
Dave Hughes
Republican | Minnesota
Candidate Profile
Conservative (Conditional)
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Dave Hughes
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
Primary & CD1 Special General
Race
State Senator, Dist. 1
Incumbent
No
EDUCATION
California State University, San Diego, CA, BS, 1992
Squadron Officers School, Montgomery, AL, 2000
Air Command and Staff College, by correspondence, 2006
WORK & MILITARY
US Air Force, Major (O-4), 21+
AFFILIATIONS
National Right to Life Committee, contributor, Judicial Watch
contributor, National Rifle Association, Lifetime Member
Compassion International, contributor, Salvation Army
contributor, American Center for Law & Justice, contributor
American Legion, Member
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
US Rep, MN-7, 2016
US Rep, MN-7, 2018
US Rep, MN-7, 2020
Minnesota State Senate, 2022
Race
Previous Races
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (1)
State Republican Party Organizations (2019)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (8)
Dave Baker (2018)
Defenders of Freedom and Security (2018)
Electing Majority Making Effective Republicans (2018)
Freedom Club (2018)
Jennifer Carnahan (2018)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Only to save the life of the mother.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Strongly Disagree
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
Abolish MN income tax on Social Security income, repeal the AMT, and repeal the marriage penalty. Replace the MN personal and corporate income tax with a sales tax.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
Social Services and Education are the two biggest costs in MN State Government. I would look for cuts or eliminations to non-essential, non-core elements of these large programs. Abolish state funding of light rail. Abolish state-funded "rural broadband"; let the free market figure that out.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
Under no circumstances.
HEALTHCARE
What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D)Tax-payer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be de-funded.
D. Medicare, as a federal program, is unconstitutional and should be phased out over a period of time while states implement an alternative. The federal part of Medicaid is also unconstitutional and should be likewise phased out. State-only Medicaid should be phased out over time, while private charities, Catholic hospitals, and others gear up to meet the need.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
Only the US Military should be able to require vaccinations of military personnel.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
Operate an exquisitely capable Intelligence Community to inform elected civilian decision-makers. Utilize the instruments of national power to persuade/influence Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran, Palestinian Authority, and others to discontinue their state-sponsored anti-western/anti-Israeli education programs.
I support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement to pressure Israel to withdraw from occupied territories, remove the separation barrier in the West Bank, allow full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees.
Strongly Disagree
Everything about the BDS movement is repugnant. Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel already enjoy full equality under the law.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
Build a 1,954 mile long impregnable wall from San Diego, CA, to Brownsville, TX.
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Individuals who will immediately strengthen our nation, and not immediately go on welfare, who demonstrate a love for and loyalty to the American way of life, may be allowed to immigrate. The US should implement a seasonal worker program for Agriculture. We should allow in no refugees who will not immediately strengthen our nation, but should instead find refugees safe haven outside the US near their home nations.
EDUCATION
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 gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
Disagree
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition
Agree
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
Protestant Christian
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
Voter ID, provisional balloting, return to precinct-level accountability instead of our present county-level system; do away completely with mail-in balloting; do away with machines and return to paper-only ballots. Implement in-person, election day voting to the maximum extent possible.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
No. The false narrative of "white supremacy" as an existential domestic threat is pernicious nonsense, and itself a dire threat to the health of our nation.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Which comes closest to your view? A) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy. B) Stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost.
A
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Strongly Agree
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
To secure and protect the individual liberties of citizens.
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Very Conservative
I'm a Constitutionalist, an Originalist.
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eck34ZqruAc
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
No
What else would you like voters to know about you, including your legislative priorities?
1. Election Integrity now! 2. Pass the Never Again Bill 3. Stop the COVID mandates! 4. Pass Constitutional Carry 5. Shrink our bloated state government and make MN business-friendly. 6. Reduce overregulation of child care to solve the MN state government created child care shortage crisis. 7. Stop passing unconstitutional omnibus bills in the MN legislature.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Agree
We need to reform these laws to bring greater accountability to LEOs who violate departmental policy and citizen's rights.
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Disagree
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Fewer than what are presently in place.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
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