Steven "Chap" St. John

Agree

I believe human life has inherent dignity and deserves protection from conception through natural death. At the same time, I recognize that families can face extraordinarily difficult and deeply personal circumstances involving pregnancy, serious illness, and end-of-life care. These situations deserve compassion, respect, and thoughtful consideration. My approach is to protect the dignity of human life while treating individuals and families facing these difficult decisions.

Agree

I believe human life deserves dignity and protection, including human embryos created through assisted reproductive technologies. At the same time, I recognize the importance of fertility treatments such as IVF for families who are trying to have children. I believe we should seek policies that respect developing human life while protecting responsible access to fertility treatment and treating families facing these deeply personal decisions with compassion.

I believe elective abortion should be limited, with exceptions when the life of the mother is at risk, when there is a serious threat to her health, in cases of rape or incest, or when there is a severe or fatal fetal abnormality. These are extraordinarily difficult circumstances, and I believe they should be approached with compassion, respect for human life, and consideration for the woman and family facing the decision.

Disagree

I do not believe taxpayer dollars should be used to fund elective abortions. However, individuals should remain free to make voluntary private donations to lawful organizations of their choice. I also support access to essential healthcare services for women, including preventive care, cancer screenings, prenatal care, and other necessary medical services.

Disagree

I do not believe an 1873 law should be used to determine modern reproductive healthcare policy. I believe in protecting human life, but I also believe women facing extraordinarily difficult medical and personal circumstances must be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect for their ability to make their own healthcare decisions. These issues should be addressed through clear, modern laws that recognize both the value of human life and the rights and realities women face.

Agree

I believe free enterprise and private property are essential to a strong economy. Individuals should have the opportunity to build businesses, create jobs, own property, and succeed through their own efforts. At the same time, reasonable safeguards are necessary to protect consumers, workers, and fair competition so that economic opportunity is available to everyone.

Agree

I believe our tax system should be fair and recognize the tremendous financial pressure facing working families. Those who have greater financial resources can reasonably contribute more, while we provide meaningful relief to working- and middle-income families. At the same time, tax policy should encourage investment, job creation, small-business growth, and economic opportunity rather than punish success.

Agree

I agree that the federal government must control unnecessary spending and address the national debt. However, we should begin by eliminating waste, inefficiency, and unnecessary expenditures rather than balancing the budget on the backs of seniors, veterans, working families, or people who depend on essential healthcare. Fiscal responsibility requires both discipline and responsible priorities.

My priorities for eliminating government waste would be: 1. Reduce waste, fraud, and improper payments in federal programs while protecting benefits for people who legitimately qualify. 2. Eliminate duplicative federal programs and agencies performing overlapping functions. 3. Require greater accountability for government contracts, including stronger oversight of cost overruns and contracts that fail to deliver promised results. 4. Review unnecessary administrative and consulting expenses.

Disagree

I believe religious liberty and freedom of conscience are fundamental rights, and government should be very cautious about compelling individuals to personally participate in activities that violate sincerely held religious beliefs. At the same time, religious liberty should not become a justification for denying people ordinary goods or services simply because of who they are. We should protect both freedom of conscience and the equal dignity of every person.

As a chaplain seeking public service, my faith and experiences have shaped who I am, but public office carries a responsibility to serve everyone. Government should neither establish nor favor a religion and should protect everyone's religious freedom. I would bring compassion, dignity, listening, and respect to Congress while representing people of every faith and those with no religious belief.

(B) I support a healthcare system that gives Americans choices. A government-funded option should be available to those who need or want it, while individuals who prefer private or employer-sponsored insurance should be able to keep it. Medicare and Medicaid must also be protected. Healthcare should be accessible and affordable without taking choices away from patients and families.

Disagree

I support using anonymous and aggregated health data to understand healthcare costs and improve treatment, but an individual's medical information must remain private. Government should not maintain an identifiable database of people based on their illnesses simply to calculate economic costs. We can obtain valuable healthcare data while protecting patient confidentiality and privacy.

(B)I believe America should be engaged in the world, but our involvement must be thoughtful and selective. We should support our allies, encourage democracy, and oppose tyranny while making diplomacy our first choice. Military action should never be automatic. Our first responsibility is protecting the American people, our national security, and the men and women we may ask to serve.

Agree

I agree that the Chinese Communist Party presents serious challenges to U.S. national security, cybersecurity, intellectual property, and our economic interests. America must protect its technology, infrastructure, businesses, and national security while maintaining diplomacy and avoiding unnecessary conflict. Our concerns are with the policies and actions of the Chinese government, not with the Chinese people.

Yes. Israel is an important U.S. ally, and our relationship contributes to security, intelligence cooperation, and stability in the Middle East. We should support Israel's right to exist and defend its people while also supporting diplomacy, protection of innocent civilians, and lasting peace. Supporting Israel does not require agreeing with every decision made by its government.

Agree

I agree that terrorism motivated by extremist ideology can threaten our national security, and the United States must remain vigilant in protecting Americans. At the same time, we must distinguish violent extremists from the millions of peaceful Muslims who reject terrorism. Our national security policies should target those who threaten our country, not people because of their religion.

America should welcome people who come through a lawful immigration process, including families, workers who contribute to our economy, and people legitimately seeking refuge from persecution. We must secure our borders, conduct appropriate background checks, and enforce our laws. At the same time, our immigration system should be efficient, fair, and humane, recognizing that America has long been strengthened by immigrants.

Disagree

I believe immigration laws should be enforced, but always with humanity and respect for human dignity. As a hospital chaplain, I know emergency care must be available regardless of immigration status. Undocumented individuals should not fear seeking emergency medical treatment or reporting a crime. We can enforce our immigration laws while treating people with compassion and protecting basic human needs.

Disagree

As a former elementary teacher, I believe the Department of Education has an important role in supporting students, teachers, and schools. States and local communities should have significant control over education, but eliminating the Department is not the answer. Like every government institution, it must have strong oversight, accountability, and checks and balances.

Agree

I agree that foreign governments should not be permitted to use funding to influence American education, research, curriculum, or public policy. Foreign funding must be fully transparent and subject to strong oversight. At the same time, legitimate academic exchanges and international research partnerships should remain possible when they are transparent, lawful, and protect America's educational independence and national interests.

Disagree

I do not believe every situation involving a child questioning gender should automatically be labeled child abuse. Children deserve compassion, parental involvement, appropriate professional guidance, and strong safeguards, particularly regarding irreversible medical procedures. These are serious and deeply personal situations, and families should be treated with care rather than automatically characterized as abusive.

Disagree

My personal faith informs my understanding of marriage, but as a public servant I must represent people of every faith and those with no religious belief. Religious institutions should remain free to define marriage according to their beliefs, while government must protect the equal legal rights of all citizens. Religious freedom includes both the freedom to practice one's faith and the freedom of others to live differently.

As a hospital chaplain, I have seen the unconditional of love of family, I have seen the inconditional love between a husbands and wifes, the unconditional love between brothers and sisters, I have seen the unconditional bond between a mother and a daughter, I have seen the unconditional bond between a father and son, a daughter. I have seen the profound loss of a loved one. I have explained to patients who are in terrible pain, when you look at the cross, from this day forth, you now know his pain. I have experienced through prayer God's profound love for each and everyone of us. What is sacred to God, the freedom to choose our faith and the path we follow. Every breath you take, every step you take, he is always with you. His love.

Disagree

I support reasonable voter identification requirements to help maintain confidence in our elections. However, identification should be readily available at no cost, and reasonable alternatives should exist for eligible citizens who lack traditional photo identification. Election security is important, but no eligible American should lose the opportunity to vote simply because obtaining an ID is difficult.

Agree

I agree that women's sports and sex-specific private spaces should remain protected on the basis of biological sex. I believe this is important for fairness in athletic competition and for privacy and safety in intimate or vulnerable settings. At the same time, every person, including transgender individuals, deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect.

We should maintain a diverse energy supply that includes natural gas, solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric power, and improved energy storage. Reliability, affordability, and energy independence should guide our policy.

No

No

Moderate

I consider myself a moderate because I evaluate issues individually rather than through a political party or ideology. Some of my positions may be considered conservative and others more liberal. As a hospital chaplain, I have learned that real life is rarely divided neatly along political lines. I believe in listening, finding common ground, and seeking practical solutions that respect individual dignity and serve the people I represent.

Agree

I agree. Protecting children from sexual exploitation, trafficking, grooming, and abuse online is a fundamental responsibility of government. Laws must be enforced and technology companies should take reasonable steps to protect minors. At the same time, those protections should respect constitutional rights and the privacy of law-abiding Americans.

I support the Second Amendment and the right of law-abiding citizens to own firearms. I also support reasonable background checks and restrictions on firearm possession by convicted violent felons and individuals legally determined, with due process, to pose a serious danger to themselves or others. Gun laws should focus on preventing violence while respecting the constitutional rights of responsible gun owners.