Jon Blake
Republican | North Carolina
Candidate Profile
Conservative (Conditional)
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Jon Blake
Party
Republican
Election Year
2020
Election
General
Race
State Rep., Dist. 42
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
US Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, KS, Master of Military Arts and Sciences, 2006
University of MD, College Park, MD, College Park, MD, Bachelor of Arts, 1989
WORK & MILITARY
United States Army, Major, 21
MD Army National Guard, Staff Sergeant, 6
Consulting Services Group (CSG) LLC, Director, Programs, 5
General Dynamics Information Technology, Program Manager, 5
AFFILIATIONS
Cross Creek Presbyterian Church, Member for 7 years, Heritage Bible Fellowship
Member for 6 years, Cornerstone United Methodist Church, Member for 10 years
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
(Candidate did not provide)
Race
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
I support the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which requires health care providers to provide life-saving treatment for infants who survive an attempted abortion.
Strongly Agree
If the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, North Carolina should repeal its law allowing abortion up to 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Strongly Agree
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
While I acknowledge that life begins at conception, if a pregnancy threatens the woman's life, and it is certain that she will die if she gives birth, then, the decision as to which life gets saved rests with the woman and her family. However, it's been my experience that those types of either-or decisions are not the norm.
ECONOMY
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure 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
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
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.
Strongly 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 Agree
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Strongly Agree
I promise to protect the freedom of Christians to share the Gospel and to practice Biblical principles.
Yes
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
Separation of church and state has been misunderstood by our nation for too long. The letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association in Connecticut is the source of this concept of separating these two institutions. The focus of the letter was to limit the government from intervening in the church or establishing a state-sponsored church. Jefferson himself refers to this truth as revealed in the First Amendment to our Nation's Constitution which declared that our legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Therefore, the focus was never to remove God and His law from our government, it was to prevent the government from making laws that limit religious freedom or establish a governmentally sanctioned church.
HEALTHCARE
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has health insurance.
Strongly Disagree
How would you promote healthcare coverage that is adequate, affordable and accessible for all?
Healthcare coverage is an individual responsibility and not the responsibility of the government. Therefore, I would propose a twofold approach. First, there should be a reexamination of realistic insurance rates attempting to define a rate structure that the every-day working citizen can afford. Secondly, I would explore how to change malpractice laws that would prevent at least some of the reported manipulation of those laws for personal benefit. Mandatory healthcare coverage overseen by the government for individuals is a great example of too much government intervention into private business, and in the end, causes great financial burden to individuals. In the case of those who can not work, or are dependent on government welfare, of course, the government would help those individuals.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The best way to maintain peace is through a strong military.
Strongly Agree
IMMIGRATION
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 Agree
State, sheriff and local law enforcement agencies should be required to participate in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 287(g) Program to enhance the safety and security of their communities to identify and detain aliens.
Strongly Agree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Only those people who are willing to invest the time and effort to become citizens of our great nation should be allowed to immigrate to our country. This would include having someone sponsor them during their transition, with a bonafide plan for working and living during that period and beyond. This should also include mandatory examinations to ensure that they know who we are as a people, our history, what our nation stands for with respect to others, whether they commit their allegiance to this nation, and whether they are willing to abide by the laws of our nation and our states.
EDUCATION
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Disagree
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
I support adding sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Strongly Disagree
I support allowing public high school students to participate in athletic competition based on the gender with which they identify instead of biological sex.
Strongly Disagree
Parents should have the right to know what schools are teaching their children about sex and LGBT issues and should have the right to opt their children out of any instruction to which they object.
Strongly Agree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a reformed Christian, and that means I believe in the 5 great principles of the Protestant Church: man is saved by Jesus Christ alone, by God's Grace alone, through Faith alone, for God's glory alone, as revealed by the Holy Scripture (the Old and New Testaments of the Bible) alone.
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?
Very Conservative
Please provide publicly available information validating your answer to the previous question.
I believe our government should limit its focus to the primary responsibility of protecting the people, and this must be done while minimizing the restrictions on individual rights and freedoms. Our government is based on preserving and improving everyone's ability to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. The caveat is that in order to protect individual freedom, we must sacrifice some of it so that we don't infringe on the majority's freedoms. So for me, I support as little governmental intervention as practicable in the majority of challenges our state faces. This means I believe the government should be the servant to the people first. With regard to the economy, I'm more for investment and saving than I am for spending money we don't have. Though at the end of the day, we have balance spending and taxing, and different conditions require different approaches and that takes time to assess the best course of action.
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
As a retired combat veteran, I spent 27 years serving our nation as both an 82d paratrooper and a Special Forces operator here at Fort Bragg and abroad. In this capacity, I learned that problems rarely stem from one single flaw, no, they always result from a chain of events, and an insufficient understanding of the problem. But the key to developing solutions to any problem starts with valuing other people first, preferring them first, caring about their priorities before yours. I learned from working with all kinds of people, from Afghani Militia Leaders, to Iraqi Generals, to Kurdish Tribal Chiefs, to multiple small business owners, to my bosses, my employees, and my commanders that if you take the time to listen first that you'll at least have a better understanding of the problem at hand. This information will enable a better solution for all parties involved, but we won't get there if we don't value others firs
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
No
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
My wife and I have been married since 1991 and we have raised our 5 children, (3 girls, 2 boys), all in this awesome state of NC. Fayetteville, NC is the only home my children know, and we've lived here for 24 years. My oldest son is currently a 1st Lieutenant in the 4th Infantry Division serving our nation now. We're proud of our town, our fellow neighbors, and the Soldiers, Sailors, Coast Guard personnel, and Airmen that live and work here as well. It would be my honor and privilege to serve this great state of ours as the representative for District 42 in the NC House of Representatives, and I pledge to protect our Constitution, serve our people and to God be all the glory.
JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY
I support the use of Sharia law as a basis for legislation and judicial decisions in the United States.
Strongly Disagree
2ND AMENDMENT
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
No
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
I feel that the systems of checks and balances in place currently are sufficient to keep honest people honest. The problem is that the people committing these heinous crimes are not honest, and are procuring their guns through criminal means. So I don't believe there needs to be any further restriction on gun ownership. The problem we're trying to improve here is the lack of public safety, and the answer to that is improved Police and First Responder protection and resources
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
I support the legalization of recreational marijuana.
Disagree
The Electoral College should be abolished.
Strongly Disagree
In priority order, what three areas of legislation do you propose to author or sponsor if elected?
Increase funding for municipal, county, and state police forces and emergency responders. This effort would include armed, trained police at schools to increase the safety of our children. Increase educational funding to more opportunities for higher education, raise teacher salaries to attract and retain high-quality teachers, coaches, and counselors. This would be a renewed effort to recruit experienced personnel to invest in our children showing them the realm of the possible.
