Steven J DiFiore II
Libertarian | North Carolina
Candidate Profile*
Insufficient Information
*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Steven J DiFiore II
Party
Libertarian
Election Year
2020
Election
General
Race
Governor
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
UNC Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, B.A. Political Science, 2009
Clinton Community College, Plattsburgh, NY, A.S. Applied Science, 2004
WORK & MILITARY
(Candidate did not provide)
AFFILIATIONS
Libertarian Party of Mecklenburg County, Recording Secretary, Charlotte Civic Leadership Academy
Member / Graduate
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Charlotte City Council At-Large, 2017
Race
ENDORSEMENTS
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Libertarian Party of North Carolina
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE*
*Additional information was received after the evaluation was assigned and was not considered in the Panel Evaluations, therefore it is for additional educational purposes only.
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.
Neutral
If the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, North Carolina should repeal its law allowing abortion up to 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Neutral
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
I recognize that abortion is a sensitive issue and that people can hold good-faith views on all sides. As a Libertarian I believe that government should be kept out of the matter, instead leaving the question to each person for their conscientious consideration.
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
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.
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?
As a Libertarian, I defend the rights of individuals to engage in or abstain from any religious activity as long as the rights of others aren't violated. The government should have no power or authority to promote, bolster, or favor one religion or belief over another. Many of the earliest immigrants to the New World fled religious oppression in their homelands, places where there was an officially recognized religion of the State. The United States Government and North Carolina Government must be agnostic to the views and beliefs of it's citizens otherwise we risk a situation where a minority is oppressed.
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?
I will work to reform our state's Certificate of Need (CON) laws. These laws prevent independent doctors and clinics from competing with large and politically influential hospital organizations. This leads to inflated cost and decreased access to the care needed by North Carolinians. By removing this barrier to competition we will be able to enjoy the benefits of innovation and entrepreneurship in the healthcare field. In every place these laws have been repealed the quality of care has gone up while the cost has gone down.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The best way to maintain peace is through a strong military.
Disagree
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.
Disagree
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.
Disagree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
As a Libertarian, I support the political freedom of all. This includes the right to escape from tyranny. Economic freedom demands the unrestricted movement of people as goods across boarders. I favor the Ellis Island model of immigration, which is how my ancestors arrived here from Italy just over a hundred years ago.
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.
Agree
I support allowing public high school students to participate in athletic competition based on the gender with which they identify instead of biological sex.
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.
Agree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I was raised in a Roman Catholic household and many of those Catholic values I was taught in my youth I carry with me to this day. My views on Morality and Ethics are strongly influenced by the teachings of great Theologians like St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Thomas More. My political philosophy is heavily influenced by the insights to come out of the European Enlightenment, chief among those are the works of John Locke, Adam Smith, and Thomas Jefferson.
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.
https://www.isidewith.com/candidates/steven-difiore
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
As a Libertarian activist I seek solutions for the people of North Carolina and our local communities. My focus is not to keep a single political party in power or merely to help well connected establishment interests. As a common man, interested in the well being of the folks living on main street, I will work with both the Republicans and Democrats to find solutions to to the difficult issues facing our state.
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?
As your Libertarian candidate, I'm not bound by the typical politics and thinking of Team Democrat and Team Republican. It so often seems that same old two parties just are against what the other is for and nothing ever really gets better. We are still talking about the same issues I remember my parents talking about when I was a child, Education, Healthcare, National Debt, Retirement, and Social Security. I'm motivated by a desire for a better kind of politics in our state, one that is community and solutions based. I believe North Carolina can be a prosperous land of opportunity for all if we only work together toward that noble goal.
JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY
I support the use of Sharia law as a basis for legislation and judicial decisions in the United States.
Disagree
2ND AMENDMENT
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
Yes
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
I affirm the individual right recognized by the Second Amendment to keep and bear arms. I oppose the prosecution of individuals for exercising their rights. As a Libertarian, I oppose all laws at any level of government that restricts, registers, or monitors the ownership, manufacture, or transfer of firearms and ammunition.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Agree
I support the legalization of recreational marijuana.
Agree
The Electoral College should be abolished.
Disagree
In priority order, what three areas of legislation do you propose to author or sponsor if elected?
1. Reform and/or repeal of Certificate of Need (CON) laws. 2. Reform and/or repeal of state Occupational License laws and associated fees. 3. Shifting the balance of power in our state away from Raleigh and more towards the county and local government level.
