Whitney H. Westerfield
Republican | Kentucky
Candidate Profile
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Whitney H. Westerfield
Party
Republican
Election Year
2020
Election
General
Race
State Senator, Dist. 3
Incumbent
Yes
Links
EDUCATION
University of Kentucky, Lexington, BS, 2003
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, JD, 2006
WORK & MILITARY
State Senate, Senator, 7
Westerfield Law Office, Owner, 14
Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, 3rd Judicial Cir, Asst. Commonwealth's Attorney, 5
AFFILIATIONS
Alpha Pregnancy Care Center (FMR), Board Director, First Baptist Church (FMR)
Deacon, Kiwanis Club of Hopkinsville, Members, FMR Board Director
United Way of the Pennyrile (FMR), Board Director, FMR Board Chair, Boys & Girls Club of Hopkinsville-Christian County
FMR Board Director, Kentucky Assoc. of Children Advocacy Centers, Board Director
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
State Senator, 7
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
(Candidate did not provide)
Race
Previous Races
SCORECARDS
CONSERVATIVE ORGANIZATIONS
2019
83%, 89% (cum.)†
2015
86%, 87% (cum.)†
2018
83%
2019
|83%, 89% (cum.)†
2015
|86%, 87% (cum.)†
LIBERAL ORGANIZATIONS
ENDORSEMENTS
CONSERVATIVE (4)
Commonwealth Policy Center
Freedoms Heritage Forum
Kentucky Right to Life Association (KRLA)
National Rifle Association (NRA) PVF
OTHER (1)
Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (5)
Allison Ball (2015)
Melinda Prunty (2018)
Sara Beth Gregory (2014)
State Republican Party Organizations (2018)
Walker Thomas (2018)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (36)
Adam Koenig (2015)
Addia Wuchner (2015)
Allison Ball (2015)
Bluegrass Committee (2015)
Brandon D. Smith (2012)
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (0)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (2)
Better Schools Kentucky (2019)
Reginald Thomas (2019)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Strongly Agree
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds or grants from federal, state, or local governments.
Strongly Agree
I support the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which requires health care providers to provide life-saving treatment for infants who survive an attempted abortion.
Strongly Agree
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Abortion, the killing of an innocent unborn life, shouldn’t ever be allowed (or publicly funded).
ECONOMY
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has a livable income.
Disagree
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
I would find savings and reduce spending, particularly on programs that are not serving the people well, by implementing performance-based funding. I would continue our work to eliminate fraud and abuse (a recent example: the use of no-bid contracts by the governor to address the tens of thousands of unresolved unemployment claims; a contract worth millions, that has been extended twice, but hasn’t produced a satisfactory outcome). I’d eliminate duplication of services by overlapping agencies.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Governments should not discriminate against individuals, organizations or small businesses because of their belief that marriage is only a union of one man and one woman.
Strongly Agree
Governments should define marriage as between one man and one woman; no other definition of marriage should be legalized or supported with taxpayer or public funds.
Strongly Agree
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Strongly Agree
I promise to protect the freedom of Christians to share the Gospel and to practice Biblical principles.
Yes
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
The First Amendment begins by stating “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...”. The state cannot create or impose a religion on the people. However, the people in the roles of government cannot be asked to leave their religious beliefs at the door. I cannot remove my Christian values from the decisions I make in favor of, or in opposition, to public policy proposals.
HEALTHCARE
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has health insurance.
Disagree
How would you promote healthcare coverage that is adequate, affordable and accessible for all?
We should increase competition between managed care organizations, insurance companies, and providers, to drive costs down and the quality of care up. We should get government out of the way of small businesses, helping them to recover and rebuild from harmful shutdowns and thrive well enough to provide competitive wages, making coverage more affordable for those that need it.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The best way to maintain peace is through a strong military.
Strongly Agree
IMMIGRATION
I am in favor of construction of a wall and other necessary infrastructure on our border that gives complete control over entering and exiting the United States.
Neutral
State and federal funds should be denied to any public or private entity, including but not limited to sanctuary cities, that are not in compliance with immigration laws.
Agree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Immigration is federal policy for the U.S. Congress to take up, and not the State legislature, but I believe the system should be improved to be much more efficient at allowing lawful immigrants to become naturalized citizens, and much swifter at removing those who have come here and broken the law.
EDUCATION
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Disagree
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
I support adding sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a Christian (and Southern Baptist by denomination) who believes that salvation is God’s gift to everyone who repents and accepts Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior! I believe the government, while it cannot compel people to follow my religion or anyone else’s, must be guided by moral values of right and wrong, and as a Christian I (try to) bring those values to the policy decisions I must make for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Protecting the unborn is my top priority in the legislature, and I’ve sponsored or co-sponsored bills to carry out this effort every year I’ve been in the General Assembly. Lord willing I win re-election, I plan to re-file Kentucky’s Born Alive Infant Protection Act and expect it to move forward swiftly!
ABOUT YOU
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and immigration, which of the following best describes you overall?
Very Conservative
Please provide publicly available information validating your answer to the previous question.
I have eight legislative sessions of voting history, including eight years presiding over the Senate Judiciary Committee, that demonstrates my conservative bonafides. From advocating for pro-life policy and protecting and defending religious liberty, to opposition to attempts at over-taxation and government overreaches. I’ve also publicly pledged to work in 2021 and beyond to curtail the pattern of unconstitutional abuse of executive power by Kentucky’s governor during this global pandemic.
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
My legal career, both in private practice and as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney, followed by the last nearly eight years as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and my time serving on the Agriculture and Natural Resources/Energy Committees (both critical positions for the 3rd Senate District) make me uniquely qualified to hold the office of State Senator for the 3rd District.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
No; nor have I been accused of such conduct.
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
When I’m not serving as a legislator or practicing law I’m also a commercial drone pilot (commercial photography and videography work). My wife is the director of the local Faith-based crisis pregnancy center that ministers to women and families facing crises pregnancies with love and compassion, material assistance for new babies, free ultrasounds for expecting moms, post-abortion counseling for those struggling with that past — a ministry we fully support, and believe is important to steer women and families toward choosing life instead of abortion! We’re the blessed parents of two perfect kids. Please keep all candidates for office and their families, at all levels, in your prayers!
JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY
I support the use of Sharia law as a basis for legislation and judicial decisions in the United States.
Strongly Disagree
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Mandatory minimum sentencing should be required and enforced for violent crimes.
Disagree
2ND AMENDMENT
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
No
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
We need fewer restrictions on gun ownership by law abiding citizens, and greater access to mental and behavioral healthcare.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Disagree
I support the legalization of recreational marijuana.
Strongly Disagree
The Electoral College should be abolished.
Strongly Disagree
In priority order, what three areas of legislation do you propose to author or sponsor if elected?
1. Pro-Life legislation (starting in 2021 with Kentucky’s Born Alive Infant Protection Act) 2. Criminal justice policy that improves public safety for our communities across Kentucky 3. Economic/Tax policy that lowers tax burdens and broadens the base, making us more competitive with other states (particularly Tennessee, which borders all three counties in the District).
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Racism is a threat to people of color in certain parts of the Commonwealth, and the rest of the U.S. There are examples of policies (particularly criminal justice policies) that are race-neutral on their face, but that have a disproportionate minority impacts in application (i.e., Youthful Offender cases in juvenile matters). Thankful these are not present in all areas of the Commonwealth. I do not believe that racism is a threat to domestic security. I do believe that violence, rioting, looting, and destruction of property in “protest” is a threat to domestic security and we should support law enforcement to help stop this criminal conduct and protect innocent lives and businesses.
