Jerry Fortenberry
Republican | Texas
Candidate Profile
Leans Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Jerry Fortenberry
Party
Republican
Election Year
2020
Election
Primary
Race
State Rep., Dist. 103
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Holmes, Mississippi, Nursing
Tulane, New Orleans, DALLAS, DALLAS
UTA, Arlington, DALLAS, DALLAS
WORK & MILITARY
Seventh Knight - cybersecurity, Director
Baptist Hospital, Charge Nurse Open Heart Critical Care
US Army/MSARNG, Service in Afghanistan
Air2Lan - wireless Internet, Director
AFFILIATIONS
United Methodist Church, Boy Scouts of America/Eagle Scout
Dallas Public School volunteer
Reading Partners Volunteer, Various Veteran Organizations
VFW
Orphanages in Uzbekistan
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
(Candidate did not provide)
Race
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Strongly Agree
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds or grants from federal, state, or local governments.
Strongly Agree
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
None save the life of the mother is at risk as ascertained by an attending MD and even then If the mother whose life is at risk still wants to accept the risk then that should be honored
ECONOMY
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has a livable income.
Strongly Disagree
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
Eliminate the property tax benefiting both land/homeowners and renters forcing cost containment by the government while protecting people from regressive, crushing property taxes and rent increases.
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
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?
I believe that separation of church and state has been twisted to mean the opposite of its original meaning which was that Congress was limited from setting up a national denomination not from prohibiting the free exercise of religion. The 1st amendment is not to limit the faith and religious practice of the people but to limit the government involvement in it separating the church from government control. People should be free to worship wherever and whenever they wish.
HEALTHCARE
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has health insurance.
Strongly Disagree
How would you promote healthcare coverage that is adequate, affordable and accessible for all?
by retaining the best features of the current health care system while delivering new options to the consumer and have private health insurance play a central role - promote competition between healthcare and pharmaceutical companies and explore having providers dispense meds - establish clear standards of care, capping damage awards and other measures to lower the amount of dollars spent on bureaucracy.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The best way to maintain peace is through a strong military.
Strongly Agree
IMMIGRATION
I am in favor of construction of a wall and other necessary infrastructure on our border that gives complete control over entering and exiting the United States.
Strongly Agree
State and federal funds should be denied to any public or private entity, including but not limited to sanctuary cities, that are not in compliance with immigration laws.
Strongly Agree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Our immigration system should welcome immigrants who will contribute to America and our society with needed skills and professions and while we should treat all seeking immigration with the dignity and respect they deserve as fellow human beings we should ensure those who would come to do us harm are prevented from doing so by maintain strong security and vetting.
EDUCATION
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
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
Promotion of the LGBT agenda in public schools, including teaching of “sexual orientation” and “gender identity”, is completely inappropriate and should be opposed at the state and local level.
Strongly Agree
I support allowing public high school students to participate in athletic competition based on the gender with which they identify instead of biological sex.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I believe and know that Jesus Christ is Lord, Savior, God and King and I believe the Bible is the Word of God - The Bible is the user manual for the human being - I believe all human beings are valuable because they were created by God
ABOUT YOU
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.
I advocated these to the Dallas morning news in an online forum in 2018 and in various talks
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
I started working as a child on my dad's farm then as a teenager doing minimum wage jobs then starting 2 companies and serving in the military - I have lived in the real world of the minimum wage worker and as a small businessman so I can relate to all strata of society and understand their concerns and needs since I was them - most importantly my Judeo-Christian values allow me to care about every constituent and their needs as individual to sponsor and vote for common sense legislation that helps all people in my district and state wide have better lives and opportunities.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
No, Never.
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
I believe that a leaders first responsibility to protect people, especially the most vulnerable. I believe the role of government is to provide people the freedom and opportunities necessary to pursue their own goals and empower the individual to solve problems.
JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY
I support the use of Sharia law as a basis for legislation and judicial decisions in the United States.
Strongly Disagree
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Mandatory minimum sentencing should be required and enforced for violent crimes.
Strongly Agree
2ND AMENDMENT
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
Yes
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
None - aside from diagnosis of mental illness or a convicted violent criminal
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
I support the legalization of recreational marijuana.
Strongly Disagree
The Electoral College should be abolished.
Strongly Disagree
In priority order, what three areas of legislation do you propose to author or sponsor if elected?
Life begins at Conception/personhood for the unborn Eliminate property tax in lieu of small increase in consumption tax Trade schools and trade skills training for high paying jobs that actually exist and there is need for - welding, HVAC, Plumbing, electrical, along with coding, cloud computing, programming - certifications in high schools and for adults high paying jobs with benefits to lift and keep out of poverty
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
While there are individuals who are racists, I don't believe that Americans as a whole are racist and although it is used as a political tool to bash the opposition with, I do not believe it is a threat to domestic security.
