Neal Carter
Republican | Arizona
Candidate Profile*
Conservative (Conditional)
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Neal Carter
Party
Republican
Election Year
2020
Election
Primary
Race
State Rep., Dist. 8
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
New York University, New York, NY, J.D., 2009
UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, B.A., 2006
WORK & MILITARY
(Candidate did not provide)
AFFILIATIONS
Pinal County Republican Committee, General Counsel
Arizona Republican Assembly, Sergent-at-Arms
Knights of Columbus, Council Advocate
Compassion Queen Creek, Volunteer
St. Michael's prison ministry, Volunteer
Plan San Tan Committee, Board Member
Coolidge Veterans Commission, Counsel
Pan de Vida Foundation, Counsel
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
(Candidate did not provide)
ENDORSEMENTS*
CONSERVATIVE (4)
Arizona Free Enterprise Club; Arizona Republican Assembly; *Arizona Right to Life Action; Center for Arizona Policy Action (CAP Action)
OTHER (1)
*Arizona Nurses Association PAC
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (4)
Arizona Republican Assembly; Pinal County Supervisor Mike Goodman; Nancy Hawkins, Casa Grande U.H.S.D. Board Member; Kathy Nowak, San Tan Valley Rep. Club President
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
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Never. Under no circumstances, ever.
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 is found nowhere in the Constitution. What is in the Constitution is "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." This means that a state-sanctioned religion is illegal. The right of individuals to freely practice their religion is not to be infringed. The right of individuals to use intellect, knowledge or conscience in deciding how to cast their votes, or to proclaim their faith in public, is not to be infringed.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The best way to maintain peace is through a strong military.
Agree
HEALTHCARE
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has health insurance.
Neutral
How would you promote healthcare coverage that is adequate, affordable and accessible for all?
Reduce prices and barriers to access to healthcare. Prices can be reduced through interstate competition and alleviating government mandates for specific coverage. Access must be improved, especially in District 8, which includes a large rural area, where access to healthcare facilities is lacking and the community is under-served.
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
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
Spending could be reduced across the board to begin with. Second, I oppose attempts to use public funds to give illegal aliens in-state tuition at our state colleges, unlike my opponent who voted for that, or to give $45 million in tax breaks to a private racetrack in Avondale, which my opponent voted for. Finally, I oppose the expansion of Obamacare, which the Heritage Foundation estimates has cost Arizona $3 Billion, which also my opponent voted for. All the above would save money.
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 and federal funds should be denied to any public or private entity, including but not limited to sanctuary cities, that are not in compliance with immigration laws.
Strongly Agree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Any person *following the law* should be considered for immigration to the U.S. Illegal immigration is an offense against justice. It is unfair to those who apply legally, patiently waiting to complete the process, to allow those who came illegally to take their place. We are a nation built on laws, and equal enforcement of the law - all the laws - is a hallmark of American equality. Immigration law should be no different.
EDUCATION
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Disagree
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Mandatory minimum sentencing should be required and enforced for violent crimes.
Strongly Disagree
2ND AMENDMENT
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
Yes
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Gun ownership is a federally-protected, Constitutional right. Abridging a Constitutional right is illegal.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Disagree
I support the legalization of recreational marijuana.
Strongly 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?
1.) Transit. Widen I-10 and Hunt Highway now. Finish AZ-24 and North-South Corridor Freeway. 2.) Reduce Tax Burden. Repeal vehicle registration tax immediately, not over years, ensure that Trump tax reform does not result in windfall to the state, oppose increasing gas tax. 2.) Local Control. Enact local control agreement with Feds regarding federal lands in Arizona which didn't pass last year, which will result in 1.) revenue sharing with the state, revenue that can be used to support education, especially better teacher pay, and 2.) local forest management, which would have avoided 2019's Woodbury fire, which burned 100s of thousands of acres of federal lands, but no state-managed lands, because of adequate state response and delayed federal response. Also re-enact statute, set to expire next term, allowing communities to incorporate without interference from communities miles away from the boundaries of the incorporating community.
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
The solution to racial inequalities is a strong economy. President Trump created an economy where unemployment among minorities and women was at its lowest levels ever. A strong economy is the surest defense against domestic insecurity.
JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY
I support the use of Sharia law as a basis for legislation and judicial decisions in the United States.
Strongly Disagree
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 in the duty of all citizens to volunteer to support our communities and have been publicly-recognized for this. https://santantimes.com/pinal-county-honors-volunteers/ I believe in giving others a hand up, not a hand out. Thus, I regularly volunteer for faith-based community outreach to help the needy, such as Compassion Queen Creek. I have been publicly recognized for my volunteerism. https://santantimes.com/volunteer-spirit-shines-at-local-prisons/ I am on public record in the Arizona Capitol Times as to my belief that abortion is a grave wrong. https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2019/04/24/one-sided-report-on-planned-parenthood-lawsuit/ I believe that although justice requires paying restitution for one's crimes, true compassion and Christ-like service means reaching out to those most vulnerable among us and am on record stating same. https://www.pinalcentral.com/opinion/local_columns/carter-prisons-problems-need-ideas/article_8be5a473-7839-5350-8551-58375ad962b2.html
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
I currently serve on Supervisor Goodman's Plan San Tan Committee, and as General Counsel for the Pinal County Republican Committee. I have a proven track record of success accomplishing local policy change, for example, I spearheaded a neighborhood effort to exclude the rural San Tan Ranches neighborhood from inclusion in the County's suburban zoning area, a proposition that was instituted by unelected bureaucrats and was overwhelmingly opposed by the neighborhood. I have a proven track record of successfully championing causes for the under-served, for example, having argued and won a case before the Pinal County Superior court for Coolidge Veterans, entirely free of charge. https://www.pinalcentral.com/coolidge_examiner/news/jury-rules-in-favor-of-veterans-in-military-honor-park-case/article_eedc455f-ab46-5af6-9e67-af2927c81d68.html
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?
I am not a politician, but a community-minded volunteer who believes that now is the time for government that is responsive to the citizenry. I believe in term limits and believe that respecting the Constitution means not switching houses for a second time to remain in office indefinitely like my opponent is. I am the only San Tan Valley candidate and I oppose political crony-ism evidenced by my opponent who voted to give a $45 million tax break to a private racetrack in Avondale. I believe in the Electoral College, unlike my opponent who voted in 2016 for the National Popular Vote compact. Elect competent, conservative professionals to the State House this term, not political operatives who don't reflect our values.
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Agree
I support adding sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I believe in one God, the creator of the universe, and in Jesus Christ, His only son, who died for our sins. I do not believe in imposing this belief on others, but I believe that this view and others should be protected so that they may be shared with others in the public sphere. I believe that that "Golden Rule," do unto others as you would have them do unto you, should be taught in schools and that this view, properly lived through personal virtue, will lead to proper conduct and an upright society, if sincerely lived and equally applied to all citizens in all circumstances.
