Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell
Republican | Kentucky
Candidate Profile*
Conservative (Conditional)
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
Primary
Race
State Rep., Dist. 41
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, M.A. Linguistics, 2007
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Refuge International, COFFEE ESL Coordinator
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
ENDORSEMENTS*
CONSERVATIVE (1)
*Kentucky Right to Life Association (KRLA)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
None.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
Do you support the proposed Yes for Life amendment to the Kentucky Constitution, which makes clear that there is no state constitutional right to abortion?
Yes
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Strongly Disagree
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
I support eliminating the state income tax.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
Did not answer
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Disagree
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?
If the interest of public safety is so strong that the government also closes or equally limits every single other institution/business that allows similar gathering structure.
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?
We're blessed to not have faced any truly exigent circumstances in this category, but I can't say we would not ever face such a situation in which a vaccine that has been proven safe and effective with long-term, peer-reviewed research should not be required to protect, for example, children at school. So, I cannot say "under no circumstances," but I can say "under no circumstances I have yet seen."
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
Support our allies in the Middle East and surrounding areas to root it out where it begins.
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
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?
I support increased legal immigration to the U.S. by those fleeing violence and oppression, seeking to unite with family already legally in the United States, or looking to support our high-needs professions, and who are willing to work and contribute to the United States society and economy. The solution to the immigration crisis is to effectively close the southern border and increase the number of immigrants we vet and allow into our communities. A thriving legal immigrant community is a blessing to our country in many ways, from workforce to festivals to school diversity.
EDUCATION
The state should fund education by allowing dollars to follow the child instead of the bureaucracy, through a program which allows parents the freedom to choose their child's school – public, private, or homeschool.
Strongly Agree
I want to see Kentucky circumvent recent challenges to our court-squelched privately-funded voucher program by following West Virginia's footsteps to allow vouchers with no cap for every child.
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
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.
I am an evangelical Christ-follower who wants to see people flourish by knowing Christ above all, but also by experiencing the joy and dignity that comes with being a member of a strong family and a strong community. Improving education is the basic first step to fostering a workforce that can make more money and allows for more home ownership, commitment to local businesses, and philanthropy.
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
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
I am proud that the Kentucky legislature passed positive changes to the voting laws last year with strong bipartisan support. I am eager to see how effectively these have strengthened our system in upcoming elections.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Yes, there are racist individuals who target, for example, Black people worshipping at church, Asians conducting their business as usual, white grandmothers marching in a parade, or a Jewish mayoral candidate having a meeting with his staff. Racism is a threat to domestic security in almost every country.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
I do agree that the effects of slavery in the United States were extremely far-reaching and can still be felt in many places today. I grew up in a small town in Georgia where the primary slaveowner's last name was Jones, and a disproportionate number of the county's Black population still carries that last name. I had friends who had never left the county, never been to a mall, never seen an escalator. However, it would be impossible to determine who "deserves" reparations.
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.
A I support a cap-and-trade system to tax carbon emissions and rebate the tax to the citizens of Kentucky. I support initiatives that increase education, addiction help, and job opportunities in Eastern Kentucky to reduce that region's dependence on coal jobs.
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Choose not to answer
I have a conflict of interest in this question because of ownership of mineral rights in the Permian Basin.
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
Government exists to protect the people and provide them with opportunities to work for their own flourishing, to the extent that the people have given the government that right.
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
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?
I plan to work to lift our schools, streets, and savings out of chaos. I serve in a school district that is largely failing its children at a cost of $16,706/child, and my top priority is education, including school vouchers, opt-out of testing, increasing world language and financial literacy courses, and extending dual credit options to trade courses for learners not headed for college.
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.
Disagree
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Convicted felons and those awaiting trial for violent crimes should be deprived of the right to bear arms.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Do you support the expansion of gambling in Kentucky?
No
The LGBTQ+ agenda’s advocacy for puberty blockers, biological males competing on girls’ sports teams, and allowing biological males into girls’ restrooms, locker rooms, and showers threatens the wellbeing of our children.
Strongly Agree
