Sharon W. Hewitt
Republican | Louisiana
Candidate Profile
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Sharon W. Hewitt
Party
Republican
Election Year
2023
Election
Primary
Race
Governor
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, B.S. Mech Engr, 1981
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
National Republican Legislative Campaign Committee, Chairwoman, PTA
National Lifetime Achievement Award, Habitat for Humanity, Woman of Distinction
Junior Auxiliary, Projects Leader, United Methodist Church
Member and Volunteer, Council of State Governments, Energy Committee Vice-Chair
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Louisiana State Senator, 2016-2024
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
SCORECARDS
CONSERVATIVE ORGANIZATIONS
2022
100%, 100% (cum.)†
2020-2021
100%
2023
82%, 86% (cum.)†
2022
76%, 73% (cum.)†
2022
|100%, 100% (cum.)†
2020-2021
|100%
2023
|82%, 86% (cum.)†
2022
|76%, 73% (cum.)†
LIBERAL ORGANIZATIONS
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (9)
State Republican Party Organizations (2022)
LA Committee for a Conservative Majority PAC (2020)
Cameron Henry (2019)
Eddie Rispone (2019)
Franklin Foil (2019)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (6)
Louisiana Landowners Association (2023)
LA Committee for a Conservative Majority PAC (2021)
Republican State Leadership Committee (2019)
Better Government Political Action (2018)
Larry Frieman (2018)
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (0)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (1)
National Education Association (national, state & local affiliates) (2016)
OTHER INFORMATION
Citizens for a New Louisiana scorecard for Senator Sharon Hewitt
One of 26 Republicans who voted to override Democrat Governor John Bel Edwards’s veto and reinstate House Bill 648 called the “Stop Harming Our Kids Act,” which shields children from life-altering sex-change. Source: HB648 (la.gov)
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Life of the mother is in danger, miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, or when the fetus is not viable
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?
Zero state income tax and elimination of corporate franchise tax
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
Eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicaid spending, de-centralize DOTD from Baton Rouge to local districts to get projects built quicker and cheaper, eliminate many of the tax exemptions and credits, eliminate most of the dedicated funds.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
We must continue TOPS program as a merit-based program. And we should invest in more educational pathways in high school, such as dual enrollment and industry-based certifications, that give students a head start on their college path or entry into the workforce. A blanket guarantee of free college for everyone doesn't make sense because not every student wants to go to college or has the skills to be successful in college. We need to provide multiple pathways for success.
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?
Never
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.
Medicaid is intended to be a safety net for those who are disabled, the elderly and children, along with able-bodied individuals who are temporarily out of work. It was never intended to be a final destination for healthcare. Able-bodied Medicaid recipients should be required to be looking for a job or enrolled in an educational setting to acquire new skills to continue to receive services.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
I support vaccinations for school children for those diseases that have been proven to eradicate the disease, such as DPT or MMR. Requiring the COVID shot be given to school children, government employees and private employees, which did not stop individuals from getting COVID, was government overreach.
NATIONAL SECURITY
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
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Those who go through the legal process to do so.
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Strongly Agree
I have been a leader in the State legislature in this area, including the use of Educational Savings Accounts that would allow parents to use their state education dollars (about $5400/year) in a private or homeschool setting.
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.
Strongly 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.
Strongly 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.
I was raised in the Methodist church and we have raised our family in the Methodist church. I am very traditional in my Christian beliefs and believe that many of the challenges in our society are as a result of the deterioration of the family and lack of Christian values. I pray every day and my faith guides me. While I respect everyone's right to make their own choices, I hope that they will respect my traditional Christian views and values as well.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
I chair the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee, which oversees election laws. In that role, I have stopped bills that would have allowed universal mail balloting, ballot harvesting, ballot drop boxes and other legislation that would have made our elections less safe and secure. More work needs to be done in cleaning up our voter rolls. The Governor has vetoed this bill for 3 years now. We will get his done when I am Governor.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
I'd like to see us spend less time talking about racial issues in the past and spend more time talking about how we work together today and in the future to move our state and our country forward.
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.
The right answer is somewhere in between. We have to protect and improve the environment in a smart, common-sense way. If you over-regulate it, you will spend lots of money on lots of things that really don't improve the environment.
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 deliver on the promises of our forefathers: life, liberty and pursuit of happiness
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?
Conservative
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
Check my voting record on 12,000 bills at www.legis.la.gov
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?
Priorities are education, jobs, insurance, taxes, crime, infrastructure
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Strongly Agree
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Strongly Disagree
However, we do need to invest in more mental health programs for our general population and for our first responders.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
None. Guns aren't the problem, it's the people who are committing the crimes.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Gambling should be limited to existing forms and should not be de-regulated or expanded.
Agree
Children should be protected from sexualization on the internet, in public schools, and in the public libraries
Strongly Agree
