buyers from out-of-state sellers?
- No, the federal government does not have the authority to impose state and local taxes

School Truancy

Should the government decriminalize school truancy?
- No

Hong Kong Fugitive Extradition

Should the Chinese government be able to extradite fugitives from Hong Kong?
- No

Corporate Subsidies

Should cities be allowed to offer private companies economic incentives to relocate?
- Yes

F-35

Should the government cancel production of the F-35 fighter?
- No

Bitcoin

Should the government classify Bitcoin as a legal currency?
- No, classify it as a commodity

State Ownership

Should the government acquire equity stakes in companies it bails out during a recession?
- No

Air Force One

Should the military upgrade Air Force One?
- Yes

Sports Betting

Should sports betting be legal?
- Yes

Ohio Gubernatorial Election 2018 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-life

2. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- No

3. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- The role of government is to protect the most vulnerable among us, including the unborn. As Governor, I will triple home visiting services that intervene early in a woman's pregnancy to provide prenatal care, connections to social supports, and parenting courses. Home visiting stays with that mother until her child reaches 3 to ensure both have the best possible start.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions?
- No

2. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees?
- No

3. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients?
- No

4. An income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- Thanks to strong Republican leadership, Ohio's economy is strong, and there is no current threat of a recession. Accordingly, I have no current plans to reduce benefits, institute furloughs, or increase taxes.

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Do you support any limits on campaign contributions to state candidates?
- Yes

2. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Yes

3. Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
- Yes

4. Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime & Public Safety

1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- Yes

2. Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- No

3. Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
- No Answer

4. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- No Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- I believe that state and local governments should not obstruct official federal immigration action, and I disagree with the concept of "sanctuary cities." Issue 1 would be a disaster for Ohio. It will cripple Ohio with some of the most lenient drug laws in the country and attract more drug cartels to do business here. As Lieutenant Governor, I helped implement juvenile justice reform, which safely reduced our juvenile population behind bars. I believe similar reforms could be done in the adult community, but Issue 1 cannot be the vehicle for it.

Economic

1. Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

2. Do you support lowering state taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No Answer

3. Do you support reducing state government regulations on the private sector?
- No Answer

4. Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
- No

5. Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits?
- No

6. Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of Ohio?
- No Answer

7. Do you support matching the cost-of-living allowances to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the Ohio Public Employee Retirement System (OPERS)?
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles
- I believe in keeping taxes low and predictable so business can grow. The state should ensure its minimum wage is indexed to inflation I defer to the Boards of Ohio's retirement systems to make these decisions for their members.

Education

1. Do you support adopting federal education standards in Ohio?
- No Answer

2. Do you support state funding for charter schools?
- No Answer

3. Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from Ohio high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- ESSA has provided Ohio with broader authority to select curriculum. These decisions are best left to states and not Washington, DC bureaucrats. I believe in school choice. Yes. I support DREAMers.

Environment & Energy

1. Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- No

2. Do you support state government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

3. Do you support increasing state funding for clean drinking water initiatives?
- No Answer

4. Other or expanded principles
- I will make treating and preventing lead poisoning a priority in my administration.

Gun

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- No Answer

2. Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- No

3. Should teachers be allowed to bring guns into the classroom?
- Yes

4. Should a license be required for gun ownership?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- I support the Second Amendment.

Health

1. Should the state government increase funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse?
- Yes

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Ohio's health care programs?
- Yes

3. Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
- No

4. Do you support legislation that grants citizens the right to choose to die through euthanasia?
- No

5. Do you support eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations?
- No

6. Should able-bodied citizens Medicaid recipients meet a work requirement to be eligible for benefits?
- Yes

7. Do you support repealing the state mandated Medicaid expansion?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- I have always opposed the individual mandate. I have always supported coverage for pre-existing conditions, including seven different votes for increased protections for pre-existing conditions while in Congress and the U.S. Senate. I will maintain the Medicaid Expansion, with reforms to improve health outcomes and make the program more sustainable long term.

Social

1. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Ohio's anti-discrimination laws?
- No Answer

2. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Ohio's anti-discrimination laws?
- No Answer

3. Do you support greater efforts by Ohio state government in closing the pay gap between men and women?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- I believe that Ohio's anti-discrimination laws, as written, protect sexual orientation. I believe that Ohio's anti-discrimination laws, as written, protect gender identity. I have always appointed women to positions of importance within my office. In the U.S. Senate, my Chief of Staff was a woman. As AG, my First Assistant and Senior Advisor are women, as well as more than a dozen others who serve as top advisors, division chiefs, and section chiefs.

Legislative Priorities

In the following area, please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- First, we must tackle the opioid epidemic. As Governor, I will immediately begin implementing our 12-point Recovery Ohio action plan, which is a comprehensive approach. Second, we have a skills gap in Ohio. Our administration will also work to ensure that every student graduates high school college-ready or on a pathway to a career. Third, I have a bold vision to invest more in early childhood development and in providing services to at-risk, first-time moms to help ensure that every Ohio child gets the very best start in life.