Brian Norton
Republican | Florida
Candidate Profile
Moderate
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Brian Norton
Party
Republican
Election Year
2020
Election
General
Race
State Senator, Dist. 29
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, Religious Studies, 2005
University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, Philadelphia, Business Essentials, 2009
WORK & MILITARY
(Candidate did not provide)
AFFILIATIONS
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
(Candidate did not provide)
Race
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (0)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Local, County, and District Republican Organizations (2020)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Agree
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds or grants from federal, state, or local governments.
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.
No Answer
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Medical necessity, abortions should be between a patient and their doctor.
ECONOMY
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has a livable income.
Disagree
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Agree
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
It would have to be balanced across the board, but prioritizing fundamental activities first.
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.
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.
Disagree
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Neutral
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?
This statement by Jefferson is often used to mean keeping religion out of the public sphere. But in the Danbury letter Jefferson was acknowledging that purpose of the 1st amendment is to keep Government from controlling and prescribing a "right" religion, stating "religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God". The goal of the first amendment was to make sure the sphere of Legal power and the sphere of Religious power have independence of one another. The legal sphere should only address actions where people violate each other's inalienable rights. The religious sphere should address people and their God. This does not prevent government from acknowledging of religion or interacting with it, it is to keep the government out of controlling religion, much like England in the 1700s.
HEALTHCARE
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has health insurance.
Disagree
How would you promote healthcare coverage that is adequate, affordable and accessible for all?
A healthy society can be a prosperous society. I believe right now we have way too much government intervention in our healthcare system. In an effort to get more people covered, all it has ended up doing is increasing the cost of medicine and decreasing access to quality care. Now our most highly trained doctors spend more time documenting and fighting insurance companies than seeing their patients. This is not right. The people should have access to quality affordable healthcare, but the government is not the entity to give it to them. Instead, government needs to step back, remove all the extra hands from the cookie jar, and re-establish the doctor-patient relationship.
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.
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.
Agree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
This is an issue to be decided by US Congress, I am running for the Florida Senate. Ideally it should be people who share our values.
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.
Agree
I support adding sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Neutral
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
Christian - Value life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Hard work, perseverance, and humility. Family, community, and God. It is important to me to keep life simple, treasure the present and prepare for the future.
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?
Moderate
Please provide publicly available information validating your answer to the previous question.
I think where someone self subscribes is difficult to prove, for me balance is important in all things.
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
I am qualified the same as any other resident, it starts with caring about the process and seeking to serve your community. I have worked in multiple business sectors, including the IT and Landscaping industries. I have worked for a multi-national company as well as started my own small business. I am a quick learner who knows how to solve problems and build consensus. This election is not about me, it is about the people in my community. I am running to represent them, to get them the real results we have been lacking.
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 name is Brian Norton and I am your candidate for Florida State Senate. For years, I have been a loyal and dedicated resident of District 29, I have chosen to not only raise a family here but also to build a successful business. My love for our community gave me the drive to ask, why have we been taken advantage of for so many years by our current politicians who serve us. All too often elected officials turn their backs on their constituents to ensure their donors are taken care of. My campaign is one by the people and for the people. I am running to bring unity to Tallahassee and to deliver results for our community. We cannot afford to elect another State Senator who will put their party above the people. This has been the standard of the previous senator and I believe it will continue should my opponent be elected. My party affiliation does not define who I am or who I serve, instead my party affiliation is what will ensure that district 29 finally receives the representation
JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY
I support the use of Sharia law as a basis for legislation and judicial decisions in the United States.
Strongly Disagree
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Mandatory minimum sentencing should be required and enforced for violent crimes.
Disagree
2ND AMENDMENT
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
No Answer
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Gun owners should have to go through a proper background check and safely store their weapons. Go through proper training, practice with their gun, and maintain it. The same things any responsible gun owner would tell you.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Neutral
I support the legalization of recreational marijuana.
Neutral
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?
Pandemic recovery to help bring back jobs and keep people in their homes. Funding for a pandemic response team that can aggressively target and control future Covid outbreaks. Appropriations funding to our district to improve infrastructure, get business reopened, and create job.
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
The real domestic security threat is our desire to quickly judge and take action. All to often we seek to judge each other without really getting to know them. This rush to judgement seeks to label one another with pejoratives to in an effort to bully each other. This is not a sustainable way of being for a society. Continuing along this path will only lead to more division and violence. We must start to speak with each other instead of at each other. We all come from different backgrounds and have different experiences growing up, and we need to acknowledge that first. It is OK to disagree. Calling someone or something racist is easy, but does not solve anything.
