
Rick Stewart
Libertarian | Iowa
Candidate Profile
Moderate
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Rick Stewart
Party
Libertarian
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
Governor
Incumbent
No
EDUCATION
Phillips Academy, Andover, HS dipl, 1969
Coe College, Cedar Rapids, BA, 1992
University of Chicago, Chicago, MBA, 1994
WORK & MILITARY
Maquoketa Police Dept, Patrol Officer, 1973/4
Frontier Co-op, CEO, 1976/99
AFFILIATIONS
Quetzaltrekkers, Board of Advisors
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
U.S. Senator, 2014, 2020
County Sheriff, 2016
Secretary of Agriculture, 2018
Race
Previous Races
ENDORSEMENTS
CONSERVATIVE (1)
Stand For Health Freedom
OTHER (1)
Jesse Ventura
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Jesse Ventura
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (2)
Chris Peters (2016)
Local, County, and District Republican Organizations (2011)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Chris Peters (2020)
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (1)
Iowa Citizen Action Network (2016)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
When there is no acceptable alternative for 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 Agree
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
Income tax should be completely eliminated. It is the most inefficient and ineffective tax of all, and serves only as a cesspool for politicians to play in.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
All government spending not authorized by the Constitution.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
Education should be the responsibility of the individual, who knows best what education will be useful.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Choose not to answer
Private businesses should not be told how to operate by the government.
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
Treason, violence
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.
The Constitution does not authorize government involvement in health care. All government programs should be phased out over the next 20 years.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
Never
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
Nothing. 'Threats' cannot be eradicated, only 'acts'.
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
BDS movements have never been effective in the past, and they open the doors to massive criminal involvement, so why repeat the failures of the past? Private individuals can invest as they wish, government should stay out of it.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Disagree
The US should sell lifetime green cards at auction, with a minimum bid of $50,000. All other non-criminal foreigners should be welcomed to the United States as tourists.
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
See above. [Note: green cards do not provide citizenship. The current citizenship process is the least of our problems.]
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Strongly Agree
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
So do the values of many other religions. Morality is not limited to Judeo-Christian beliefs.
I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
Neutral
Need more information.
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
No government has the right to define marriage. No law should promote or discourage marriage, which is a god-ordained, sacred and legal union and not subject to government oversight.
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.
My strongest spiritual belief is that it's none of the government's business. I do not judge people on their beliefs, I judge them on their behavior.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Agree
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
Ranked Choice Voting
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
The Drug War is racist, and the Drug War is a threat to domestic security in the United States.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
Reparations should be paid to innocent victims of the racist Drug War, regardless of their race.
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.
Idiotic and ineffective environmental laws and regulations should be eliminated. Intelligently designed environmental laws are necessary when externalities are not incorporated into the cost of production. Economics 101.
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Agree
I doubt that fracking is any worse than old fashioned drilling, but I'm not an expert.
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
Protect the rights of the people from infringement by the government.
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?
Choose not to answer
You present a two dimensional choice. I am a Libertarian. I am not two dimensional.
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
Google Rick Stewart on Iowa Press
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?
My legislative priority is to end the Drug War as quickly as possible, to put America back on the right track.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Strongly Disagree
LEO exists to protect our rights, not abuse them.
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Strongly Disagree
Law enforcement is a legitimate government function. Most other government programs are not. Current Drug War policies have made it impossible for police officers to do their jobs correctly, so ending the Drug War is a necessary prerequisite for justice.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
None. People who cannot be trusted with a gun should be in prison until they learn how to behave responsibly.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue perpetrators of gun violence.
If you are not already receiving our emails, stay up to date with important election alerts, educational articles, and encouraging reminders.
Invest in America’s Future
Join the movement to restore biblical values and constitutional principles in our nation by informing and mobilizing more faith-based voters with the truth.