Mel Ponder

Congress should repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).

Election of judges by the people for a definite term of office is the best way to select judges.

More restrictive gun control laws are needed to protect public safety.

Government should enforce laws designed to protect the border and to prevent illegal entry into the country.

People should be able to vote without photo identification.

Religious liberty is at risk in the United States.

Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.

Free enterprise and the right to private property turn mankind's natural self-interest into the most productive economic system there is.

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.

Marijuana should be legalized and regulated like tobacco and alcohol.

Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which permitted our system of limited government.

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.

Free-market competition for education dollars, rather than a government monopoly, would create a better education for all students.

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.

The Ten Commandments should not be displayed in public school buildings.

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.

Our state should participate in the nationwide Common Core standards for high-school graduation.

Physician-assisted suicide should be legal.

The more people live by Judeo-Christian values, the less government is needed.

Islamic law (Sharia) does not pose a threat to the United States and its Constitution.

Governments should define marriage as between one man and one woman; no other definition of marriage should be legalized or supported with public funds.

It is the government’s responsibility to be sure everyone has health care and a livable income.

Planned Parenthood should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments.

What in the nature of mankind caused America’s Founders to carefully define, separate, and limit powers in the Constitution?

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.

Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?

Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.

Considering all issues (social, economic, national security, etc.), which of these best describes you?

Please defend your answer to the previous question by referencing your publicly available track record.

E-mail address and phone number for voters to reach you.

Additional comment from candidate: