Gary W. Black
Republican | Georgia
Candidate Profile
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Gary W. Black
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
Primary
Race
U.S. Senator
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
University of Georgia, Athens, GA, B.S. in Agriculture, 1980
WORK & MILITARY
Georgia Agribusiness Council, President, 1989-2011
Georgia Farm Bureau, Young Farmer Coordinator, 1980-1988
AFFILIATIONS
Maysville Baptist Church, Deacon, UGA College of Agriculture & Environmental Science Alumni Association
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture, 2011-Current
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
Previous Races
ENDORSEMENTS
CONSERVATIVE (2)
Doug Collins
Nathan Deal
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (10)
Former Governor Nathan Deal
Former Congressman Doug Collins
Former Congressman Lynn Westmoreland
U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)
Georgia Public Service Commission Chairman Tricia Pridemore
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (7)
Brad Raffensperger (2018)
Frank Ginn (2018)
John Wilkinson (2016)
Nathan Deal (2014)
State Republican Party Organizations (2022)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (16)
Bill Yearta (2021)
Brent Jackson (2021)
Dale Rutledge (2014)
Danny Mathis (2021)
Frank Ginn (2022)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
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.
Did not answer
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
I believe that life begins at conception. Period.
ECONOMY
Redistribution of income is needed to lessen the gap between the wealthy and working classes.
Strongly Disagree
The government should cut spending in order to reduce the national debt.
Strongly Agree
Joe Biden and Raphael Warnock are working overtime to end the Trump tax cuts and raise taxes on working Georgians and small businesses. I’m diametrically opposed to this agenda. We need to make the Trump tax cuts permanent. We need to cut taxes further so that workers and families can keep more of what they earn, and so that our country can be more competitive. And death taxes need to die.
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
We need to make the Trump tax cuts permanent. We need to cut taxes further so that workers and families can keep more of what they earn, and so that our country can be more competitive. And death taxes need to die.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Choose not to answer
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
What should be the relationship between the church and the state?
Did not answer
HEALTHCARE
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
As Commissioner of Agriculture, I sued Joe Biden over mandatory COVID vaccinations and won!
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.
Did not answer
NATIONAL SECURITY
With regard to America's foreign policy, which view most closely resembles yours: A) The United States should intervene whenever freedom is threatened. B) The United States should selectively help countries trying to grow democracy and fight tyranny. C) The United States has become too involved in others' policies and should remain focused on issues regarding our own sovereignty unless in imminent danger. D) The United States should stay out of foreign conflicts completely.
Evil does not rest when America retreats from the world stage. Since President Biden and Raphael Warnock took office, America has been humiliated repeatedly while bad actors across the globe are emboldened. Afghanistan has turned into Saigon 2.0. Russia was given the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and the NEW Start Treaty which only strengthened Putin's resolve to invade Ukraine. Nothing has been done to check China’s rising influence. The Middle East is on fire once again. Our country deserves better, and I’ll stand for a fearless approach to national defense and strengthening our international position around the world.
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.
Strongly Disagree
Movements within the US to boycott, divest, and sanction Israel are repugnant. Such initiatives serve no purpose other than to harm the economic and national security interests of Israel. They are rooted in anti-Semitism and ignorance. They have no part in American foreign policy. Israel, as a partner in peace and strong democratic ally, should have the right to trade freely and fairly with the United States and like-minded nations.
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Strongly Agree
The Chinese Communist Party must be held to account for the pandemic China unleashed, the atrocities it commits against its own people, and its rampant theft of American technology and intellectual property. Simply put, we must check China’s influence on every corner of the globe, and I’m prepared to lead that charge in the U.S. Senate.
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
Did not answer
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
Democrats' open borders policy has unleashed a national security crisis. Border crossings are at a record high, overwhelming Customs and Border Patrol and leading to thousands of illegal immigrants being freed into our country with no court date. Full stop. In the U.S. Senate, I’ll fight to ensure the border is sealed, the wall is built, and Customs & Border Patrol are equipped to enforce the law. And I support zero amnesty. Period.
State and federal funds shall be denied to any public or private entity, such as a sanctuary city, that is not in compliance with immigration laws.
Strongly Agree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Those who enter the country legally should avail themselves to our legal processes for immigration. I do not support amnesty for those who enter our country illegally. PERIOD.
VALUES
Sexual orientation and gender identity should be protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Did not answer
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
Critical race theory is more of the same “hate America, divide America” propaganda the Extreme Left has pushed for years. However, today it’s become the mainstream of the Regressive Democrat Party. It’s pure propaganda, and we must halt its intrusion into our classrooms and the military.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a Christian. I believe that Holy Scripture is inerrant (2 Timothy 3:16). Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, the life, and no man comes to salvation except through faith in him alone (John 4:16). Grace is available to all who believe in him (Romans 10:9-10). My biblical worldview governs my decision making through daily prayer and bible study (Psalm 91:1). We are God's creation, and all life--beginning at conception--is precious (Psalms 139:13-14).
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
Raphael Warnock and Regressive Democrats in the Senate are leading the charge to nationalize our elections, ban voter ID, mandate dangerous practices like ballot harvesting, and ultimately fund their campaigns with our tax dollars. Not on my watch. Winning back this U.S. Senate seat means putting an end to the Regressive Party’s attempts at taking over our elections. I’ll work to make our elections more secure, standing against any blue wave that tries to erode voter ID laws.
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
Did not answer
EQUALITY
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Did not answer
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Strongly Agree
America must be energy independent. This is an issue of national and economic security. When we rely on foreign adversaries to provide our energy, we only make our own nation weaker.
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.
We must cap environmental laws and regulations in the U.S. until our trading partners around the globe are willing to match our standards. Environmental regulations in the U.S. cost too many jobs and hurt our economy.
ABOUT YOU
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?
Very Conservative
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
Did not answer
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?
If we have no borders, we are no longer a sovereign nation so this is the biggest threat our country faces and it must be resolved immediately. No measure in the U.S. Senate deserves a "yes" vote in the U.S. Senate until we vote "yet" to securing the border.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Strongly Agree
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Strongly Disagree
We must REfund the police not DEfund the police. We need to adequately fund and equip our local law enforcement agencies so they can recruit the next generation of law enforcement.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
I prefer Jesus’ command: “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” But my home and family are defended in case others do not follow this command. The Second Amendment is the ultimate firewall and it must be protected. I’ll stand strong against any regressive plans to take our Constitutional rights.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
