Ralph Norman
Republican | South Carolina
Candidate Profile*
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Ralph Norman
Party
Republican
Election Year
2020
Election
General
Race
U.S. Rep., Dist. 5
Incumbent
Yes
Links
EDUCATION
Rock Hill High School, Rock Hill, SC, 1971
Presbyterian College, Clinton, SC, B.S., 1975
WORK & MILITARY
(Candidate did not provide)
AFFILIATIONS
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Rock Hill, SC, Member, Salvation Army
Board of Directors, Fmr., United Way, Board of Directors, Fmr.
YMCA of York County, Board of Directors, Fmr., MUSC Board of Visitors
Board of Directors, Fmr., Winthrop Eagle Club, Board of Directors, Fmr.
Children's Attention Home, Board of Directors, Fmr., Piedmont Medical Center
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
SC State House of Representatives, 2004-2006
SC State House of Representatives, 2009-2017
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
(Candidate did not provide)
SCORECARDS
CONSERVATIVE ORGANIZATIONS
LIBERAL ORGANIZATIONS
ENDORSEMENTS*
CONSERVATIVE (6)
Campaign for Working Families
*Family Research Council Action PAC
National Rifle Association (NRA) PVF
National Right To Life
Nikki Haley
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (3)
National Right to Life
Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
FreedomWorks
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (30)
Club for Growth (2018)
Daniel (Dan) Bishop (2019)
FreedomWorks (2019)
Gregory F. Murphy (2020)
Henry McMaster (2010)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (115)
21st Century Freedom PAC (2006)
Advance The Majority PAC (2006)
American Success PAC (2006)
Austin Scott (2017)
Back Americas Conservatives PAC (2006)
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (2)
Todd Rutherford (2009)
Vincent Sheheen (2014)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (2)
National Air Traffic Controllers Association (2020)
Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (2018)
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?
When the life of the mother is in jeopardy
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
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?
Precisely what the First Amendment states; that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The former is much easier to identify than the latter, but there's no shortage of liberal legislation in Congress that (intentionally or not) infringes upon our free exercise of religion. This is exactly why conservative judges are desperately need in our federal courts.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The best way to maintain peace is through a strong military.
Strongly Agree
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of radical Islamic terrorism?
Our nation needs to (1) invest heavily in our foreign intelligence operations; (2) maintain an extremely strong military capable and ready to destroy terrorist organizations before they strike us; (3) continue improve border security at home, so that we always know who and what is trying to come into our nation; (4) place heavy pressure on the international community to help us rid the world of terrorism.
HEALTHCARE
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has health insurance.
Disagree
I support the elimination of private healthcare insurance.
Strongly Disagree
How would you promote healthcare coverage that is adequate, affordable and accessible for all?
For starters, I believe in providing grants to states to help with pools for high-risk individuals and those who cannot afford the costs of healthcare and insurance. We should also allow people to shop for health insurance across state lines, and enable "portable" plans that don't tether workers to their employers. We should also continue to promote tele-medicine and Health Saving Accounts.
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
How would you guarantee Social Security benefits for future generations?
We have a responsibility to honor the promises made to our nation's seniors, while taking intelligent steps to protect the future of our younger generations. This includes extending the retirement age for younger generations entering the workforce from 65 to 72, as people are living and working longer. Furthermore, we should stop allowing the federal government to raid Social Security funds for other purposes. Social Security is NOT the federal government's money. It is OUR money!
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
The federal government doesn't have a revenue problem; it has a spending problem. I'm on the Budget Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. With a few exceptions, legitimate appropriations cuts could easily be made to most federal departments and agencies. Start small, such as 1% annual reduction across the board, 2% the next year, etc. Such that deficit reduction efforts soon result in a balanced budget, and then from there an effort to pay down our national debt.
Under what circumstances should taxpayers help pay off existing student loans?
1.6 TRILLION. That’s the estimated cost of this ludicrous idea. And that’s on top of our existing $25 TRILLION in national debt. Why do some believe it's the responsibility of the government to borrow even more money on the backs of taxpayers to cover post-secondary student loan payments? We couldn’t afford this even if it were a good idea.
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.
Strongly Agree
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) should be abolished.
Strongly Disagree
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
Employers should be required to use E-verify to confirm the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States.
Strongly Agree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
We are a nation of immigrants, and lawful immigration provides countless benefits to our country. However, an unsecured border is both reckless and dangerous. Our immigration policies should be dictated by two data-driven indicators: (1) what our nation and its social services can safely support, and (2) the labor needs of our various industries, especially in areas where Americans have been unable or unwilling to work.
EDUCATION
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Disagree
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Mandatory minimum sentencing should be required and enforced for violent crimes.
Agree
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
The premise of this question appears to be that restrictions on our Second Amendment Rights are somehow "needed to protect public safety." I could not disagree more with this premise. Cultural rot, degradation of faith, and less emphasis on the value of life have led the violence we see in our nation. To address public safety, we must start with those areas. The existence of firearms and those who safely and lawfully own them are NOT the problem.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
I support BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanction) against Israel if they refuse to allow the creation of a Palestinian state.
Strongly Disagree
I support the legalization of recreational marijuana.
Strongly Disagree
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
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. Federal spending is dangerously high, as is our national debt. Extraordinarily difficult days lie ahead for the United States if we cannot get this under control. 2. Strong national defense will always be our federal government's most important responsibility. Our allies must never question the United States' resolve or ability to do what's right. Nor should our enemies. 3. Before COVID, our economy and job growth was setting records. It is the role of Congress to help our nation resume that success.
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Racism is real. It's an issue that, as a society, we must work relentlessly to eradicate. But let's be clear: the fact that racism exists does not cause people to attack police, unlawfully riot, or destroy private property. There are powerful, lawful ways to protest and petition for meaningful change on this front. Unfortunately, we're seeing rioters and lawless mobs hijack this important movement. And the lawlessness they're creating is, in fact, a threat to safety and security.
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.
In Congress, I'm a member of the very conservative House Freedom Caucus. I actually co-sponsored the aforementioned Born-Alive Abortion Survivors protection Act, and have been endorsed by National Right to Life. I have 100% ratings from conservative organizations such as FreedomWorks and Club for Growth. I also have a 98% rating with Heritage Action for America.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
No.
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
Did not answer
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.
Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a strong, lifelong Christian and believe the single most important thing in life is to glorify God.
