Patrick Thompson
Democrat | Georgia
Candidate Profile*
Liberal (Conditional)
*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Patrick Thompson
Party
Democrat
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
State Senator, Dist. 56
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Green Mountain College, Poultney, MBA, Sustainability
University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, B.S. Biology & Psychology
WORK & MILITARY
Georgia Tech
Harvard School of Leadership
Computer Learning Center
AFFILIATIONS
Boy Scouts of America, ScoutMaster, National Committee, League of Conservation Voters
Board of Directors, Blue-Green Youth Training
Coffee Party, Sierra Club
Habitat for Humanity
Feeding America, St Vincent de Paul
Armed Forces Communications and Electronics
Citizens Against Government Waste
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
US House, 2010
GA Senate, 2012-2022
Race
Previous Races
ENDORSEMENTS
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (7)
Middle Class Voters
Science for Georgia
Working People's Party
AFL-CIO
Mothers Demand Action for Gun Sense
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE*
*Additional information was received after the evaluation was assigned and was not considered in the Panel Evaluations, therefore it is for additional educational purposes only.
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
incest, life of the mother endangered; personal medical expert recommendation - as an orphan from a closed record State, I know how difficult the decision can be and the long-term implications and how special life can be; no one likes abortion but the decision should be left between the mother & their medical professional. The right to life needs to expand what it means to include seniors, veterans, children, conflict and war, the use of guns to settle arguments or standing ground, poverty, post-birth/maternity services
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Disagree
They do not use Federal funding today by law, but they offer many more important services. Also understand States can use funding according to their voters - a State and local choice
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Agree
policymakers should not be between patients and their medical professionals
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
Make it more progressive, responsible
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
defense contracting
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Agree
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Agree
If they're going to take advantage of Federal benefits and follow other laws
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
as long as regulations are reasonable and applied equally across all religious groups and other types of organizations, then your church can function as a church and not be shut down
HEALTHCARE
What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D)Tax-payer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be de-funded.
b. we all pay, and pay more, when people are excluded - this is not conservative or compassionate; those who want to pay privately should be able to do so
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
for the safety of the public if individuals are going to be around others
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
be examples ourselves but take actions to acknowledge/prepare, protect, pursue, and prevent threats
I support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement to pressure Israel to withdraw from occupied territories, remove the separation barrier in the West Bank, allow full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees.
Agree
the golden rule, many law-abiding Palestinians are supporting Israel today
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Disagree
this is not conservative spending that could be better spent preventing the flow of immigrants on the Southern border by understanding and repairing why they come here and to get us to stop purchasing their drugs - we are the market for many of the drug lords from the South
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Documentation and process is paramount, but the Federal US reps need to finalize what it takes to enter the country and finalize process. Loopholes for money, talent, and other must end. We should set realistic numbers per country of origin and measure that against contribution to this country, risk in their own countries (and look for ways to lower risk in other countries)
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Strongly Disagree
This is a financial choice, our founding fathers set public schooling in place to spread knowledge among all people; school choice already exists but don't agree that public taxpayer monies should be weakened to fund a personal choice
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Disagree
Our Founding Fathers used many faiths to establish our nation's legal framework and many faiths have the same morality passages/verses
I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
Agree
We need to value all peoples, everyone has a value in the US and can contribute to our continued success. We can look around the world and see the examples of countries that don't support anything like this and they're some of the worst at civil rights
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition
Strongly Disagree
Relationships between two individuals is sacred and should be accepted with legal protections, not ostracized
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Choose not to answer
That is not what CRT is about, why should we not use history to learn how to improve ourselves
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
Christian and not your definition of conservative or liberal. I believe the Bible and many other religious texts support valuing all people. Allowing more guns in more places especially without background checks and training is not conservative and neither is not providing affordable healthcare to all. This survey asks candidates to adhere to a very limited view of the world and the issues that confront everyone.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Disagree
but make sure people have a way to get a photo ID, many States don't offer this
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
Term limits, lobby/industry money out of politics, politicians restricted from lobbying or retiring and lobbying, expand voter knowledge, move official voting day to a weekend, extend voting periods by number of weeks and hours available
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
yes, still exists and practiced, foments domestic terror and is our number one threat to security
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Neutral
impossible to administer if by monetary means but equal access to justice and other measures are possible
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Which comes closest to your view? A) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy. B) Stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost.
regulations are protections, the cost of not protecting our natural resources and people are greater than preventing problems on the front end, there's also American innovation in protecting our resources and people - helping to demonstrate to other countries that this is the right way to do it. The Bible and other religious texts place mankind in charge of taking care of our planet
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Strongly Disagree
we don't require the measurement of water lost nor account for the chemicals going into the ground; water is a national security item larger than the production of a very limited and dwindling supply of oil and gas
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
The government is us, the people, and is a reflection of our needs. It's not some entity to be liked or disliked - it is us. We don't necessarily need small government but an efficient one that focuses on service to the citizens.
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Lean Conservative
I'm a conservative progressive. There is an increasing amount of State government, where I'm seeking to serve, that's increasingly between citizens and their needs. And there is too much interference from out of State and industry/corporate lobbying organizations that are distorting the contract between citizens and their public servants.
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
https://www.patrickforga.info/news
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
No.
What else would you like voters to know about you, including your legislative priorities?
Lead with an effective Government, listen to the constituents, improve the lives of constituents, deliver meaningful policy, responsible taxation, and a focus on what's really important to constituents and not Party or outside interests.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Agree
Public safety officers come with a uniform that assumes a high degree of personal responsibility but departments aren't always aware of situations on the ground - they should support but not supplant reasonable expectations of performance and look to repair poor performance and strengthen departments
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Disagree
Funding is limited already - public safety, in general, needs more funding in line with the enormous jobs they do. Additional funding, like the mental health funding finally granted by politicians in GA, can provide that new source of skillsets. However, GA public safety resources are already stretched - training beyond firearms as solutions is needed and GA lost a large opportunity to build mental health and community resources by not expanding Medicaid - we are extremely behind
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
GA is one of the worst at requiring training, responsible behavior, and gun sales to other States without proper or frequent background checks. The laws just passed here for Campus Carry, Concealed Carry, and others have made it more difficult tor public safety officers and transferred more risk to citizens and communities. We need proper gun registration and training. We do not need high capacity ammunition, bump stocks or many multiple round guns in our communities in the hands of most citizens - especially youth and untrained individuals. We must reconcile respect for life and 2nd Amendment extensions.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Agree
The marketing of some weapons is out of control, creating unrealistic expectations and targeting some segments (especially youth) - as long as they market and sell this way, they should be held responsible for how they run their business and for damages they inflict - this is the Christian way
