Cindy Golding
Republican | Iowa
Candidate Profile
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Cindy Golding
Party
Republican
Election Year
2024
Election
General
Race
State Rep., Dist. 83
Incumbent
Yes
Links
EDUCATION
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb
Elmhurst University, Elmhurst
WORK & MILITARY
CNJ Investments Company, Sole proprietor, 1981-present
Sweet Maple Farms, Owner/operator, 1991- present
STABLE Investments LLC, Partner, 2010 - present
Differentiation Strategies, Inc., Executive VP, 1995-2018
Act II Jewelry, Sales Trainer & Director, 1978-1981
Esmark Corp., Analytical Research Chemist, 1973-1977
AFFILIATIONS
Linn County Farm Bureau, Board Member -22 yr, National Federation of Independent Business
Leadership Council, Heartland Youth for Christ, Chair, board member, volunteer
BSA - Hawkeye Area Council, Eagle Board of Review, Pack chair, Den Leader, Academic Decalthalon
Coach, judge, Alburnett School, Coach - Color guard
Isaac Newton Christian Academy, Coach-Cheerleading, Taking the Road Less Traveled (ISU)
Alburnett & Kennedy HS sponsor - STEM opportunities for girls, International Olympics, Torch Bearer & volunteer
Chemistry Olympiads, Coach, Proctor, Sponsor
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Chair Linn County Republican Central Committee, 4
Co-Chair Linn County Republican Central Committee, 2
Iowa Federation of Republican Women - 2nd VP, 2
LInn County Redistricting Commission, 4
Linn County Compensation Board, 4
Iowa Vision 2020, 1
Linn County Ordinance Review Board, 4
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
State Senate, 2011
SCORECARDS
CONSERVATIVE ORGANIZATIONS
LIBERAL ORGANIZATIONS
ENDORSEMENTS
CONSERVATIVE (3)
National Rifle Association (NRA) PVF
Huck PAC
National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Iowa
OTHER (2)
Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) PAC (IIPAC)
Healthcare Freedom Fund
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (1)
National Federation of Independent Business
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (32)
Brooke Boden (2024)
National Federation of Independent Business (2024)
State Republican Party Organizations (2024)
Local, County, and District Republican Organizations (2023)
Republican National Committee (2023)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (22)
Huck PAC (2024)
National Federation of Independent Business (2024)
Sandy Salmon (2024)
Edward Bernie Hayes (2023)
Mark Cisneros (2023)
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (1)
Andy McKean (2017)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
OTHER INFORMATION
Cindy Golding completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024.
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
When the mother's life is at risk.
Chemical abortion drugs should meet essential safety standards (such as in-person consultation with a medical doctor) and require reporting to gather evidence on reactions and outcomes.
Strongly Agree
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer 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.
Disagree
There is significant evidence of abuse in jurisdictions where this is allowed. While I believe life & death medical decisions should be left to the individual, there is a gray area when a person has granted power of attorney to another individual. The DNR (do not resuscitate) option is currently available.
ECONOMY
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
Private property ownership is a fundamental right in our constitution. Free enterprise doesn't include the taking of private property for the corporate benefit. However, property rights of one shouldn't endanger or infringe on the rights of others. The concept of "Free enterprise" includes a strong measure of civic responsibility, strengthened by zoning laws. Government should not be involved in picking winners & losers using taxpayer dollars to profit one enterprise over another.
What is your position on the minimum wage?
Minimum wage is a minimum hourly wage for low or unskilled labor jobs. It allows a person just entering the job market to get a start and some experience. It is not and never was intended to be a family-supporting wage.
Should environmental and social issues, like ESG (environmental, social, and governance) ratings, be used as criteria in deciding where to invest public monies?
No
There is no such thing as "public money." It comes from taxpayers and should not be used for social engineering.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
There must be an actual (not perceived) exceptional threat to the entire community before the government should have the power to close a church.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Disagree
A person or business should not be required to use their "creative talents" if doing so would violate their value system. But, a restaurant, theater, or entertainment venue should not be allowed to discriminate if open to the public. A venue should be allowed to enforce a dress code or code of behavior.
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) Taxpayer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be defunded.
C- however, the programs should be modified. Once the government became involved in healthcare, prices soared. Social Security recipients should have the option to reject Medicare and choose their own insurance, without penalty. Medicaid programs should be reserved for the truly disadvantaged. The expansion of these programs will endanger their ability to adequately serve those they were intended to serve.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
There is significant evidence of vaccine injury or death. Accepting the risk to take or reject any vaccine should be the individual's choice, never forced or coerced. Disclosure of risk vs benefit should be required before a vaccine is administered.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Strongly Agree
While US policy is generally based on short-term results, the CCP has a long view. They believe in the "Middle Kingdom" or that China is and should be the cultural and economic center of the world. US policies must protect us from these and other international threats to our national security.
Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?
Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East and a strong ally. It has partnered with us in many critical security areas for decades. Israel shares a strong cultural and political history with our country, unlike other nations in the region that have vowed "death to the US." We must do what we can to protect Israel from their enemies who declare "Death to Israel" and "Death to the America"
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
We have laws pertaining to immigration that cannot be enforced with the current state of border policy. Legal immigration can strengthen our nation. Illegal immigrants learn that our laws are toothless. Unenforced border restrictions create an dangerous environment ripe for smugglers, criminals, and drug cartels.
EDUCATION
The state should fund education by allowing dollars to follow the child through programs which protect parents' freedom to choose their child's school – public, private, or homeschool.
Strongly Agree
The concept of tax dollars to fund public education was intended to provide an opportunity for any child, regardless of family status, to receive an education. When tax dollars follow the child, the parents may choose the best option for their child. Public school should remain an option, not a mandate.
VALUES
Children are the most vulnerable members of society and must be protected from abuse, including gender ideology, grooming, and bodily mutilation.
Strongly Agree
Children are a society's future. They should be protected from those things that can permanently alter their future lives. Grooming is an insidious form of child abuse.
Parents should have the right to make decisions for their minor children.
Agree
Parents' rights to educate their children in moral and/or religious training do not include physical or medical mutilation. We protect children from other life-altering things such as alcohol, drugs, and driving, until they are mature. No one (parents, physicians, psychologists, teachers) should have the right to permanently alter a child's physical being.
Taxpayer funds should be used to provide gender transition services.
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.
Agree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a Christian. Our constitution was based on Biblical principles. I believe our government should reflect and protect those basic values, not imposing Christianity, but strengthening and defending the moral values based on those principles.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
Only US citizens with proof of identity should vote in our elections. With the breakdown of border and immigration controls, it becomes even more important to validate identification to insure accurate elections.
States should join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact which makes the Electoral College irrelevant.
Strongly Disagree
The Electoral College was designed to avoid "mob rule", the same as the Senate was constructed to allow smaller states to have a voice in the federal government. National Popular Vote would nullify the protection of the minority opinion.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
YES - Using "race and gender" quotas as a qualification instead of merit or skill weakens our military, our industries, and our institutions.
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
CRT encourages the "victim mentality" and punishes those who had nothing to do with historical issues. The United States is a melting pot of many races. We must encourage every individual to rise to their own level of excellence without blaming generations past. There are many examples of prejudice toward different nationalities; CRT is just another example of encouraging prejudice toward others rather than accepting personal responsibility.
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
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
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.
B & C - While stricter environmental laws may be necessary in some instances, they must be weighed against the societal cost. An "all or nothing" approach doesn't work. History tells us that the climate has changed throughout the millennia. Policies to control local pollution while ensuring reliable energy are valuable and do more to protect our citizens, than policies attempting to control the global climate. Many "climate" policies merely punish US companies and cost US taxpayers millions.
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
Nuclear has proven effective, clean, reliable and not subject to intermittent weather patterns as solar and wind. Encouraging Solar on rooftops can utilize existing infrastructure, avoid dangerous battery storage, and support the grid.
ABOUT YOU
Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.
no
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.
no
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
The general purpose of government is to provide a stable platform for a country's society, commerce, and defense. It should not replace personal responsibility or family structure. As a government assumes more responsibility for individuals, there is less incentive for community or personal responsibility.
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
Conservative yet pragmatic. We have a melting pot of cultures and religions. We need to acknowledge our differences but focus on and celebrate our common future.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
I support redirecting funds from police departments to community programs.
Strongly Disagree
I encourage police departments to coordinate and cooperate with community groups. Funding for police should not be reduced to accomplish this.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Gun ownership already has background checks and waiting periods. I would encourage training.
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
Yes
A school board should have the authority to allow teachers or other employees to carry. Iowa passed a law requiring additional training and annual recertification if the school board approves the request to carry.
