Stevan Porter
Libertarian | Virginia
Candidate Profile
Moderate
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Stevan Porter
Party
Libertarian
Election Year
2018
Election
General
Race
U.S. House, Dist. 11
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Washington State University, Pullman, WA, BA, 1991
Thomas Jefferson High School, Auburn, WA, HS, 1987
WORK & MILITARY
Oracle USA, Sr. Principal Support Engineer, 18
AFFILIATIONS
Loudoun County Volunteer Rescue Squad, Assistant Chief / Paramedic, Knights of Columbus
Past Grand Knight, Herndon Rotary Club, Club Administrator
St. Joseph Catholic Church, Eucharist Minister / Lector, Libertarian Party of Virginia
Volunteer
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
(Candidate did not provide)
Race
ENDORSEMENTS
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Libertarian Party of Northern Virginia
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Strongly Agree
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.
Disagree
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 Disagree
It is the government’s responsibility to be sure everyone has a livable income.
Strongly Disagree
It is the government’s responsibility to be sure everyone has health insurance.
Disagree
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which permitted our system of limited government.
Agree
More restrictive gun control is needed to protect public safety.
Strongly Disagree
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
Additional regulations are needed to prevent climate change.
Disagree
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Neutral
The United States should help defend Israel from attack by its enemies.
Agree
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments.
Strongly Agree
Islamic law (Sharia) should take precedence over national and state laws where there are Islamic majority communities in the U. S.
Strongly Disagree
Congress should pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.
Strongly Agree
People should be allowed to use public restrooms, showers, and changing rooms based on "gender identity."
Disagree
I support sanctuary cities.
Disagree
It is OK for Congress to exempt itself from compliance with laws applicable to all citizens.
Strongly Disagree
I support the death penalty.
Disagree
Tuition-free public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
The United States should protect its sovereignty from the United Nations.
Agree
The best way to maintain peace is through a strong military.
Neutral
I voted in these primaries and general elections:
2010 General Election, 2010 Republican Primary, 2012 General Election, 2012 Republican Primary, 2014 General Election, 2014 Republican Primary, 2016 General Election, 2016 Republican Primary
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Every effort should be made to provide alternative options, but I do believe there needs to be some flexibility for rape, incest, and serious threat to the physical life of the mother.
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of radical Islamic terrorism?
We need to take less of a military approach except when facing an immediate and actual threat. Our constant military presence, drone strikes, and similar actions have provided recruitment incentives for radical extremists. We need to focus more on diplomacy, trade, and trying to build positive relationships with moderate communities so that there is less incentive to support radical organizations and engage in terrorist activities. When an immediate and actual threat is recognized, however, we must act swiftly and decisively to destroy it. Hopefully those instances will decrease as we build better relationships with the more moderate elements within the Muslim world.
What in the nature of mankind caused America’s Founders to carefully define, separate, and limit powers in the Constitution?
I think it boils down to the "ultimate power corrupts ultimately" idea. Without checks and balances, governments and individuals have a habit of moving towards authoritarianism even if their intentions -- at least initially -- may be good.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a Christian and member of the Roman Catholic Church. For me this seems to be the best way to walk with God. I believe that each individual has to find their own path to walk with God and should be free to do so as long as they allow others the same freedom.
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?
Moderate
Please provide publicly available information validating your answer to the previous question.
As I have not held office before, the best sources will be my campaign website, Twitter account, and Facebook page.
How would you promote healthcare coverage that is adequate, affordable and accessible for all?
Too much focus has been on healthcare coverage/insurance. What we really need to focus on is how can we bring down the costs of healthcare itself. That benefits everyone regardless of whether they have insurance or what insurance they have. Some key areas are working to control the cost of medications including more flexibility for importing drugs, better transparency on healthcare charges, exploring alternative delivery models, and generally providing more options for people. We also need to look at regulations that unnecessarily restrict access to care or drive up costs.
What role should government play in boosting the economy?
The best role government can play in boosting the economy is to stay as far out of it as possible. Government intervention tends to benefit only certain groups, industries, or companies (crony corporatism) almost always at the expense of others.
What changes should be made to the tax code?
Eliminate personal income tax and look to alternate models such as the FairTax. If we maintain the personal income tax it should be kept as simple and low as possible.
What is the best way to bring down unemployment?
Keeping regulations, taxation, and government interference in the market to a minimum thus giving businesses -- particularly smaller ones -- the room to expand thus creating more job opportunities.
How would you guarantee Social Security benefits for future generations?
At this point, I am not sure there is a way to guarantee a future for Social Security. It is more a matter of how do we control its demise to do the least amount of damage possible. If we do want to have some sort of public pension program for the future, it will require a complete revaluation and redesign.
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
I have a liberal arts education that provides me with a broad knowledge base and strong critical thinking skills. I am a troubleshooter. I am good at listening to people, weighing the positions, and determining good paths forward. This type of broad approach is important in the role of a U.S. Representative since the scope of the issues they have to consider is so varied. My desire to serve my community as a Representative is an extension of the years of service I have put in as a volunteer paramedic, a company officer, and a leader in several local service organizations. In those roles I have had the opportunity to work with a wide range of people from many backgrounds and have developed a deep respect for our differences and perhaps more importantly for the common threads that unite us.
E-mail address and phone number for voters to reach you:
steve@porter4us.com 703-345-0571
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
First and foremost, I believe we MUST be able to treat each with respect and discuss our differences constructively if we want to move our country forward. The level of division and nastiness that has become "normal" for our politics is counterproductive. Secondly, I am a realist when it comes to change. We have gotten to the point we are at over many decades and I don't expect to instantly bring about all of my end goals. It is more a matter of working to change course and start working our way back to a more liberty and Constitutionally oriented government. Finally, the job of a U.S. Representative is to represent his or her constituents. I believe it is important to hold town halls, to stay engaged with the people in the district, and carefully consider their opinions on matters.
