Ted Gaines
Republican | California
Candidate Profile
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Ted Gaines
Party
Republican
Election Year
2021
Election
Gubernatorial Recall
Race
Gubernatorial Replacement
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
(Candidate did not provide)
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)
Race
SCORECARDS
CONSERVATIVE ORGANIZATIONS
2015-16
100%
2015-16
100%
2015
100%
2011
100%
2018
99%
2011
80%
2018
66%
2015-16
|100%
2015
|100%
2011
|100%
2018
|99%
2011
|80%
2018
|66%
LIBERAL ORGANIZATIONS
2014
64%
2019
57%
2018
56%
2018
25%
2012
20%
2017-2018
14%
2015-2016
6%
2018
0%
2009
0%
2010
0%
2014
|64%
2019
|57%
2018
|56%
2017-2018
|14%
2015-2016
|6%
2009
|0%
2010
|0%
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (2)
Local, County, and District Republican Organizations (2016)
State Republican Party Organizations (2021)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (3)
Brian Dahle (2015)
California Charter School Association (2014)
National Federation of Republican Assemblies (2014)
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (1)
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts (2014)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
OTHER INFORMATION
Additional vote ratings from prior years: Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California - 50%; National Federation of Independent Business (CA) - 100%; American Conservative Union - 93%; California League of Conservation Voters - 25%; Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association - 93%; California Farm Bureau Federation - 100%.
As of 8/9/2021, the California Secretary of State reported candidate had received $276,810.00 during the current election cycle.
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
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Only when the mother is threatened and the sanctity of life can’t be protected.
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
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
We are fortunate enough here in California to have been blessed with budget surpluses for several years. With all the wasteful spending and failed frivolous projects like the High Speed Rail, I say it’s time to take these surpluses and give them back to the taxpayer. Simply put: if even the extravagant spenders in Sacramento can’t think of enough ways to spend your money, then they have too much of your money.
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.
No Answer
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
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
The hardships of this past year have exposed plainly the grim realities of government overreach. To be barred from your house of worship because it is not considered as “essential” as a liquor store or marijuana dispensary is a slap in the face to men and women of faith everywhere. Our first amendment is first for a reason. Our religious liberties are not and can not be subjected to the arbitrary whims of big government.
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
Our founders did not mince words when they wrote our first amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...” Simply put, the government can not express preference for one religion over another, and they absolutely cannot prevent Americans from exercising their own religions or the values and beliefs that accompany them. We are seeing today some of the most blatant violations of the first amendment in our nation’s history with the arbitrary closing of churches, and the forcing of business owners to ignore biblical teachings in their private practices. These recent trends are brazenly unconstitutional and must be met with justice.
HEALTHCARE
It is the government’s responsibility to ensure everyone has health insurance.
Strongly Disagree
How would you promote healthcare coverage that is adequate, affordable and accessible for all?
The first step is to get Californians back to work. Millions rely on the healthcare plans that are tied to their jobs, and this administration is throttling access to those healthcare plans with their decision to enforce business closures and job killing lockdowns. While restoring access to employer health insurance is a start, it is clear that the state of our healthcare is far from perfect. A complete lack of transparency between providers and recipients of health care has resulted in a messy and inefficient system with sky high medical costs and suffocating amounts of red tape. The price of medical care must be transparent, so health care providers can compete in the marketplace and Californians can compare and choose the services they need rather than handing over a blank check every time they undergo a procedure. I would also implement cross-state policy purchases, and allow for stripped-down policies that aren't loaded with unnecessary coverage that people do not want/need
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.
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?
California is home to more immigrants than any other state and Silicon Valley is brimming with the worlds technology talent. We have thousands and thousands of success stories here and I look forward to many more in the future. Our current system is deeply flawed. Our border is in crisis and not enough is being done federally to control who enters our country. Illegal drugs such as Fentanyl flow freely across the border and ruin countless lives. Policy should decide who and what enters the United States, not a lack of political willpower. I will authorize all available state resources to the border to aid the federal government in border control. We must also reconsider the criteria that we use for those wishing to come here. In addition to providing safe haven for those who are religiously & politically persecuted, we must move toward a merit & skill based immigration system to ensure that our country benefits from the immigrant just as much as the immigrant benefits from our country.
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality that 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.
Throughout the course of my life I have been blessed beyond words, and I owe it all to my faith. In the unwavering love of Christ, I continue to learn patience, humility, prudence and compassion. All that I have been able to do and will continue to do for the people of this great state, I do through Him who gives me strength.
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 have a long public record, including thousands of legislative votes, opinion pieces, interviews, endorsements and awards from various groups that confirm my Conservative beliefs.
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
I’ve been fighting for my constituents for the past 20 years, starting with my position as placer county supervisor as well as elected office in the State Assembly & Senate. I’m now the highest ranking republican in the state, representing 10 million Californians on the Board of Equalization. In addition, I own an independent insurance agency and have been in the industry for over 40 years and have an intimate understanding of the challenges facing both the public & private sectors in California
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
I have never been convicted of a felony or been penalized for sexual misconduct.
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
After nearly 36 years of marriage, I’m a father of six, and a grandfather of seven. I’m a devout Christian, a long time business owner and experienced public servant. I know firsthand what this state is capable of, and it is frustrating beyond words to see the future of this great state threatened by incompetent governance and backwards policies. It's said in Proverbs 29:18 that “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” I know that with the right vision and the right leadership, we can unleash California’s massive potential and make it once again the pride of our nation. Together our future is bright.
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
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Strongly Disagree
2ND AMENDMENT
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
Yes
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
If there was a correlation between restrictive gun control measures and public safety, California of all states would have seen it by now. We have by far the longest list of overbearing and unconstitutional gun control laws of any state in America, and after decades upon decades of encroaching restrictions, Californians feel less safe than ever before. The solution to public safety is simple: we must be willing to enforce the law. Overturn Prop. 47 and increase -not decrease- police funding.
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
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?
1. Undo the decades of lax criminal enforcement and leniency that have resulted in this predictable crime surge. In addition to the restoration of police support and repeal of weak on crime legislation, we must have a system in place that is willing to accept the realities of mental illness and addiction that are central to the crisis of homelessness by providing facilities where we can mandate care. 2. Reverse the year and a half of suffocating lockdowns and business closures that have gutted the heart of our economy, left our children without proper schooling, and eroded public faith in our institutions. It’s time to re-open our businesses, schools and churches and let life resume. 3. Form a coherent and cooperative framework to manage our natural resources. Build new water storage projects to combat shortages and drought, thin the forests and revive the logging industry to prevent wildfires, and pursue all energy options to reduce costs, increase reliability, and end blackouts
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Leftist radical agitators are using race as an excuse to undermine America and implement Communism or something close to it. Racism is a threat to domestic security only insofar as it's a pretense for destruction, and that can't stand. The United States is the great beacon of hope for people from around the world, who risk everything to get to our shores, regardless of their skin color. That would not be the case if they expected to be low caste in a racial hierarchy in this country. People understand that America stands alone for race-blind opportunity. We must not be divided by racial discrimination and for the most part we are not. I aim to unify California by building it up for everyone. Economic prosperity and safety do not discriminate on skin color.
