Matt Murphy
Republican | Texas
Candidate Profile
Moderate
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Matt Murphy
Party
Republican
Election Year
2016
Election
General
Race
State Rep., Dist. 147
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
(Candidate did not provide)
WORK & MILITARY
United State Navy, Damage Controlman, 2
AFFILIATIONS
Leadership Houston, Alumni-Class XXXIII, National Birth Defects Prevention Network
Parent Advisory Group-Regional Director, National Society of Leadership & Success, Sigma Alpha Pi Member
Society of Fire Protection Engineers, Member, National Fire Protection Association
Member, National Institute of Certified Engineer Technolog, Member
Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition, Member, Houston Young Republicans
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Houston City Council-At Large #4, 2015
Race
SCORECARDS
CONSERVATIVE ORGANIZATIONS
LIBERAL ORGANIZATIONS
ENDORSEMENTS
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (2)
National Rifle Association
Texas State Rifle Association
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Congress should repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).
Strongly Agree
Election of judges by the people for a definite term of office is the best way to select judges.
Strongly Agree
More restrictive gun control laws are needed to protect public safety.
Strongly Disagree
Government should enforce laws designed to protect the border and to prevent illegal entry into the country.
Strongly Agree
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States.
Strongly Agree
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Strongly Agree
Free enterprise and the right to private property turn mankind's natural self-interest into the most productive economic system there is.
Strongly Agree
There should be a strict constitutional spending limit for state and local governments that would tie the rate of spending to the rate of population growth plus the rate of inflation.
Strongly Agree
Marijuana should be legalized and regulated like tobacco and alcohol.
Strongly Agree
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which permitted our system of limited government.
Neutral
The founders established pure democracy in the Constitution because they believed that it is the best form of government to ensure the safety and equitable treatment of all citizens.
Strongly Disagree
Free-market competition for education dollars, rather than a government monopoly, would create a better education for all students.
Neutral
Where minor children are involved, divorce laws should be reformed to include mutual consent of both parents and an increased waiting period, unless there is fault or abuse.
Neutral
The Ten Commandments should not be displayed in public school buildings.
Strongly Disagree
Business owners should be required by law to bake cakes, provide flower arrangements, etc., for same-sex weddings, even when these activities would infringe on their sincerely-held religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
Our state should participate in the nationwide Common Core standards for high-school graduation.
Strongly Disagree
Physician-assisted suicide should be legal.
Strongly Disagree
The more people live by Judeo-Christian values, the less government is needed.
Strongly Agree
Islamic law (Sharia) does not pose a threat to the United States and its Constitution.
Strongly Disagree
Governments should define marriage as between one man and one woman; no other definition of marriage should be legalized or supported with public funds.
Strongly Agree
It is the government’s responsibility to be sure everyone has health care and a livable income.
Strongly Disagree
Planned Parenthood should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments.
Strongly Agree
What in the nature of mankind caused America’s Founders to carefully define, separate, and limit powers in the Constitution?
The Constitution was written as a document to protect our inalienable rights as citizens of the United States and Amendments to the Constitution has helped further explain the separation of powers, rights of individuals, and rights of local governments. The main reasoning for such clarifications were due to gaining independence from a overreaching government. Benjamin Franklin was once asked what the Constitution gave us he answered, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
Based on the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, please arrange the following entities, starting with the highest source of authority, and continue the list in descending order of authority, skipping any that do not apply: Academia, Congress, Constitution, God, Industry, Media, Professional Sports, Supreme Court, Voters.
The Declaration of Independence (declaration of war) stated "the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them" which declares we have freedom and the Constitution provides laws on how to protect our freedom.
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
I believe that if when our heart stops we are declared dead, then when our heart starts we should be declared living. When my wife and I were presented with the option of terminating the pregnancy of our son after finding out he was going to be born with birth defects, we told the doctor that our Faith did not offer a choice. He was alive. Today Shawn is an example of God's healing and what can be accomplished if we allow Him every situation of our life instead of trying to do it ourselves or allowing the Government to make decisions for us. Should another person choose differently as my family did, their safety and health should be of greatest importance.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I have complete Faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as the creator of all. I believe God came to live among us in the form of his Son, Jesus. I believe that I did not have a direct pathway to Heaven because of my ongoing sin until Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for my sins. I believe in Him, therefore that I can enter the gates of Heaven. I believe that the Holy Spirit can lead me to discernment if I pray to God for guidance, direction, and facts. I believe that I cannot change the hearts of others, only God can do that. However, I can be a vessel for Him to deliver His message if he so chooses.
Considering all issues (social, economic, national security, etc.), which of these best describes you?
No Answer
Please defend your answer to the previous question by referencing your publicly available track record.
I think that the terms Conservative and Liberal have been warped over time. I consider myself a fiscal conservative and social inclusive. I believe in classical liberalism which is a political ideology and a branch of liberalism which advocates civil liberties and political freedom with representative democracy under the rule of law and emphasizes economic freedoms in economic liberalism. Although I have never had to make a public decision as an elected official, my website blog show several examples of beliefs and decision making. www.mattmurphyforhouston.com
E-mail address and phone number for voters to reach you.
matt@mattmurphyforhouston.com
Additional comment from candidate:
In question #12 you asked if the Constitution gave us a "pure democracy". The definition of pure democracy is a democracy in which the power is exercised directly by the people rather than through representatives. We have a representative democracy which is a variety of democracy founded on the principle of elected officials representing a group of people. If we had a pure democracy, then there would be no need for me to run for office or answer this questionnaire.
