Brad Leeser
Republican | North Dakota
Candidate Profile*
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Brad Leeser
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
State Rep., Dist. 11
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL, Business Administration, 1978
WORK & MILITARY
St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Company, Various Positions, 1978-2004
Coverys Insurance, Claim Representative, 2004-present
AFFILIATIONS
American Cancer Society, County Board Member, Boy Scouts of America
Scoutmaster, Council Board, District Board, various other positions, JoinHands, Board Member
Dorothy Day House, Contributor, Churches United for the Homeless
Contributor, New Life Center, Contributor
Salvation Army, Contributor, National Rifle Association
Life Member, Gun Owners of America, Life Member
Second Amendment Foundation, Life Member
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Moorhead Park Advisory Board, About 2012 to 2017
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 (1)
*Make Liberty Win
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (1)
Local, County, and District Republican Organizations (2014)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Only if the life of the mother is, in the opinion of competent medical physicians, in jeopardy.
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?
In general, taxes should be reduced. If we must have a federal tax, I prefer a consumption tax as that is fairer, because everybody pays as they consume. The “rich” will pay a lot more than the lower income people, but everybody feels the sting of paying taxes. BUT, I am against any other tax scheme until and unless the 16th Amendment is repealed or else we will have both an income and consumption tax and that is not acceptable.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
First of all, I'm running for state office, not federal office. But I favor a 10% across-the-board spending cut. I would also like to see the department of education and several other "cabinet-level" posts done away with. We have too much regulation. Cut the regulation and cut the jobs of the jobs that enforce them.
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?
PERHAPS if the church is a front for some type of crime ring is should be closed but I can't think of any other reason why the government has any right to close churches. In fact, the Constitution, as I read it, prohibits the government from closing any place of worship, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof:”
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.
Ideally, I would like the government programs to be totally abolished and defended. However, I don't think that is realistic. So, I would choose option C. At the same time, I would look for ways to reduce Medicaid and privatize Medicare as much as possible.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
Not an easy question. Employers are private. So employers could be able to require vaccines by their employees unless there is a health or religious reason to the contrary without violating the law. If employees don't agree they can and should leave that employment. I had never given much thought to school-mandated vaccinations until this COVID scare. I had my vaccines going to school many years ago. But some of my classmates didn't get them due to religions reasons. I have come to the conclusion that vaccinations should be recommended by physicians, but left up to the parents for the final decision.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
Let's be honest, the United States cannot eradicate Islamic terrorism. We can contain it, perhaps, but we are not able to eradicate it. Frankly we need to vet people coming into our country and keep any dangerous person out. I am not in favor of going to international war over religion, even Islamic terrorism. I do believe we need to encourage and give moral support to moderate Muslim nations.
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
Again, interesting question. In an ideal world, I would make it easier to legally enter the United States but not give any welfare goodies to those who come unless they legally become citizens. It's the welfare goodies that attract the undesirables and keep them here.
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Anyone who follows the law, vows to honor our laws, and wishes to work for their keep is welcome as far as I am concerned. I am not against immigration, but I am against illegal immigration and I am against immigration just to get freebies.
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
The only caveat is that other people of different faiths, or no faith, can be moral people. But the question asked if our "Judeo-Christian values ESTABLISHED a framework......" The answer to that is YES.
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
Agree
Is not a better question whether any government has the authority or moral right to license a “God-ordained” union? In other words, why should I pay money to the government to get a license to get married? Where is Abraham Lincoln’s, or Thomas Jeffersons’s marriage license?
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 attend church every week with my wife. I believe in God the Eternal Father, in His Son Jesus Christ as my personal savior and I believe in the Holy Ghost. I read scripture daily, pray daily, and try to follow the example of Christ in all I do and rely on Him for my eternal salvation in the presence of God.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
I need identification to fly on an airplane, even to cash a check at a bank. There is nothing wrong with showing ID to vote.
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
No voting machine should be connected to the internet. There should be a paper ballot kept, even if the vote is initially counted by a vote counting machine. ID should be an absolute requirement.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Yes. All men and women are created in the image of God. All men are created equal. Anyone who puts one race above another is acting against the very basic ideals of our Republic.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
Not one person alive was held by slaveowners in the United States. Not one person alive has ever owned a slave in the United States. Therefore nobody is entitled to reparations and nobody should be forced to pay them. History is history. Maybe the Norwegians should pay reparations to me since they raided English villages 1,000 years ago. Both ideas are silly and illogical, not to mention dangerous.
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.
I vote for A. Where does the Constitution give the government the right to regulate energy production or consuption?
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Strongly Agree
Absolutely!!!
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
All men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,
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
I am a constitutional conservative. I am a strong supporter of personal liberty and freedom.
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
I am a member of the Republican Liberty Caucus. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2010/02/25/minnesota-health-care-summit (note that the word "Libertarian" in this document should have not been capitalized).https://www.inforum.com/opinion/leeser-instead-of-banning-guns-it-may-be-time-to-ban-gun-free-zones. https://www.inforum.com/opinion/letter-what-does-jesus-really-tell-us-in-matthew. https://www.inforum.com/newsmd/clay-county-gop-elects-convention-delegates
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 an amateur radio operator with a call sign of KE0LDS. Legislatively, I want tax rates lowered and spending pegged to the rate of inflation or (preferably) reduced.. I believe the North Dakota Legacy Fund, along with other special revenue funds, is a wonderful idea but not always managed properly.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Neutral
Police need to obey the same laws they enforce. They should be held to the same standard as doctors (I'll be you never thought of that before). If they met the acceptable standards, they should not be held liable, civilly or criminally. But if their conduct does not meet acceptable standards, no immunity should be given. The Constitution does not give special immunity to police.
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?
Lawful owners of guns should have no restrictions. Period. ".....the right to keep and bear arms SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED"
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
That is just a veiled attempt to put gun and ammo manufacturers and dealers out of business. Rather, sue the person who negligently or intentionally misused the weapon.
