Adam Mathews
Republican | Ohio
Candidate Profile*
Conservative
*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Adam Mathews
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
State Representative, Dist. 56
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Juris Doctor
University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Bachelors of Science, Mechanical Engineering
University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Bachelors of Arts, Political Science
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Knights of Columbus, Trustee, Grand Knight, Elizabeth's New Life Center
Board of Directors, Chair, Federalist Society, Board of Directors, Greater Cincinnati Chapter
Dayton Intellectual Property Law Association, President, The Federalist
Contributor, Mason City Schools, Substitute Teacher
Buckeye Firearms Association, Member, Republican Party of Warren County Ohio
Executive Board, Central Committee Treasurer, Saint Francis de Sales Church, Parish council, Secretary
NFIB, Member
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Lebanon City Council, 2019-Present
Republican Precinct Chair, 2016-Present
Republican Party of Warren County Ohio Central Committee Treasurer, 2018-Present
Vice Mayor, City of Lebanon, 2021-Present
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
Previous Races
ENDORSEMENTS*
*These endorsements were received after the deadline and were not considered in the Panel Evaluations and are for additional educational purposes only.
CONSERVATIVE (5)
*National Rifle Association (NRA) PVF
Ohio Right to Life PAC
Cincinnati Right to Life PAC
Ohio Young Republicans
*Ohio Farm Bureau
LIBERAL (1)
*ACT Ohio (Affiliated Construction Trades)
OTHER (2)
Ohio Chamber of Commerce PAC
Americans For Prosperity - Ohio
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (6)
Warren County Sheriff Larry Sims
Cincinnati Right to Life
Mayor Mark Messer, City of Lebanon
All members of City Council, City of Lebanon
Walt Davis
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (3)
Jennifer Gross (2020)
Scott Lipps (2016)
Steve Wilson (OH) (2021)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Human life should always be protected, especially our most vulnerable. I testified in favor of Senate Bill 123, which would ban all abortion in Ohio if Roe V. Wade were overturned. Doctors should make every effort to care for both mother and child.
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.
Strongly Disagree
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
Citizens of Ohio should only pay income tax on where they actually work, not where their employer's payroll happens to be. I would work to lower or eliminate state income tax.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
We need to eliminate or reduce burdens on our workers, including occupational licensing. Removing just two of our many licensing boards would save Ohioans over $2 Million. We should also work towards school choice, which could save on education dollars. We need to reduce any wasteful spending including unnecessary business regulations.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly 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?
For sure, the government should have no authority to close churches in a pandemic. Churches are rightfully protected by the First Amendment, as crucial to the wellbeing of our lives and communities.
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.
We should move away from tax-payer funded health care. Alternatives, like community or Christian health sharing networks and de-regulation to allow for insurance focused on covering catastrophic cases, should be promoted.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
As a councilman, I and the rest of the council of Lebanon banned mandating covid vaccines for our employees and staff, as well as banned discriminating based on covid vaccination status for anyone interacting with our city. We are the only city in the county to have done so.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
The United States needs a strong and cohesive foreign policy, not abandoning key allies in the region or projecting weakness like the failed collapse Biden has leaving Afghanistan. While being sure to protect our civil rights, we need to increase our capabilities to combat terrorism anywhere.
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?
First, our current laws need to be enforced. Self-sufficiency has been a basic principle of United States immigration law since this country's earliest immigration statutes. 8 USC 1601 states that immigrants should not depend on public resources to meet their needs, but rather rely on their own capabilities and the resources of their families, their sponsors, and private organizations, and the availability of public benefits not constitute an incentive for immigration to the United States. I have worked with immigrants who love our country, studying arduously to pass the immigration test and learn how to join our wonderful country and culture. They were excited to learn our language, join our neighborhoods, and fulfill the American dream with gratitude. Illegal immigration cuts in line from these that already show respect for our laws before even joining us.
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Strongly Agree
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
Strongly Agree
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 believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth. I believe in his One Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the giver of life and guide to us now. I believe we are created for a definite purpose, to know, love, and serve God. In response to the gift of life and grace, we are called to live a virtuous life, including the virtues of prudence, temperance, justice, fortitude, as well as living in faith, hope, and charity.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
Once set, only the legislature can move election days, and even then, only under grave situations. Ballot harvesting and other practices which undermine the integrity of elections, need to be abolished wherever they are.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Racism is evil, an attack on our neighbors and heretical as we are each made in the image and likeness of God. Racism and other forms of hatred can lead to attacks, which is never acceptable.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
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 the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Strongly Agree
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
Government exists to protect and recognize natural rights, giving the individual, families, businesses, and institutions an environment in which they can thrive. The government should safeguard the rule of law, national defense, the right to life, and provide basic services, but should otherwise allow people to be empowered to make their own decisions.
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).
Every one of our city council meetings is publicly available on our LebanonOhio.gov website, including the ones where I sponsored legislation to recognize concealed carry in our city buildings, ban abortion services in our city limits, and provide for a baby box to accept children for adoption at our fire station. We had coverage from MSNBC to CNN to Breitbart regarding Lebanon being the only city in Ohio to enact our ban on abortion in our city. I wrote an opinion article, published in the Cincinnati Enquirer, calling for other cities in the Midwest to follow our lead. https://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/2021/05/28/opinion-other-cities-should-join-lebanon-sanctuary-unborn/7485536002/ My writings at the Federalist can be found here: https://thefederalist.com/author/adammathews/
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 am married to my college sweetheart Amanda, and we have four lovely children. I am grateful for the endorsements and support I have earned so far, and I would be honored to have the support of Warren County voters. I will work on making Ohio the most pro-life state possible, strengthen our education system and workforce, and defend our police and 2nd Amendment rights. At the request of Ohio Right to Life, I already provided testimony for SB 123, which would ban abortion in Ohio if Roe v. Wade were to be overturned by the Supreme Court. I also pushed for legislation to support mothers and families in keeping their children and avoiding related fiscal crises. As a councilman, I helped make Lebanon the only city in Ohio to ban abortion procedures in our city limits. I sponsored the installation of a baby-rescue box in our fire station, the first in Warren County. For education and workforce, I have promoted the Backpack Bill, which would fund students not systems. As a councilman, and at the request of our police chief, we provided body cams and other high tech equipment for the entire department. Also on council, I sponsored and passed legislation to recognize concealed carry in our city building. As a current CCW holder and hunting advocate, I will defend our 2nd Amendment rights. I successfully enacted and protected conservative victories, as well as given of my time, talent, and treasure to build our communities where government shouldn't operate. I stand with police, as shown by my endorsement from Sheriff Larry Sims. Lebanon passed and kept our pro-life ordinance, a victory for which we were each awarded Cincinnati Right to Life's title of Warriors for Life. I am able to navigate political factions to serve our community, collaborating and standing firm as needed. When our schools needed help, I signed up as a substitute teacher to keep our kids in the classroom. I testified multiple times in front of the General Assembly, including in favor of the Heartbeat Bill and the Human Life Protection Act. I will work hard to represent Warren County.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Neutral
This issue depends on the facts of the case at hand.
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Strongly Disagree
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
The Second Amendment enshrines our right to self-defense, and we must always protect an individual American citizen’s right to keep and bear arms. Red flag laws, magazine bans, and excessive regulations on how to maintain weapons hinders these rights. Restrictions on citizens should only come after convictions or with other similarly strong due process protections.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
