
Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell
Republican | Kentucky
Candidate Profile
Leans Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell
Party
Republican
Election Year
2024
Election
General
Race
State Rep., Dist. 41
Incumbent
No
EDUCATION
University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, M.A. Linguistics, 2007
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Refuge International, ESL teacher/leader
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
ENDORSEMENTS
CONSERVATIVE (2)
Freedoms Heritage Forum
Commonwealth Policy Center
OTHER (1)
Kentucky Fraternal Order of Police
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
To save the life of the mother, but I do not consider that circumstance either "elective" or "abortion."
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Strongly Disagree
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
ECONOMY
Should environmental and social issues, like ESG (environmental, social, and governance) ratings, be used as criteria in deciding where to invest public monies?
No
What is your position on the minimum wage?
The free market effectively establishes a minimum wage. Government interference in wage control is a mistake.
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
Under the same circumstances it can close every single other comparable entity at the same time.
HEALTHCARE
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
For reasonable safety concerns, with broad allowance for religious or conscientious objectors. The government should be reluctant to regulate the vaccination requirements of any private employer, as for regulating private business in general.
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) Taxpayer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be defunded.
C
NATIONAL SECURITY
Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?
Yes. Maintaining free, democratic ties in the Middle East is critical to world stability. Israel has a right to exist and to defend itself. The positive United States-Israel relationship contributes to improved global outcomes in many areas.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
EDUCATION
I support a constitutional amendment that would allow Kentucky’s General Assembly to set up a school choice program to allow dollars to follow children to the school of their choice.
Strongly Agree
VALUES
I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
Strongly Disagree
Parental rights are a fundamental right, and parents should have the right to make decisions for their minor children.
Strongly Agree
Unless there is abuse, the state has no standing, full stop.
Children are the most vulnerable members of society and must be protected from harm, including from gender ideology and bodily mutilation.
Strongly Agree
Taxpayer funds should be used to provide gender transition services.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a follower of Christ; I serve a God of truth and justice who commands me to seek peace, justice, joy, hope, and love for this world, including seeking the welfare of my society, pursuing justice in the public square, and promoting abundant life among the most vulnerable.
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition.
Strongly Agree
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
States should join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact which makes the Electoral College irrelevant.
Strongly Disagree
EQUALITY
Biological males should not be allowed to participate in women's sports or occupy biological women's spaces whether it be bathrooms, locker rooms, sorority houses, women's shelters, or prison.
Strongly Agree
I support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
Disagree
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
Nuclear power.
Which comes closest to your view? (Select all that apply) A) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy. B) Stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost. C) Stricter environmental laws undermine U.S. energy independence and deter development of reliable electricity sources. D) Climate change is real and requires urgent policy action.
None of the above. I support leveraging the power of the free market to support a clean environment as argued by the Young Conservatives for Carbon Dividends (yccdaction.org).
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
To protect the people and provide a system of infrastructure that supports a thriving but broad group of people.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.
No.
Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.
No.
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
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
I support redirecting funds from police departments to community programs.
Disagree
Disagree, but I support investigating positive outcomes in other areas where investment in community policing has reduced crime and disparities and replicating those wherever possible.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Given scientific evidence that people under 25 have not yet developed the executive function required to make critical decisions on everything from car ownership to gun ownership, I support requiring gun sales to anyone under 25 to include a signed release from an adult over that age who takes responsibility for supervising the purchaser. Military personnel are already supervised.
Faculty who are licensed to carry and have had ongoing training should be allowed to carry guns at school in order to respond to an active shooter situation.
Agree
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Do you support the expansion of gambling in Kentucky?
No
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