Keith Kidwell
Republican | North Carolina
Candidate Profile*
Verified Conservative
*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Keith Kidwell
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
Primary
Race
State Rep., Dist. 79
Incumbent
Yes
Links
EDUCATION
William Paterson College, Paterson NJ, 1986
Passaic High School, Passaic NC, 1979
WORK & MILITARY
(Candidate did not provide)
AFFILIATIONS
Magoos Christmas 4 Veterans, Chairman, Coastal Pregnancy Center
Chairman & Treasurer, Carolina Pregnancy Center, Treasurer
Mother of Mercy RC Church, President Parish Council, Knights of Columbus
Past Grand Knight/ Treasurer, Southern Albelmarle Assoc, Board Member
Washington Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce, Amb / Business Advisory Board, Beaufort County Community College
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
GOP Executive Committee Chairman, 2012-2017
Distirct GOP Exec Vice Chair, 2016-2017
GOP 3rd District Treasurer, 2014-2016
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
County Commissioner, 2014
Race
Previous Races
SCORECARDS
CONSERVATIVE ORGANIZATIONS
2019-2020
100%
2021
100%
2021
87%, 88% (cum.)â€
2021
87%
2022
B
2019-2020
|100%
2021
|87%, 88% (cum.)â€
2022
|B
LIBERAL ORGANIZATIONS
2019
|17%, 17% (cum.)â€
ENDORSEMENTS*
*These endorsements were received after the deadline and were not considered in the Panel Evaluations and are for additional educational purposes only.
CONSERVATIVE (1)
*National Rifle Association (NRA) PVF
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Congressman Dr. Greg Murphy
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (17)
Bill Cook (2016)
Catherine Truitt (2020)
Chris Dillon (2020)
Committee to Elect Republican Women (2021)
Dan Forest (2018)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (14)
Ashley Woolard (2020)
Clayton Sasser (2021)
Ed Goodwin (2021)
George Cleveland (2018)
Gregory F. Murphy (2020)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
I agree with the tenents of my faith, which is official teachings of the Catholic Church oppose all forms of abortion procedures whose direct purpose is to destroy a zygote, blastocyst, embryo or fetus since it holds that "human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
Government should not sponsor abortion.
If Roe v. Wade is overturned by the US Supreme Court, how far are you willing to go to roll back North Carolina's statutory abortion law that allows abortion up to 20 weeks?
Again following the tenents of my faith. Abortion should not be legal.
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Strongly Disagree
Life is a gift from God, not our to decide who should live and die based on their quality of life. My Catholic teaching condemns euthanasia as a "crime against life" and a "crime against God".
Would you support a limitation on chemical abortion that protects women from taking abortion pills without the care and supervision of a qualified physician?
No
We should ban abortion by all methods.
ECONOMY
The government should do more to close the gap between the working class and the wealthy.
Strongly Disagree
Government should allow people to succeed through their own efforts.
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
Taxes should be kept to the lowest amount possible. The biggest change should be to reduce money given to prop up businesses. We need to spend money only on the programs required under the constitution. We also need to simplify the NC Sales Tax.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
Not everyone should or can go to college. College is not necessary for many trades and blue-collar jobs, of which many pay as well or better than those that require a college degree. If you choose to go to college like other things in life you should bear the cost of your choices.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
To force someone to labor for something they do not believe in based on moral and religious beliefs infringes on their rights. People can choose to do or not do business with anyone based on their own beliefs and patronize businesses with similar beliefs.
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
None. That's why I put together a lawsuit to get the churches in North Carolina reopened when the Governor unconstitutionally closed them during COVID.
What should be the relationship between the church and the state?
Freedom of religion is not the same thing as freedom from religion. The US Constitution says it best. Congress shall establish no religion nor prohibit the free exercise thereof. This does not mean it can stop people from praying where and when they choose. It does not mean cities cannot display things like the 10 commandments or nativity scenes or other symbols of faith. Since these do not establish a religion.
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.
When a third party pays the bill most people don't care what it costs. That is part of the reason medical costs are skyrocketing. The current system of nearly social medicine will eventually bankrupt the system. We need to reign in the waste, fraud and abuse of the Medicaid and Medicare systems and eliminate all other taxpayer-funded medical programs. So largely but with more restrictions, C is my answer.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
None. People should always have a choice. That is why introduced the "My Body My Choice Medical Privacy Act" and cosponsored the "No Vaccine Mandate by EO, Rule, or Agency" and the "Prohibit Mandatory CV19 Vaccinations".
EDUCATION
States should allow parents to use the Opportunity Scholarship Program to fund private school for their children.
Strongly Agree
Since the constitution provides that taxes should pay for education people should be able to choose where and how their children are educated.
In what situations does a parent not have the right to know what their child is being taught in public school?
There is never a situation when a parent does not have the right to know what their children are being taught.
When should parents be restricted from speaking in school board meetings?
In a representative republic, the people should always have the right to petition their government for their grievances, even the school boards.
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
John Admas said, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other". He helped influence it and I agree with him.
I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
Strongly Disagree
Science says there are two biological sexes. God said He created man and woman in His own image. Can't find anything in biological science or the bible that contradicts those facts.
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
CRT is in and of itself a racist concept. To assume someone is racist due to the color of their skin is the definition of racism.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
God created man in His own image. Jesus Christ His only Son died for our sins.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
We cannot take out a library book, put money in the bank, file taxes, board a plane, train or ship and most recently many places are requiring a photo ID with a vaccine card to enter. Why is the most important function we have to do as citizens not protected by the same level of concern? Voter Photo ID should be mandatory and the ID should be free.
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
Require audits of elections by the State Legislature. Eliminate early voting. Eliminate absentee ballots except for the military and the infirm. Protect all voting systems from hacking by disallowing any possible internet connection. Keep copies of paper ballots until all audits are completed. Prevent Directors of the State and County Boards of Election from circumventing state law on things like signature requirements. Anyone who works in the election process that fails to exercise due care and diligence should be banned for life from working in any position related to elections. All voting equipment and software should be from American companies only.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Racism is currently being used to incite discord among people. We all know that it exists and that some people will always have racist inclinations. We can and should look to Martin Luther King Jr when he said he dreams of a day when we will judge a person by the content of their character and not the color of their skin.
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.
A
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
The state government is necessary to provide for the infrastructure of the state, provide for education, establish law enforcement and legal system, laws that facilitate interstate commerce. The most important function of government is to protect the liberty of the people of the state.
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?
Very Conservative
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
Legislation I have authored, sponsored or cosponsored can be found here https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/IntroducedBills/H/749 My voting record can be found here https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Votes/H/749 My conservative scoring from Civitas can be found here https://civitasaction.org/rankings/2021/1810/ My American Conservative rating here http://ratings.conservative.org/people/a39903f1-cf67-494a-8c6a-4ae15c334fc9
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?
Having served with a simple majority and a democrat governor, many of my efforts have not been made into law. I wil refile legislation to stop abortion, repeal the requirement for a concealed carry permit, repeal medical Certificate of Need laws, reform government and governor overreach, reform our election law to protect the integrity of our elections, stop mandatory vaccination and prevent the government from shutting down our economy again. I will introduce new legislation to reign in all but administrative executive orders.
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
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
People who are adjudicated mentally unfit by a court of appropriate jurisdiction and people convicted of violent crimes should not have access to firearms. Beyond that, the 2nd Amendment says the rights of the people to keep and bear shall not be infringed.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
Legal businesses should not be subject to penalties for the misuse of their products.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Would you support legislation that prohibits biological boys from competing on girls sports teams?
Yes
Yes.
