Adam Reinhardt
Libertarian | Pennsylvania
Candidate Profile
Leans Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Adam Reinhardt
Party
Libertarian
Election Year
2018
Election
General
Race
State Senate, Dist. 40
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
East Stroudsburg High School South, East Stroudsburg, PA, HS Diploma, 2008
Houghton College, Houghton, NY, BA Religion, 2012
Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ, M Divinity, 2016
WORK & MILITARY
Saint John's Lutheran Church, Honesdale PA, Resident Pastor, Sept. 2018-Present
Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA, Supply Pastor, SEPT. 2017-SEPT.2018
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Plainview NY, Vicar, SEPT. 2016–SEPT 2017
Princeton Family YMCA, Site Director & Tutor, OCT. 2013–JUNE 2016
AFFILIATIONS
Saint Paul's Lutheran Church, Smithfield PA, Volunteer adult ed. teacher, former supply pastor, Hope Lutheran Church, Arcade NY
Member, former Youth Director, Abiding Presence Lutheran Church, Ewing NJ, Former Seminarian Field Worker
Geisinger Medical Center, Danville PA, Former Student Chaplain, Monroe County Libertarian Party, Monroe County PA
Founder, Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania, Membership Committee Member
Belfast and Fillmore school districts, New York, Former Substitute Teacher
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
(Candidate did not provide)
Race
ENDORSEMENTS
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Northampton County Libertarian Committee
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Disagree
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 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.
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.
Neutral
It is the government’s responsibility to be sure everyone has health insurance.
Neutral
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.
Disagree
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Agree
Any teaching to children on sex education in public schools must include all contraceptive methods, and should not show preference to abstinence.
Neutral
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Agree
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments.
Agree
Islamic law (Sharia) should take precedence over national and state laws where there are Islamic majority communities in the U. S.
Disagree
The state constitution should limit the growth of spending to the rate of population growth plus the rate of inflation.
Agree
Congress should pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.
Agree
People should be allowed to use public restrooms, showers, and changing rooms based on "gender identity."
Strongly Agree
I support sanctuary cities.
Agree
I support the death penalty.
Strongly Disagree
Tuition-free public education should be guaranteed through college.
Neutral
The best way to maintain peace is through a strong military.
Disagree
Parents should be the primary authority in decisions affecting their minor children.
Agree
Mandatory minimum sentencing should be required and enforced for violent crimes.
Disagree
I voted in these primaries and general elections:
2010 Republican Primary, 2012 General Election, 2016 General Election
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Until viability outside the womb. Thereafter we should not speak of abortion but rather eviction.
What in the nature of mankind caused America’s Founders to carefully define, separate, and limit powers in the Constitution?
First and foremost, the recognition of the self-evident truth that all human beings are endowed with inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In order to protect these rights we form governments. The Founders also recognized that it is in our human nature to be corrupted by government power, and power is a magnet for people who desire to dominate and control others for selfish or nefarious ends. Therefore governments must be limited and accountable to the people.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
As a Christian I believe that all human beings are created in the image of God and infinitely loved by God. Therefore every human person possesses an incalculable degree of dignity and worth. Every human being ought to be treated according to this great worth. This worth is the source of our human rights. Our foundational human rights are life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of our own happiness. We should all be free to enjoy these rights and they ought only be limited by the equal rights of all others. Any violation of these rights, by individuals or by government, constitutes an act of aggression and must be condemned by all people of good will. Human spirituality, from a Christian point of view, consists in love of neighbor and love of God. We love our neighbors by respecting their autonomy over their own lives and by lending aid if they are in need. We love God when we recognize that God in Christ first loved us and accepted us despite being unworthy due to our sin.
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 a Libertarian I believe human beings ought to be free in both their personal lives and their economic lives, so long as they are respecting the freedom of others. Therefore we are sometimes described as "fiscally conservative" and "socially liberal", meaning we oppose laws that regulate peaceful economic transactions or steal people's money through taxation (views typically labeled conservative) and we oppose laws regulating people's personal choices regarding sex, marriage, reproduction, choice of intoxicants, religious affiliation, etc (views typically labeled liberal). I personally prefer the terms "fiscally responsible" and "socially tolerant." I chose to answer "moderate" because neither the left nor the right adequately represent my views. Libertarians see the left-right paradigm as artificial and both sides as philosophically inconsistent. Instead of contrasting left and right, we contrast authoritarianism and libertarianism. Libertarians consistently believe in freedomo
What is the best way to bring down unemployment?
Removing impediments to free enterprise and market activity such as licensing requirements and permits, taxation, and controls on production.
How would you promote healthcare coverage that is adequate, affordable and accessible for all?
Competition and choice: allow health insurance to be sold over state lines; allow pharmacies to purchase medications from outside the country; allow Medicare to negotiate pricing. We should move away from a system where health insurance is tied to employment and toward a system where routine medical costs are paid out of pocket and insurance is held for catastrophic conditions. We also need to address hospital pricing. Tort reform could help bring down hospital costs, and costs should be advertised to patients upfront. The healthcare crisis is in part driven by government subsidization, as almost every service the government subsidizes increases in cost proportionately with increased subsidization. Corporate cronies are getting rich as the expense of the health of the people, and the government is complicit. We need a free market healthcare system that caters to the patients, not to shareholders.
What role should government play in boosting the economy?
Getting out of the way.
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
I have worked in pastoral ministry for years. A pastor must cast vision for the congregation, communicate vision effectively, listen empathetically to the concerns and goals of the congregants, respond to crises calmly, and facilitate group decision making often involving parties at odds with each other. The pastor must help negotiate compromise between disagreeing people in the church, bring about reconciliation, and make sure that the important work of the church is done. He or she oversees the budget, the management of building and grounds, outreach, and membership. I believe these skills translate into the world of politics, where I must communicate clearly to my constituents and colleagues, listen well, seek compromise between disagreeing parties, balancing budgets, and participate in the administration of the State. As a minister I also believe I am held accountable to a higher moral compass than others, and will conduct myself as one accountable to God in all of my decisions.
E-mail address and phone number for voters to reach you:
contact@adam4freedom.com ; (570)701-7755
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
I am not a politician and have no intention of making a career out of politics. If elected, I will endeavor to do the right thing even if it costs me political capital. Even if it costs me reelection. I am running because I believe the people of Pennsylvania deserve a third choice, an alternative to the two old parties who have consistently promised the moon and have not delivered. They are morally bankrupt. If you are tired of these tired old corrupt parties and are ready for something different in politics, I'm your guy. If you want honesty, integrity, and principle in your elected officials, I'm your guy. If you believe in freedom for all people, I'm your guy. I will fight for you.
