Josiah Magnuson

Republican | South Carolina

Candidate Profile*

Conservative

*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.

BIOGRAPHY

Name

Josiah Magnuson


Party

Republican


Election Year

2026


Election

Republican Primary


Race

State Representative, District 38


Incumbent

Yes


Links

Josiah Magnuson websites
Josiah Magnuson phones Josiah Magnuson emailFacebookFacebookXYouTube

EDUCATION

Kingsway Christian School, Orrville, OH, High school, 2008-2010

Oak Brook College of Law, Fresno, CA, 2010-2013

WORK & MILITARY

Palmetto Fortis Education Group, International Sales, 2020-2026

Biblical Civics, Author, 2021-2026

AFFILIATIONS

Hope Remains Youth Ranch, Board member, 2019-2023

Americans for Constitutional Government, Director, 2012-2017

Boy Scouts of America, Asst. Scoutmaster, 2009-2010

Soldiers of Biblical Reformation, Founder, 2007-2026

Mountain View Baptist Church, Boys' Sunday School teacher, 2025-2026

POLITICAL OFFICES HELD

State Representative, 2016-2026

POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT

Candidate did not provide

SCORECARDS

CONSERVATIVE ORGANIZATIONS


LIBERAL ORGANIZATIONS

ENDORSEMENTS*

*These endorsements were received after the deadline and were not considered in the Panel Evaluations and are for additional educational purposes only.
CONSERVATIVE (2)

Stand For Health Freedom

Ralph Norman

OTHER (1)

*Equal Protection South Carolina

REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (7)

Ralph Norman

Curtis Loftis

Jordan Pace

Sarita Edgerton

Bill Chumley

OTHER INFORMATION

Josiah Magnuson took the Equal Protection South Carolina pledge in 2026.

QUESTIONNAIRE

RIGHT TO LIFE

Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).

Strongly Agree

I have consistently fought every year to stop Planned Parenthood funding with state dollars.

Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?

There is no situation where an intentional abortion should be legal. There may be medical emergencies that require an unintentional abortion, but even in a case where the life of the mother is at risk, best efforts should be taken to protect both lives.

Human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death.

Strongly Agree

The lives of human embryos created through artificial methods ought to be protected from purposeful destruction.

Strongly Agree

The Comstock Act, which bans interstate transportation of abortion-inducing drugs, should be enforced.

Strongly Agree


ECONOMY

What is your position on the minimum wage?

I do not agree with a minimum wage since it tends to cut out the lowest rungs of the ladder for those who want to work.

Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.

Strongly Agree

I believe private property is a Biblical and moral issue, and needs to be defended against collectivism and socialism.

List your top 3-5 priorities to eliminate government waste.

1. Ensure zero-based budgeting is practiced, as required by state law 2. Create systems for transparency and accountability to verify where every taxpayer dollar is spent 3. Transition to a block-grant model for legislative earmarks, to eliminate the political "carrot and stick" 4. Give more teeth to the Legislative Oversight Committee and the Inspector General


RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?

The church and state are different institutions with different purposes, but both exist under God and for His glory. Christians should seek influence in the state in pursuit of justice and liberty, while preserving freedom of religion for all.

Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.

Strongly Disagree

My wife is a pharmacist and several family members are nurses so the need to protect religious liberty of medical professionals is personal to me.


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) Taxpayer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be defunded.

C is the best option for our current system where there is no free market in healthcare. As we achieve more of a free market model, the ideal would be for all medical needs to be met by families, churches, and communities, instead of borrowing more and more money on the national debt and inflating the currency as is accepted today.

The government should keep a database of people with various ongoing medical illnesses to assess the economic burden of treatment.

Disagree


NATIONAL SECURITY

The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.

Strongly Agree

We need to ban land ownership by Chinese agents, and stop all use of technology with spyware for the Chinese government.

Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?

Yes, they are a key ally in the Middle East to hold back the forces of Islamic radicalism.


IMMIGRATION

I support the existence of sanctuary cities to protect undocumented persons.

Disagree


EDUCATION

I support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and giving control back to states and communities.

Strongly Agree

The U.S. Constitution never granted the federal government power over education.

Foreign governments should be prohibited from funding American education.

Agree


VALUES

Government should recognize and support the fundamental right and essential duty of parents to direct their child's health and educational well-being.

Strongly Agree

I have been a leading sponsor of Parental Rights legislation in the SC House.

Attempts to physically or socially transition a child to the opposite sex constitute child abuse.

Strongly Agree

I was one of the primary voices advocating to make transgender surgeries on minors a felony.

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 support the expansion of gambling in my state.

Disagree

Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.

Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour. I have been born again by His grace, not of myself. Because of His love, I strive to exalt Him as King and spread His Word to others everywhere I have opportunity, including in the State House.


ELECTIONS AND VOTING

People should be able to vote without photo identification.

Disagree


EQUALITY

Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.

Strongly Disagree

Biological males should not be allowed to participate in women's sports or occupy biological women's spaces whether it be bathrooms, locker rooms, sorority houses, women's shelters, or prison.

Strongly Agree


ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Man-made climate change is a global threat and requires urgent political action.

Strongly Disagree

What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?

Nuclear power is no doubt the best hope for energy in the long term. Natural gas also seems to be a viable option for areas that may need more flexibility.


ABOUT YOU

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

I am 100% pro-life, strongly in favor of the 2nd Amendment and Constitutional Carry, strongly against government cronyism, strongly for transparency and accountability, and strongly in favor of parental choice in education and medicine.

Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.

No

Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.

No


CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY

What should be the goal of the criminal justice system?

Swift and strong justice against those who harm others

Government has a responsibility to protect children from sexual exploitation during online activities.

Strongly Agree

There is a key role for the state here, primarily to empower parents in keeping kids away from harmful materials, and prosecuting criminals guilty of sexual crimes to the fullest extent of the law. At the same time, there are those who would hijack this emotionally-charged issue to create government control of the internet and move toward a surveillance society, so we must remain vigilant and carefully informed.

Sharia law should not be accepted or incorporated in any form within the legal framework of the United States.

Strongly Agree


2ND AMENDMENT

What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?

I do not support any restrictions for law-abiding citizens. I do support terminating gun rights of violent felons or after a court adjudication that a person is mentally unstable.

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