Andy Hopper
Republican | Texas
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
Andy Hopper
Party
Republican
Election Year
2020
Election
Senate District 30 Special
Race
Senate District 30
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
University of North Texas, Denton, Master of Science, 2000
Ohio University, Athens, Bachelor of Science, 1997
WORK & MILITARY
Texas State Guard, Warrant Officer, 2014-present
AFFILIATIONS
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
(Candidate did not provide)
Race
Previous Races
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (1)
Greg Abbott (2014)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
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
iVoterGuide Notes:
"Life begins at conception. Abortion has killed tens of millions of Americans and is a stain on our republic". Platform – Religion/Abortion. Candidate website. https://hopper4txsenate.com/platform/
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds or grants from federal, state, or local governments.
Strongly Agree
iVoterGuide Notes:
"The use of federal tax dollars to fund abortions against the public will of Texans justifies virtually any action by the states to put an end to this practice".Platform – Religion/Abortion. Candidate website. https://hopper4txsenate.com/platform/
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
I believe that life begins at conception. I think that we should seize any opportunity that we have to end the practice of abortion, at whatever stage we can. I recognize that in the interest of consensus during this process that we may have to allow provisions such as "except in the case of rape, incest, or life of the mother," however if life actually begins at conception, I don't see a logical argument to justify murder even in these cases.
iVoterGuide Notes:
"Texas Legislature should enact legislation to stop the murder of unborn children and should ignore and refuse to enforce any and all federal statutes, regulations, executive orders, and court rulings that would deprive an unborn child of the right to life". Platform – Religion/Abortion. Candidate website. https://hopper4txsenate.com/platform/
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
iVoterGuide Notes:
"...property tax itself is an anchor around the necks of all property-owning Texans, and we must seek a better alternative which does not provide a disincentive for Texans to own their piece of Texas." Platform - Taxation. Candidate website.https://hopper4txsenate.com/platform/
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
In Texas, we already have a Sunset Commission that evaluates every public organization and determines if they are providing the service they were designed to provide. Legislators can use parameters and this annual report to cut areas of spending that are not useful.
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
iVoterGuide Notes:
"The Texas Legislature should end censorship of religion in relation to our founding documents and encourage discussing those documents, and the Bible as the basis for them". Platform – Religion/Abortion. Candidate website. https://hopper4txsenate.com/platform/
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?
The Constitution states "free exercise of religion" not "separation of church and state." The latter is a term not found any any of our founding documents and is nevertheless used extensively in our schools to suggest there is, or should be, a wall between anything public to anything religious. This notion flies in the face of the 1st Amendment of the Constitution.
HEALTHCARE
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has health insurance.
Strongly Disagree
iVoterGuide Notes:
"The Texas Legislature should create a State of Texas Health Savings Account, with funds in excess of those needed in the rainy day fund for the purpose of enabling the state to develop reserves sufficient to exit the federal Medicaid program".Platform – Religion/Abortion. Candidate website. https://hopper4txsenate.com/platform/ . Referencing 2018 Texas Republican Party Platform Item 254.
How would you promote healthcare coverage that is adequate, affordable and accessible for all?
A free market allows for competition which leads to cheaper prices and better care. The underlying cause for the high cost of healthcare is the disruption of the market caused by regulation of providers and insurance. In effect, your insurance provider is the "customer" rather than the patient, and we've disrupted the supply and demand to the point that patients have very little recourse as they would in other markets. We must embrace free market principles in medicine if we wish to see it return to normalcy.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The best way to maintain peace is through a strong military.
Strongly Agree
iVoterGuide Notes:
"Texas should support and encourage participation in state military forces including but not limited to:" • Opening up the purchase of state insurance to any active Texas Guard members. • Freezing property tax for all active Texas Guard members. • Any member of the Texas Guard should have access to affordable loans available via the Texas Veterans Land Board. • Enforce existing benefits…Texas Guard members. • All branches of the Texas Guard should be sufficiently funded so that troops are always compensated for drill attendance, training, and deployments. • All Texas Guard members should have access to state-provided life, disability, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance. • Texas should seek to strengthen its military for state-active-duty contingencies by establishing a statewide high-frequency communication network. Platform – Military. Candidate website.https://hopper4txsenate.com/platform/
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?
Immigration is good, so long as we are bringing in folks with skills and who intend to become proud Texans. I think that the immigration process should be orderly, efficient, and transparent. Unfortunately, the United States has never properly guarded the Texas/Mexico border since the time that Texas became a state and it is likewise unnatural to assume that Washington will tomorrow begin to manage the situation after nearly 200 years of mis-management. Texas should establish an interstate compact allowing the participating states to enforce existing federal immigration laws, and the State of Texas shall support all efforts to enter into a border security interstate compact and gain control of the border.
EDUCATION
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
iVoterGuide Notes:
"The COVID-19 pandemic has shown everyday Texans that there are alternatives to the one-size-fits-all public schools that they remember from their childhoods. While many young Texans have thrived in private schools, home schools, and charter schools for years, now in post-COVID-19 2020 Texans are fully aware that these are real and viable alternatives." Platform - Schools/Parents. Candidate website.https://hopper4txsenate.com/platform/
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
iVoterGuide Notes:
"I support the historic concept, established by our nations founders, of limited civil government jurisdiction under the natural laws of God, and oppose the concept that the state is sovereign over the affairs of men, the family, and the church". Platform – Religion/Abortion. Candidate website. https://hopper4txsenate.com/platform/ . Referencing 2018 Texas Republican Party Platform Item 84.
I support adding sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression as protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Strongly Disagree
Promotion of the LGBT agenda in public schools, including teaching of “sexual orientation” and “gender identity”, is completely inappropriate and should be opposed at the state and local level.
Strongly Agree
iVoterGuide Notes:
"Legislation should be passed stating that no public school or educational institution may require or pressure any student to profess, espouse, or adopt, or otherwise be indoctrinated to, specific views on sex, sexuality, gender, or gender identity, without explicit parental consent".Platform – Religion/Abortion. Candidate website. https://hopper4txsenate.com/platform/
I support allowing public high school students to participate in athletic competition based on the gender with which they identify instead of biological sex.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I believe that mankind is fallen and pre-disposed to sin and death but God, in His grace, sent his son, Jesus Christ, to provide a way for mankind to reconcile themselves with God and be made new in a way that preserves God's name and character.
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.
"Conservative" means different things to different folks. I believe that our rights are natural, that they come from God and not from the US or Texas constitutions, and I believe these documents represent the compact that our ancestors made in forming our governments. I believe roughly in the notion that our constitutions and laws should be interpreted by their "original public meaning" (often referred to loosely as "original intent") and that these documents are absolutely NOT living documents. Government thus exists by the consent of the governed at the time that the constitution and subsequent amendments were passed, and of course consent can always be withdrawn when a government confers powers to itself to which the people never consented. Please see my platform for details on my beliefs: https://hopper4txsenate.com/platform/
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
I have a master's degree in an engineering field and, as a Warrant Officer in the Texas State Guard (TXSG), I am a first responder and have extensive experience with emergency management. Our team in the TXSG was responsible for the development of a software management system that has saved the State of Texas between $10-20 million dollars. I am also passionate about Texas and Texas history, and I believe that my strong beliefs on the role of government will well represent the voters of my district.
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 owns a small farm in Wise County and serve as a Warrant Officer in the Texas State Guard. I have a master's degree in Computer Science, have taught as an adjunct professor at UNT, and hold a US patent. I have worked in the private sector and defense industry as a software engineer for the last twenty-three years and currently own a software consulting firm. Along with my wife, Amanda, I homeschool our three sons. I am running for Texas Senate District 30 because I believe Texans deserve real solutions and less government.
iVoterGuide Notes:
"The Texas Legislature must strongly reassert the terms of our contract with the Federal Government per Article 1, Section 1 of our Texas Constitution". Platform - Federalism. Candidate website.https://hopper4txsenate.com/platform/
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?
None. A well-armed society is a polite society. An armed populace is the ultimate check on a despotic government.
iVoterGuide Notes:
"I support the right of all Texans to carry firearms in accordance with the Second Amendment of the US Constitution". Platform - Gun Control. Candidate website.https://hopper4txsenate.com/platform/ §§ "The Texas Legislature should propose to the people of Texas, a constitutional amendment to strike the following words from Article I Section 23 of the Texas Constitution: “…but the Legislature shall have power, by law, to regulate the wearing of arms, with a view to prevent crime”. Platform - Gun Control. Candidate website.https://hopper4txsenate.com/platform/ .Referencing 2018 Texas Republican Party Platform Item 76. "Texas should never remove the constitutional rights of citizens using “red flag” laws without due process". Platform - Gun Control. Candidate website.https://hopper4txsenate.com/platform/
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly 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?
1) Put the Alamo in the care of the State of Texas, and end its status as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Fully fund the proper restoration and maintenance of Texas historical sites at Goliad, the Alamo, and Washington on the Brazos/Independence. 2) All single family residential properties that don’t qualify for a homestead exemption should have a standard exemption that limits the amount of taxable property value increase to 15%. 3) Set proper limits on the authority of the Texas governor in times of emergency, and define an automatic call of the legislature in the case that these powers are exercised so that the voice of our representative may be heard.
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Absolutely not. We are worsening race relations in the United States by teaching school children about white privilege. Instead we should strive to teach children that all men and women are valuable and precious to our Creator. By denying the free exercise of religion in our schools, we are creating a godless society which proliferates notions that people are responsible for the sins of their fathers which fuels the hatred that we are seeing at work today.
