Brad Banks
Republican | Oklahoma
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
Brad Banks
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
State Rep., Dist. 70
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Civil Engineering, 2010
WORK & MILITARY
United States Marine Corps, Sergeant, 5
AFFILIATIONS
Candidate did not provide
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)
National Rifle Association (NRA) PVF
*Oklahoma 2nd Amendment Association OK2A
*Free the States
OTHER (1)
Tulsa Fraternal Order of Police
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (2)
Tulsa Fraternal Order of Police
Rogers County Sheriff
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (1)
Coy Jenkins (2022)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Rape, incest, or life of the mother at risk.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Agree
Public money should not be used for abortions.
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Neutral
I would need to see specifics of the law. There is a difference to me of someone that is healthy, but depressed wanting to kill themselves with medical assistance and palliative care where prevention or relief of suffering is provided to those who are terminally ill and near-death.
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
I have no recommendations for the tax code at this time.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
Spending needs to be looked at holistically and prioritized based on impact to Oklahomans.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Disagree
I support tax-payer funded education through primary schools, but I also believe that market factors such as cost/benefit of post-primary education should be considered by students who are responsible for making investments in their own future. Also consider that tuition for public four-year universities has increased 3,800% since 1965. If we want to encourage college educations the cost needs to be addressed before the state is asked to foot the bill.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
I support the rights of small businesses owners to abstain from violating their moral or religious beliefs.
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
Never. The government does not have this authority.
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.
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?
Never. Government, schools, and employers do not have the authority to require medical intervention.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
A good start would be for the the United States Government to stop funding them.
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.
Disagree
These are the domestic affairs of the Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian governments.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
The US has experience record levels of illegal immigration since 2020. For $8000, cartels will move anyone across the border. You're even guaranteed a 2nd chance in the event you are caught at the border. The doors to our house are wide open and the whole neighborhood knows it.
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
We should start with only allowing LEGAL IMMIGRANTS to remain in the US. Only when we have secured the nations borders against illegal immigration can a serious discussion regarding America's 21st century immigration policy be had.
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Agree
We cannot turn our backs on the public school system, but it is important to empower parents to make decisions regarding where and what their children are taught.
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
America was founded on Christian values of hard work, morality, and with the acknowledgement that is was only with the blessing of God that success would come to them. Our Republic relies on an educated and morally upright people in order to keep government limited.
I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
Strongly Disagree
I don't support any "specially protected classes". I believe all men are created equal and should be treated as such before the law.
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.
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
If anything, the institutions of the United States are so fundamentally non-discriminatory that it's possible for the son of an African immigrant to become President or for a black child born into poverty in rural Georgia to become a Supreme Court Justice. CRT does nothing but try to drive wedges between communities of different colors. It teaches people that it is the color of the skin, not the content of the character that we should judge one another by. This is contrary to truth.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a follower of the teachings of Jesus Christ and live my life knowing that one day I will die and my immortal soul will be judged by our Creator.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
No we must be able to confirm identity when voting.
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
Voting must be done in-person with allowances for absentee ballots for military or those who are not physically able to make it to the polls. No voting after polls close and any type of mail-in ballot must have a verifiable signature and witness.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Racism isn't a threat to domestic security. People that want to hurt and kill Americans are.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
Nothing should be granted to anyone for anything on the basis of race.
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 regulation often cost too many jobs and hurt the economy. Balances must be struck in order to protect our environment while not strangling or discouraging businesses through excessive regulation.
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Neutral
I support the safe extraction of fossil fuels, but would need to address concerns regarding potential air and groundwater impacts.
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
Maintain order, keep the peace, and care for common infrastructure for the benefit 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 consider myself a traditional conservative.
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
Since this is my first time running for public office, I don't have any interview or media reports that are relevant to my political position.
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 committed to being an objective and effective representative for the district and want to encourage voters to keep involved and provide feedback.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Agree
If police officers are going to be held personally responsible for law-enforcement, I think you will find yourself short of police officers very quick. We need to hold officers who violate procedures or policies accountable, but removing qualified immunity from policing will not result in safer streets.
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Strongly Disagree
Unless we can empirically prove redirecting funds from law enforcement to mental health and whatever qualifies as a community programs makes us safer and lowers recidivism, I do not support this.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
No additional restrictions. Gun ownership is not a public safety hazard. Law-abiding citizens have the right to personal defense. Criminals are the threat to public safety.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
What's next? You get to sue Chevy because a guy in a Silverado pulled out in front of you on the highway and hit your car? Absolutely not.
