Sandy Salmon
Republican | Iowa
Candidate Profile*
Verified Conservative
*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Sandy Salmon
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
State Senator, Dist. 29
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, BA, 1977
Kingsley-Pierson School, Kingsley, Iowa, HS, 1973
WORK & MILITARY
U.S. Marine Corps, 1st Lt., 1977-80
AFFILIATIONS
Celebration Assembly of God, Waterloo, IA, Member, Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators
Member, Marine Corps League, Member
Black Hawk County Farm Bureau, Member, Iowa Corn Growers
Member, Black Hawk County Republican Women, Member
Black Hawk County 4-H, Leader, Metro Home Educators
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
State Representative, 2012-Current
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
(Candidate did not provide)
Race
Previous Races
SCORECARDS
CONSERVATIVE ORGANIZATIONS
2013
100%
2021-2022
100%
2021
83%, 87% (cum.)†
2013
|100%
2021-2022
|100%
2021
|83%, 87% (cum.)†
LIBERAL ORGANIZATIONS
2020
33%
2020
15%, 5% (cum.)†
2016
0%
2021
0%
2020
|33%
2020
|15%, 5% (cum.)†
2016
|0%
2021
|0%
ENDORSEMENTS*
*These endorsements were received after the deadline and were not considered in the Panel Evaluations and are for additional educational purposes only.
CONSERVATIVE (4)
*National Rifle Association (NRA) PVF
*Iowa Right to Life State PAC
Stand For Health Freedom
*Patriot Parents
OTHER (1)
Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) PAC (IIPAC)
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (15)
Annette Sweeney (2021)
Ashley Hinson (2022)
Charley Thomson (2022)
Cindy Golding (2011)
Family Leader (2012)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (17)
Black Hills Corporation (2016)
Educational Opportunities PAC (2021)
Family Leader (2020)
Hawkeye PAC (2018)
Huck PAC (2014)
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (0)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Iowa Association for Justice (2021)
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
To save the physical life of the mother
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Strongly Disagree
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
I have supported and voted for several tax reductions (state level) and will continue to do so. We also should reduce the amount of tax credits to ensure the tax burden is spread out among as many taxpayers as possible. Also, our tax system needs to be changed to incentivize rather than disincentivize marriage.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
In our state, we are required to balance the budget each year and also to keep 10% of revenue aside for emergency funding. Our spending must always be below the revenue we take in. No government-funded entity ever gets all the money they want and many groups are unhappy about it.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
The government is required by the 1st Amendment to protect the freedom of religion and so therefore citizens should be free to live out their beliefs and values without fear of punishment by the government.
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
It should be only if every other business, non-profit, or agency is also shut down and then only for a limited time. Our state's emergency disaster response law needs to be changed to better protect religious liberties and our other constitutional rights and liberties.
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.
C
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
As a general rule, vaccinations should not be allowed to be required by government, school or employer. If it becomes necessary to require a vaccination there should always be exemptions for medical, religious, or philosophical reasons and they should always be honored.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
For foreign policy,once the United States has defeated Islamic terrorists in the Middle East, we need to maintain a certain level of military presence there in order to prevent terrorist training camps from redeveloping. For domestic policy, federal and state laws need to reflect only their constitutions and no other foreign system of law. Enforcement and court action need to follow along the same lines.
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.
Strongly Disagree
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
For starters we need to at least enforce the laws we already have on the books. We also need to finish building the wall President Trump started. We also need to vet illegals already here-those with criminal records should be deported.
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Prospective immigrants should be vetted to ensure their belief system is compatible with living in a free society that functions as a constitutional republic. This should be also be true of those seeking religious and/or political asylum. They should also be vetted to ensure they will be contributing and productive members of society. Allowances should be made for seasonal workers needed for agriculture and other industries. A related issue is that of welfare reform which would encourage more to go to work and perhaps lessen pressure on businesses to need immigrant workers.
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Strongly Agree
I have always supported and/or voted for legislation supporting school choice, home schools, and private schools.
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
Strongly Disagree
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 Agree
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I have always been a seriously committed Christian who strives to support and advocate public policies that reflect those beliefs and values. I believe those policies will best promote the welfare and economic, political, and cultural conditions for all citizens, Christian and non-Christian alike.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
In our state, we need to upgrade our paper ballots to incorporate security type features that are used for monetary currency. I also believe counting votes needs to return to people-based system rather than a machine-based system. The use of absentee ballots should be restricted to those who are away from home for college or work or are in the military or hospitalized. Same-day registration of voters should be eliminated. Iowa has already required a Voter ID and also has already prohibited ballot harvesting, mail-in balloting, and "Zuckerbucks", which is good.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Racism has been demonstrated to be a threat especially during 2020 with major riots in our big cities with a number of people, including law enforcement killed or injured and billions of dollars worth of property destroyed.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
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.
A
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Agree
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
To protect the freedoms, rights and liberties of its people both domestically and from foreign threats.
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?
Very Conservative
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
My newsletter, usually coming out weekly during legislative session and monthly when out of session, often gets published in my district's newspapers (Waverly Newspapers, Sumner Gazette, and Tripoli Leader) and outlines my policy positions on a wide variety of issues. I have been interviewed by Dr. Ryan Howard in his "Your Faith at Work" podcast.
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?
I have led the fight in the Iowa House for the past 10 years for pro-life legislation and, along with others, helped push for passage of Iowa's Heartbeat Law and for defunding Planned Parenthood. I have also led the fight for the following in the Iowa House: protection of religious liberty, protection for freedom of speech on university campuses, protection for children from pornography on the internet and in the schools, protection from gender identity ideology regarding use of facilities in schools, women's sports, and health care, protection from political partisanship aimed at children in schools, protection from COVID vaccine mandates, and election integrity improvements needed in light of issues raised from the 2020 election.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Agree
Law enforcement must make very quick decisions in extremely high pressure, life-and-death situations and there must be allowances for that, however, this immunity must be narrowly construed.
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Strongly Disagree
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Currently we revoke citizen's 2nd Amendment rights if they have committed a felony or have been adjudicated mentally incompetent. Other than that law-abiding citizens should be able to exercise their 2nd Amendment rights and that will best ensure public safety. Gun control measures have not proven effective.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
