William Johnston
Republican | Minnesota
Candidate Profile*
Leans Conservative
*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.
BIOGRAPHY
Name
William Johnston
Party
Republican
Election Year
2020
Election
General
Race
State Rep., Dist. 53A
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Thomas Edison State University, Trenton, NJ, BA in Computer Science, 2016
WORK & MILITARY
(Candidate did not provide)
AFFILIATIONS
Divinity Lutheran Church, St. Paul, Chairman of Elders
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
(Candidate did not provide)
Race
Previous Races
ENDORSEMENTS*
*These endorsements were received after the deadline and were not considered in the Panel Evaluations and are for additional educational purposes only.
CONSERVATIVE (1)
*Minnesota Gun Owners PAC
OTHER (1)
*Minnesotans for Affordable Health Insurance
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
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Only to protect the life of the mother such that both cannot survive the pregnancy. The child is a distinct person from conception and has the same right to life as any other human.
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?
I'm not familiar enough with the Minnesota budget to call out specific areas. I would focus on things the government is doing which could be easily done by the private sector, or could just stop being done entirely (like licensing haircuts, for example).
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?
“Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” Government has a role which should not be usurped by the Church: to keep civil order and punish evil. The church has a role which should not be usurped by civil government: to point people to Christ.
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?
Encourage competition in the marketplace, both among insurers and providers. Encourage price shopping and quality comparisons, allowing individuals to be informed consumers. Make the individual the customer of the insurance companies, not their employer.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The best way to maintain peace is through a strong military.
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.
Disagree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” America is largely a country of immigrants melded together by Classical Liberal values. We should allow the highest rate of immigration possible that allows for full and successful assimilation of individuals who embrace the ideals of our founding.
EDUCATION
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Neutral
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.
Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I believe in historic Christianity, as described by the three ecumenical creeds: Apostles, Nicene, and Athanasian. I believe that scripture has been rightly interpreted in the Lutheran confessions, collected in the Book of Concord. Ultimately, all scripture points to Jesus Christ as the Savior of the whole world. The main problem with the world is sin. This sin is part of us from conception, and cannot be removed except through the work of Jesus Christ as our substitute.
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.
Given the general anger of this era, I've avoided posting publicly on controversial topics, preferring to convince people in individual conversations, where there is a chance of doing so. Aristotle's Logos, Ethos, and Pathos are difficult to attain online. So I have little in the way of a public record of my beliefs. Please contact me if you have further questions!
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
I've spent well over a decade working as a software developer and leader in various organizations. I've worked in the private sector, a private school, and a large nonprofit. I've learned to listen and care deeply about people from a variety of backgrounds in a variety of life situations. The American governmental system assumes citizens will represent their peers in the legislature, rather than career politicians. I am a regular individual who seeks to serve his neighbors by representing them in their government.
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 hope that you will consider voting for me as a reasonable person, who is trying very hard to not get caught up in the ongoing rage and madness of our time. I hope that you too will attempt to take everyone's words and actions in the kindest possible way. Please pray for me and all elected officials, that they be given wisdom to govern well.
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?
Yes
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Minimal restrictions, generally limited to those with demonstrated dangerous mental illness. Guns are merely a tool which can be used to work good or evil. Those desiring to work evil are not stopped by law.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
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?
Choice in education. Minnesotan parents need to be able to exercise more autonomy in guiding their children's education, whether they choose public, charter, private, parochial, or home schooling. To the greatest extent possible, the taxpayer funds presently going to public schools should be directed to the parents' educational choice. Government unions need to be limited. They represent a conflict on interest, and, because of their disconnection from any economic impact, lead to less efficiency. In a worst case, they can protect those who should be fired, leading to loss of life in the case of George Floyd. Regulations should be limited to the greatest extent possible, and only when there is a major threat to public safety. For example, it should not require a license to cut hair.
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Racism is a threat to domestic security, because history shows that an oppressed people will eventually erupt. America was founded on principles of equality under the law, and her history has been one of slow and painful expansion of this idea. Racism has been dramatically reduced in America, but this has happened so recently in the course of history that the knock-on effects are still working their way through our people.
