Russ Carter
Republican | Colorado
Candidate Profile*
Conservative (Conditional)
*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Russ Carter
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
State Rep., Dist. 30
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Colorado Christian University, Lakewood, CO, B.S., 1992
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE*
*Additional information was received after the evaluation was assigned and was not considered in the Panel Evaluations, therefore it is for additional educational purposes only.
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
I believe life begins at the moment of conception and that we as parents need to protect children. The only time abortion should be permitted is when the life of the mother is at stake.
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
If the government legislates assisted suicide it would logically follow that doctors and governmental agencies will have the power to decide which patients will live and for how long. In addition, governmental health agencies and insurance companies would no longer be required to cover medical expenses for those who are terminally ill and mentally incapacitated. These kind of decisions impact everyone and do not represent the majority of Coloradans.
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
High sales tax is the result of local municipalities taxing above the 2.9% Colorado sales tax rate. This can be easily solved at the local level. However, the property tax rate needs to be lowered to help struggling home owners, the elderly and business owners. This will help Coloradans keep more of their hard earned money and spur on the economy and bring in more tax revenue naturally.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
Current legislators are spending billions of our our tax dollars on failing programs and senseless research. One example is HB22-1244 that allocates 3.4 million dollars to researching the air quality in Colorado to determine if there are any additional pollutants that are causing cancer. Colorado already meets the EPA standards in air quality. Furthermore, it is impossible to control the amount of pollution trapped between Denver and the mountains. For example, fires in California and Utah add to our “brown cloud”. Until cities like China and Mexico meet the same EPA standards, researching this topic and passing laws with more regulations and restrictions is costly and burdensome.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
Adding more programs funded by our government will consequently increase the state’s budget and will cost the taxpayer more money. While this type of funding would benefit current college students, it would be a burden on the majority of Coloradans.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
Individuals have the right to work for whomever they choose. When the government or its agencies force individuals to work for someone who violates their moral or religious beliefs, the government violates that individual’s right to the Thirteenth Amendment. The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution abolishes slavery and involuntary servitude, except for punishment of a crime.
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
The un-legislated mandates and forced closings of our churches and businesses that we have all experienced over the last couple of years are examples of overreach by our government. The church is a viable form of government and so is the family. The idea of “separation of church and state” is not found in our US Constitution or Declaration of Independence. The Founding Fathers understood that neither the church or the state should over power the other.
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.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
Each individual has the right and freedom to make those decisions with their doctor. The government or employer should never be allowed to force, threaten and manipulate people to take a vaccination.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
Did not answer
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.
Did not answer
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
Almost every country throughout history has secured their border to protect their citizens and maintain sovereignty. While this is a Federal issue, Colorado unfortunately is one of the top five safest states for illegal immigrants. This has opened the door to the rise of fentanyl and child sex trafficking. The most compassionate legislation would be to do away with our “safe sanctuary” status for illegal immigrants and increase the punishment for the possession of fentanyl and trafficking.
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
There is a legal pathway for immigrants to become legal US citizens.
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Strongly Agree
Over 50% of Colorado students cannot read write or do math at grade level. I will fight to restore educational accountability, empower parents to have control over their children’s education, ensure that charter schools receive the same funding as public schools and protect private and homeschool educational freedoms. Families should receive a tax refund when they choose to utilize private education or homeschool options.
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
Every law should protect individual rights and freedoms.
I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
Strongly Disagree
There is a danger when the government starts adding special rights for special groups of people. The purpose of government is to protect all individuals not just a special class.
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
The traditional biblical definition of marriage is between one man and one woman for life.
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
I don't disagree that certain people or institutions have been rac throughout our history, I disagree with CRT's basic premise that seems to teach that we need to destroy our American heritage. Every country has been racist at one time or another and some countries still have slaves today.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
Christian
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 calling for election integrity and transparency. If we have the gold standard in election voting as the Sec. of state claims, I say let’s assay the gold to determine if it is 24k, 18k or fool’s gold. Election integrity matters for our children’s future.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Did not answer
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.
There needs to be a purposeful balance between the protection of our water and air and our ability to be efficient and use our resources.
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Strongly Agree
There needs to be a purposeful balance between the protection of our land and our ability to be efficient and use our resources.
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
The purpose of government is to protect the innocent and punish the law breakers.
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
I will strive to represent the people in my district, their values and concerns. I have talked with hundreds of people throughout the neighborhoods and have learned to appreciate the vast differences between everyone. With that being said, the issues that stand out to me is our need for our laws to be enforced and better police protection for our families. Also, parents are tired of failing schools and they want them fixed.
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?
As your State Representative I’ll support legislation that focuses on smaller government and much less regulations. As a business owner myself, I know that the heart of the business sector, SMALL business, knows how to solve problems, advances technology and creates wealth. But in order to do that, Government needs to get out of the way, unchain businesses, allow them to hire and expand, cut taxes and repeal useless regulations. We need to create an environment that is inviting for businesses. This will help create a stronger, economic future .
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Strongly Agree
If a police officer commits a crime, they should be held accountable and punished as a criminal. However, a police officer should be protected to carry out their duties.
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Strongly Disagree
This is an issue that should be decided at a local, municipal level. There has been some success with various cities around Colorado utilizing mental health agents that can help de-escalate a situation. However, there has been some public concern that a mental health agent needs support from a police officer in that situation.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
None. The 2nd amendment protects the rights of citizens to bear arms.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
The person who commits the crime must be held responsible.
