John Kartak
Republican | Washington
Candidate Profile*
Conservative (Conditional)
*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.
BIOGRAPHY
Name
John Kartak
Party
Republican
Election Year
2020
Election
General
Race
State Rep., Dist. 44 - Pos. 1
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Everett Community College, Everett
Municipal Research Services Center, Olympia
FEMA, Washington D.C.
WORK & MILITARY
(Candidate did not provide)
AFFILIATIONS
Housing Affordability Regional Taskforce, Board Member, Snohomish County Tomorrow
Board Member, U.S. Navy League (Lk. Washington/Everett Chapter), Board Member
American Legion (SAL), Member, Snohomish Kiwanis
Member, Snohomish County Farm Bureau, Member
Garden City Grange, Executive Member, Snohomish Kla-Ha-Ya Days
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Mayor of Snohomish, WA, 3
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
State House, 44th L.D. Position #1
Race
ENDORSEMENTS
CONSERVATIVE (1)
Family Policy Institute of Washington Action
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (6)
Snohomish City Councilman Steve Dana
Snohomish City Councilman Larry Countryman
Snohomish County Councilman Sam Low
Snohomish County Councilman Nate Nehring
Marysville City Councilman Mark James
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (0)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Local, County, and District Republican Organizations (2020)
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.
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?
Abortion should only be legal when a pregnancy is determined by a medical doctor to be a risk of significance to the life of the child's mother. There has been an argument made for legalization of abortion for cases of pregnancy due to rape, but while I am sympathetic to such argument, I do not agree with it. To be clear here, let me repeat my first sentence: Abortion should only be legal when a pregnancy is determined by a medical doctor to be a risk of significance to the life of the child's mother.
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.
Strongly Agree
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
I would be inclined to return to the framework of an earlier (smaller) budget from two or four years ago and then begin to work with others to whittle away from there.
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.
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?
History shows that these words, while not found in the Constitution or Declaration of Independence, were communicated for the purpose of satisfying concerns FOR the free exercise of religious liberty, not against it. These words were written in order to explain that the United States government (the state) must not infringe upon any individual's right to their own free expression and exercise of religious belief. Specifically, it was to explain that the state must not establish or mandate a national religion -such as England had.
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?
This is about supply and demand combined with free-market principles with the understanding that reasonable government protection is a fundamental part of a truly-free market. I support the greatest amount of freedom for competing healthcare providers and insurers to serve the needs of their willing customers to the degree that they do not trespass on any group or individual's equal rights. This includes getting government out of the way of those relationships between doctors and their patients, and between businesses and their customers. This includes opening the doors to competition across state lines and removing complicated barriers and unhealthy regulations. I believe in tort reform in order to remove unhealthy incentives for trial lawyers -this by limiting the liability of honest healthcare workers to judgments that are more realistic. Negligent, reckless, and criminal doctors should be held accountable, but good doctors (and their insurance providers) need better protection.
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?
Any person (or family) who is willing to publicly affirm and support the United States Constitution, reject all ideas that are in conflict with the U.S. Constitution, and pledge to be in unity with the American way of life in this country should be considered qualified for immigration. The process for prioritizing who comes in ahead of others should include taking into account what benefits our country as well as who is suffering most from tyranny. Our country was not created to save the world within our own borders but it does reflect the kind of freedom and responsibility that ought to be exercised in any country that wishes to prosper. Immigrants should be required to come through the "front door". Out of respect for National security and for the humanity and safety of those who wish to immigrate, we need to physically deter illegal border crossings, and we also need to remove unnecessary and counterproductive road blocks that discourage entrance through the official channels.
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
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty and our Lord Jesus Christ Who made all things, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of and consubstantial with the Father: God from God, begotten, not made. He came down from heaven for our salvation, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the virgin, Mary, and, fully God, became fully man, was crucified for our sins, suffered death, was buried, and rose again on the third day. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right Hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, Who proceeds from the Father and the Son, Who is worshiped, Who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one baptism and look forward to the resurrection and eternal life to come through the Blood of Jesus Christ. I believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, and the WHOLE Church is one.
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?
Conservative
Please provide publicly available information validating your answer to the previous question.
I am conservative in at least four directions: Constitutionally, Socially, Fiscally, and on matters of national and local security. I am a married father with five sons and eight grandchildren. I am pro-U.S. Constitution, pro-U.S. military, pro-police, pro-family, pro-business and pro-free market. I have been a business owner for most of my adult life -from 1984 up until becoming Mayor of Snohomish three years ago. I have spent the first 15 years of my adult life as a bible-believing Christian, and as a Catholic Bible-believing Christian since the year 2000. My faith has always taught me, as a sinner, to consider others better than myself and to return blessings for curses. I believe that if I were not deeply concerned about the eternal health of even those who irritate me the most, I should not call myself a Christian -for Christ died for us sinners while we were His enemies. OUR enemies are not flesh and blood, but rather spiritual principalities and powers of darkneness.
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
As the Mayor of Snohomish, Washington, I have worked hard to build relationships with those who have opinions that differ from mine. I have made it a point to prioritize time to be spent with members of the community who wish to meet. This includes those who are well off as well as those who are homeless heroin addicts. I work hard for my constituents and represent their interests and needs. This is not always to agree with everyone, but rather to find solutions and to do my best to make sure everyone is represented with the most effective voice possible along with navigating them through their equal access to local and regional government departments and officials. My city's community is quite diverse in matters of faith, politics, economics, and culture. Being Mayor of Snohomish has given me great opportunities to serve in difficult circumstances, and I have experienced wonderful occasions to help bring this community together during a multitude of challenging times.
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?
Our community values are under attack. Taxes are going through the roof, businesses are dying, and our police are being vilified for the actions of a few. Now grade-schoolers are going to be sexualized through a mandatory, statewide school curriculum against their parents' approval. I stand with our families and businesses, and I wholeheartedly defend and support the honorable police officers who protect and serve in our district. We are NOT Seattle. Party divisiveness has left our community without a balanced voice. I believe that the best solutions require strong relationships across the whole district and discussion with those who hold differing opinions. As Mayor of Snohomish, I work hard to find collaborative answers to problems affecting our politically diverse community. I am not a career politician. I will bring a bipartisan approach so that everyone is heard. -Mayor John T. Kartak
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.
Strongly Agree
2ND AMENDMENT
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
Yes
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Before pretending to make "improvements", we first need to better respect the rights and responsibilities that have already been found in our laws and our Constitution. This means to enforce existing laws against violent crime and violent criminals with the greatest amount of punishment reasonably possible, but also to allow those who are law-abiding and mentally-healthy to better protect themselves, their families, neighbors, businesses, and property by respecting their right to bear arms.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly 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?
I wish to better define and limit Washington State's emergency powers to suspend civil liberties against religious, economic, mobility, and privacy freedoms. We need better checks and balances and true clarity for citizens and businesses. I wish to reduce State power in favor of local control. To the degree possible, I wish to limit controversial mandates (such as the statewide sex-ed bill) to local governments rather than across the state. Where appropriate, I wish to bring more of our tax money back home where it can be managed with greater accountability. I wish to limit the power of Washington State to levy new and/or higher taxes while increasing the power of local governments to manage their own sources of funding. I wish to fiscally incentivize local school districts across the state to contract with local police and/or sheriff agencies for public resource officers in our schools. Public safety is necessary for a free society, and for the well-being of our kids, it is vital.
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Certainly, and actions based on a lack of perspective and understanding about racism is also a threat. For example, the existence of some forms of racism in one part of the country does not, by itself, mean that the whole country is experiencing the same type or level of problems. Domestic security suffers tremendously when physical uprisings take place in cities all across the country in response to an event that happens thousands of miles away. Another misconception that can cause problems is the idea that racism can only be defined as white people against people of color when it is often, multi-directional. The larger threat that I think we are currently experiencing in this country might best be described as "bigotry", in general, where skin color is sometimes irrelevant. This can be defined as intolerance toward people who are different (or of different opinions) or as the judgment of any whole group by the actions or behavior of a few.
