Sam Givhan

Republican | Alabama

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

Sam Givhan


Party

Republican


Election Year

2022


Election

General


Race

State Senate, Dist. 7


Incumbent

Yes


Links

Sam Givhan websites
FacebookXLinkedIn

EDUCATION

Auburn University, B. S., 1989

University of Alabama, J.D., 1994

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

SCORECARDS

CONSERVATIVE ORGANIZATIONS


LIBERAL ORGANIZATIONS

ENDORSEMENTS*

*These endorsements were received after the deadline and were not considered in the Panel Evaluations and are for additional educational purposes only.
CONSERVATIVE (3)

National Rifle Association (NRA) PVF

*Alabama Farmers Federation (ALFA) FARMPAC

*National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Alabama

OTHER (4)

Alabama Forestry Association ForestPAC

Business Council of Alabama

*Manufacture Alabama

*Alabama Association of Realtors

SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS

CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (4)

Bill Hightower (2019)

Marco Rubio (2015)

Martha E. McSally (2020)

State Republican Party Organizations (2022)

RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)

OTHER INFORMATION

Vote record from votesmart

QUESTIONNAIRE

RIGHT TO LIFE

Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?

We already passed this law.

Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).

Strongly Agree

I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.

Disagree


RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.

Disagree

Under what circumstances can government close churches?

When the building is on fire. Somewhat facetious of an answer, but in the rarest of circumstances.


NATIONAL SECURITY

What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?

I am not running for federal office and thus decline to answer.

I support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement to pressure Israel to withdraw from occupied territories, remove the separation barrier in the West Bank, allow full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees.

Choose not to answer


HEALTHCARE

What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D)Tax-payer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be de-funded.

C

Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?

Covid 19 vaccinations should never be mandated.


ECONOMY

What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?

Fair Tax. Alternatively, prebate grocery tax for the poor; reduce corporate tax rate to the effective rate (misleading in how presented compared to other states); reduce individual income tax rate.

What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?

Alabama has a balanced budget.

Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.

Strongly Disagree

I do support public post secondary work force training.


IMMIGRATION

The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.

Strongly Agree

Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?

Not a state issue.


EDUCATION

I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.

Choose not to answer

If and when the House of Representative passes such legislation, then I will consider issues in detail. My wife and I (mostly her) home schooled our children for 7 years. I have supported an increase in the tax credits that can be used under the Accountability Act.


CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY

Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.

Agree

I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.

Strongly Disagree

While we are working to improve mental health funding, which is inadequate, taking money from law enforcement is not an option.


2ND AMENDMENT

What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?

Did not answer

Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.

Strongly Disagree


ABOUT YOU

What do you think is the general purpose of government?

Overly broad question and answer depends on which level of government. I believe in the tenets of The Frederick Douglass Republicans and my general philosophy is set forth in the Platform of the Alabama Republican Party, which I authored when I was Senior Vice Chair of the Party (2016-2018).

When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?

Conservative

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder on where one is perceived to be on the political spectrum.

Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).

Alabama Policy Institute Ratings for the last 2 years.

Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.

No.

What else would you like voters to know about you, including your legislative priorities?

While I have a number of items that I will be pursuing to continue to improve the laws of the State of Alabama, I don't want the voters to lose sight of the fact that it is equally or more important to stop bad legislation. I have developed a reputation among my peers as a watchdog that many rely on before agreeing to support legislation as I am known as one of the more diligent legislators in terms of reading and trying to understand the proposed bills that come before my committees and the body.


VALUES

Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.

Strongly Agree

I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.

Strongly Disagree

Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition

Choose not to answer

Strongly agree with the first sentence and disagree with the second sentence because our federal government has already altered it. I wrote the platform of the Alabama Republican Party which addresses this issue, but I think that horse is well out of the barn.

I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.

Strongly Disagree

Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.

Born again Christian. Southern Baptist with a bit of a Presbyterian streak. As to the differences, God made the rules and what I think about them doesn't matter.


ELECTIONS AND VOTING

People should be able to vote without photo identification.

Strongly Disagree

What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?

Codify that paper ballots must be used and that voting machines cannot be connected to the internet. Clarify a number of inconsistent and/or ambiguous voting laws.


EQUALITY

Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?

Did not answer

Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.

Did not answer


ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

Which comes closest to your view? A) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy. B) Stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost.

Did not answer

I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.

Strongly Agree

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