Andy Taggart
Republican | Mississippi
Candidate Profile
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Andy Taggart
Party
Republican
Election Year
2019
Election
Primary
Race
Attorney General
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Tulane University School of Law, New Orleans, LA, JD, 1984
Mississippi College, Clinton, MS, BA, 1979
Moss Point High School, Moss Point, MS, Diploma, 1975
WORK & MILITARY
Taggart. Rimes & Graham, PLLC, CEO and Founding Member, 9.5
Andy Taggart, Legal & Strategic Counsel, PLLC, CEO and Founding Member, 7.5
Office of Governor Kirk Fordice, Chief of Staff and Counsel, 2.5
Mississippi Republican Party, Executive Director, 1
AFFILIATIONS
Mississippi College, Board Member; Chairman of Academic Affairs Cmte, Canopy Children's Services
Board Member; Chairman of Governance Committee, Broadmoor Baptist Church, Former Adult Sunday School Teacher
First Baptist Church, Jackson, Former Deacon Chairman; Former Adult SS Teacher, Mississippi Republican Party
Monthly United Republican Fund since 1984, Mississippi Center for Public Policy, Former Board Chairman
CJ Stewart Foundation, Former Board Member
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Madison County Board of Supervisors, 4
Chief of Staff to Governor Kirk Fordice, 2.5
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
United States Congress, 1988
Mississippi House of Representatives, 1979
Race
Previous Races
ENDORSEMENTS
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (6)
State Senator Brice Wiggins
Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell
Ridgeland City Alderman DI Smith
Ridgeland City Alderman Chuck Gautier
MS State Board of Nursing Chairman Dr.Melissa King
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (7)
Alan Nunnelee (2014)
Gregg Harper (2013)
John Kasich (2016)
Roger Wicker (2006)
State Republican Party Organizations (2018)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
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?
Only in the event of imminent and clear danger to the life of the mother.
ECONOMY
It is the government’s responsibility to be sure 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
Congress should pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.
Disagree
Socialism provides a robust foundation for a stable economy.
Strongly Disagree
What is the best way to bring down unemployment?
Lower taxes, less regulation and safer communities offer the best environment for growth of job opportunities at every level.
What role should government play in boosting the economy?
Lower taxes, less regulation and safer communities offer the best environment for growth of job opportunities at every level. Government should not be picking winners and losers, or betting on private investments.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Governments should not discriminate against individuals, organizations or business owners because of their deeply held religious beliefs.
Strongly Agree
Governments should not penalize those who 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
HEALTHCARE
It is the government’s responsibility to be sure everyone has health insurance.
Strongly Disagree
How would you promote healthcare coverage that is adequate, affordable and accessible for all?
I believe we should immediately lift the artificial barriers that prevent consumer from obtaining healthcare insurance across state lines, from any source they choose. The lifting of that one restriction would do more to spur competition and increase value in health insurance than anything else government could do.
NATIONAL SECURITY
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.
Agree
I support sanctuary cities.
Strongly Disagree
Islamic law (Sharia) should take precedence over national and state laws where there are Islamic majority communities in the U. S.
Strongly Disagree
The best way to maintain peace is through a strong military.
Strongly Agree
EDUCATION
Tuition-free public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
VALUES
Biblical values established a framework of morality which permitted our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
Any teaching to children on sex education in public schools must include all contraceptive methods, and should not show preference to abstinence.
Strongly Disagree
People should be allowed to use public restrooms, showers, and changing rooms based on "gender identity."
Strongly Disagree
Free speech is under attack on public university and college campuses.
Strongly Agree
Parents should be the primary authority in decisions affecting their minor children.
Strongly Agree
What in the nature of mankind caused America’s Founders to carefully define, separate, and limit powers in the Constitution?
Man's fallen and sinful nature; and the propensity of man to accumulate and exploit power over others if allowed to do so.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, and believe that faith in Him and God's grace toward us is the only means by which we come into right -- and eternal -- relationship with God. I believe that our conduct and obedience to the commands of God as reflected in the Bible is the means by which we demonstrate not our holiness, but our love and gratitude, to 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?
Conservative
Please provide publicly available information validating your answer to the previous question.
I have lived a public life in conservative and Republican politics for all my adult life. I served as Political Director and Executive Director for the Mississippi Republican Party, had full time position in Ronald Reagan's first successful presidential campaign in 1980, and was Republican Governor Kirk Fordice's first Chief of Staff and Counsel. I was litigation counsel for Governor Haley Barbour in support of the Voter ID litigation, and Auditor's Counsel to then-State Auditor Phil Bryant in the successful effort to recover the illegal attorneys' fees arising out of the WorldCom tax case. I serve a term on the Madison County Board of Supervisors, during one year of which I also served as President of the Board, and led a direct property tax reduction for the tax payers of our county.
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
Tulane University School of Law, JD, cum laude Mississippi College, BA, High Honors and Distinction I have actively practiced law for 34 years, in all state and federal courts in the state of Mississippi. In the past two years alone, I have argued before the Mississippi Supreme Court, the Mississippi Court of Appeals, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, plus numerous state courts. I was Republican Governor Kirk Fordice's first Chief of Staff and Counsel. I served as litigation counsel for Governor Haley Barbour in support of the Voter ID litigation, and Auditor's Counsel to then-State Auditor Phil Bryant in the successful effort to recover the illegal attorneys' fees arising out of the WorldCom tax case. Governor Phil Bryant appointed me Co-Chairman of the Contract Review Task Force to restore public confidence in the aftermath of the Department of Corrections bribery scandal.
E-mail address and phone number for voters to reach you:
campaign@andyforag.com; 601-499-1995
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
I believe Mississippians are looking for leaders as passionate about the future as some seem to be about our past. I believe we can do better, that our future can be brighter, that our young people can have more opportunities. That's the passion I will take to the office of Attorney General.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
I support the death penalty.
Agree
Mandatory minimum sentencing should be required and enforced for violent crimes.
Agree
2ND AMENDMENT
More restrictive gun control is needed to protect public safety.
Strongly Disagree
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Disagree
