Aaron R. Gardner
Republican | Michigan
Candidate Profile*
Leans Conservative
*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Aaron R. Gardner
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
State Senator, Dist. 27
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Carman-Ainsworth High School, Flint, Diploma, 2007
Mott Community College, Flint, Associates, 2013
WORK & MILITARY
United States Army, Sergeant, 14
AFFILIATIONS
Phi Theta Kappa, The River Church-- Goodrich
Volunteer, The River Church-- Davison, Volunteer
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
ENDORSEMENTS*
*These endorsements were received after the deadline and were not considered in the Panel Evaluations and are for additional educational purposes only.
CONSERVATIVE (3)
Gun Owners of America
*Citizens for Traditional Values-Michigan
*America First P.A.C.T
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (0)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (2)
David Martin MI (2022)
Matthew Seely (2022)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
In the event the individual state allows for an abortion. However, personally I am against it in any circumstance; life is life, murder is murder.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
With such hot button topics, organizations should not be funded by a population that may disagree with such issues of which is provided by the organization. If abortion is legal in the state, it should not be paid for by tax payers. It should be funded by the individual receiving the care and treatment, or a donor in agreement with the cause.
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Strongly Disagree
We have a large concern with our youth being depressed and having a difficult time with coping with life issues. There should be a way to help them through the coping mechanisms and the answer is not to assist them in suicide. We must protect the youth.
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
There are a lot of changes that need to be addressed. For one, how the tax dollars are spent or shifted to fit the needs of what ever political party is in power. When a tax is levied on the population, it should be used solely for the purpose that is described in the bill, not later shifted to another purpose via a secondary bill. We need to put a timeframe for which the tax levied is complete. This will help alleviate the shifting of funds into other products of the State. Next, we need to remove the gas tax. A lot of the taxes levied in gas consumption is no longer going to the initial purpose of the tax. This needs to be corrected. By removing the tax all together we correct it. Further, we need to look into property taxes and their use case. As I said previously, ALL taxes must have an end date. We can not continue to take money from the population and not utilize the money for the purposes the population thinks it is being used for.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
We need to reduce all the government spending. Especially in public sector education. There should be no reason a school is receiving more money than a private school receives per student and is inoperable; meanwhile the superintendent is making $170,000, teachers are making $55,000 and they can not balance their own budget to afford supplies for students and require the teachers to complete grants and spend their own hard earned money.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
Taxpayer-funded public education only increases the amount of money requested from the State, while the State continues to mismanage the funding they already receive from the population.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
There should be no law that prohibits an individual or business from violating their own personal moral or religious beliefs. Allow the free-market to deal with the companies or individuals that wish to abstain from doing business with specific situations. Allow the people to choose who they want to support in business via their own dollar.
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
None! The second clause of the First Amendment prohibits the free exercise of an individuals religious beliefs. Closing a church is in violation of the second clause and restricts individuals from exercising their religious beliefs.
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) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. I can see a strong use case for some that need medicaid and medicare for a time being. It needs to be regulated. However, when individuals are able to keep more money in their pockets, because they aren't paying so much in taxes-- they will be able to afford their own private healthcare of choice. That is the goal. Make healthcare affordable by all, because they can afford to spend instead of FORCING them to spend it through taxes.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
There is none. Medical procedures that can and do alter the body, should always be based on consent and not through threat or force.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
First, stop creating the threat. I have served over seas in the Army and fought against "Islamic terrorist". The number one reason we have a entire group of "religious radicals", is because we involve ourselves in their business when it benefits us, but bail on them when it no longer is. Next, we need to strengthen our borders and empower our military to defend the United States. No longer should the be defending the land or rights of another nation.
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.
Neutral
We as a nation need to stay out of the affairs of the Middle East. Unless there is a direct threat to the United States and its people's lives, we should not involve ourselves.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
To quote Bill Clinton and Barrack Obama: "We are a nation of laws." We must secure our borders in order to protect American's. It is really the ONLY job the government has been entrusted with and it should be. Strengthen the borders on all fronts. Allow legal immigration to the US.
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Anyone should be allowed to immigrate, including refugees and political prisoners. However, they must go through the process of immigration and be deemed not a threat to our national security.
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Strongly Agree
School Choice programs will help alleviate the stress of a mismanaged public school by affording the opportunity to attend a school that is managed well and provides the education a student deserves. It also will relieve the amount of tax dollars spent on failing school systems and create an incentive for schools to provide an education the parents and the students deserve.
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
Neutral
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 a non-denominational Christian. Came from Catholic roots, transitioned into Baptist in my teen years and have become non-denominational in my adulthood.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
Every legal citizen receives some form of photo identification. Rather it be a State ID, Driver's License, Military ID, etc. There should be no reason a person can not present some form of ID in order to vote. It establishes the voter is voting in the correct district and precinct and guarantees voters are truly heard in the locations they represent.
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
Laws preventing voting machines to be connected to the internet. Voting ID laws, requiring a voter to have an ID. Even if it is a simple photo id presented by the Secretary of State provided at no cost of the voter.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Yes. Racism is dividing our nation and destroying cities because of an incorrect concept of racism. Racism may exist but it is on an individual level, however entire groups are creating conflict over racism by attributing racism to anything that doesn't hold the values of their own personal beliefs. This is detrimental to our nation and the safety of others, regardless of the color of their skin.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
Any time privilege is attributed to a person based on characteristics, it leaves another underprivileged. We need to create a level playing field.
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.
Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy. Not only does it hurt the economy as a whole. It hurts small businesses that are competing in an unfair system with corporations that can afford the new regulations, of which they likely influenced with their lobbyist, to help shove out smaller competition.
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Neutral
I think there is a better way of extracting oil. However, I do not think the immediate ceasing of such methods are good for the nation's economy or our environment. We are experiencing woes of the price of gas today. It is because we have outsourced a number of our resources to other sources, of which they are doing the same methods we prohibit.
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
To protect the people from external countries, and state's interests.
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?
Lean 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?
Did not answer
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Strongly Disagree
In the event a police officer commits a crime against a civilian, qualified immunity, only guarantees the officer is not held responsible, and the tax payers are left paying for the consequences. We can not pass the responsibility of an individual onto the people through allowing departments to pay fines from levied taxes.
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Disagree
I support mental health and community programs, however like anything else in the free-market-- they need to be funded by individuals, or donors.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Shall Not Be Infringed are the only four words anyone will ever hear from me.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
It is not the fault of a firearms dealer or manufacture for the violence on victims. Personal responsibility can not be attributed to a company, unless there is clear evidence of gross negligence.
