Ron Higgins
Non-Partisan | Washington
Candidate Profile
Verified Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Ron Higgins
Party
Non-Partisan
Election Year
2020
Election
Primary
Race
Supt. of Public Instruction
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, Masters, 1980
University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida, Masters, 1970
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, Bachelors, 1969
WORK & MILITARY
Pasco, Richland, Kennewick school districts in WA., Substitute Teacher, 2009-2020
Los Angeles Unified School District, Substitute Teacher, 2015
US Department of Energy + Nuclear Regulatory Comm., Engineer, 1981-2009
US Marine Corps, active and reserve, Lieutenant Colonel, 1969-1991
AFFILIATIONS
Gideons, Scripture Coordinator, Union Gospel Mission
Chapel speaker, Republican Party, Precinct Committee Officer
Boy Scouts, Troop Committeeman, Cub Scouts
Cub Scout Master, Youth Soccer, Referee
Bible Study Fellowship, Children's Leader, Red Cross
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Republican Party Precinct Committee Officer, 2012-2020
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
State Superintendent of Public Instruction, 2012 and 2016
Richland School Board, 2013, 2015
Race
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (6)
Brad Klippert (2008)
Local, County, and District Republican Organizations (2020)
Matt Shea (2016)
Roy Moore (2017)
Scott Walker (2011)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Local, County, and District Republican Organizations (2016)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
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?
Abortion should only be permissible in order to save the life of the mother.
ECONOMY
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has a livable income.
Strongly Disagree
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
Governments should define marriage as between one man and one woman; no other definition of marriage should be legalized or supported with taxpayer or public funds.
Strongly Agree
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Strongly Agree
The Ten Commandments should not be displayed in public school buildings or court houses.
Strongly Disagree
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?
The state does not control the church, and the church does not control the state. Both church and state are under the ethical authority of God. Government is not a sovereign moral agent but answers to a higher moral authority, which is God. This is why we have the words “under God” in the pledge of allegiance. No one is forced to believe in God, but government must abide by the ethical principles established by God, one of which is to guarantee to all citizens freedom of religion.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The best way to maintain peace is through a strong military.
Strongly Agree
EDUCATION
The federal government should mandate standards and requirements (such as Common Core) for local schools.
Strongly Disagree
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
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
I support adding sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a Christian who believes the Bible to be the inspired, infallible, inerrant word of God and the complete guide for faith and practice, and as such, I strongly adhere to the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of religion, a principle that is affirmed in the Bible. I am a member of the Apostolic Christian Church and belong to the Gideons. I conduct chapel service at the Pasco Union Gospel Mission one Sunday evening a month, and I have attended Bible Study Fellowship for over 20 years.
ABOUT YOU
I voted in these primaries and general elections:
2012 Republican Primary, 2012 General Election, 2014 General Election, 2016 Republican Primary, 2016 General Election, 2018 General Election
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.
My website, www.higgins4spi.com, displays my views for all the world to see. The home page states that I am the conservative candidate for State Superintendent of Public Instruction, and that I’m pro-life, pro-family, pro-Second Amendment, pro-property rights, and pro-free enterprise. I have run for public office six times previously and publicly proclaimed the same views. I am a Republican Party Precinct Committee Officer and strongly and publicly support the Republican Party’s pro-life, pro-family, pro-Second Amendment, pro-property rights, and pro-free enterprise platform.
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
I’m a certificated Math Teacher in both Washington State and California with over 10 years of classroom teaching experience, teaching in 7 Washington school districts and in the inner-city of Los Angeles in public and charter schools. I’ve taught in urban and rural locations, and in vocational and alternative schools. I’ve taught all grades, kindergarten through 12th grade, and all subjects, including bilingual [Spanish and Russian] and special education. I retired as an engineer from the US Department of Energy and have a professional engineer’s license. I’m a Marine Corps Vietnam veteran helicopter pilot, retiring from the Marine Corps Reserves as a Lt. Colonel. I have a masters’ degree in chemical engineering from the University of Washington, a master’s degree in aeronautical systems from the University of West Florida, and a bachelors’ degree in Chemistry from Cal Poly. While working as an engineer, I trained and tested nuclear power plant operators.
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?
Married to my wife Deborah since 1983; a son and a daughter. Son: Gonzaga and Univ. of Southern California graduate; daughter: Walla Walla Univ. and Washington State Univ. graduate. Speak monthly at the Union Gospel Mission; provide care for my wheelchair-bound son. Worked as a school bus driver. Gave 4,000 students copies of the US Constitution; an assistant principal once admonished me for giving students Constitutions; was criticized by another assistant principal for answering a student by saying that God created marriage as being between one man and one woman; was criticized by a school district for having students read George Washington’s Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789 while teaching history during Thanksgiving week, and was gaveled down by the school board for complaining about the schools promoting homosexuality to the students. Washington is a top-two primary state, so there was no Republican primary in 2014 and 2018.
2ND AMENDMENT
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
Yes
