Mark Ludwig

Democrat | Michigan

Candidate Profile*

Liberal

*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.

BIOGRAPHY

Name

Mark Ludwig


Party

Democrat


Election Year

2022


Election

General


Race

State Rep., Dist. 43


Incumbent

No


Links

Mark Ludwig websitesMark Ludwig phones Mark Ludwig emailFacebook

EDUCATION

Michigan State, East Lansing, BS Environmental Issues, 1992

University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison WI, 1 year certificate Dairy, 1996

WORK & MILITARY

Candidate did not provide

AFFILIATIONS

Rotary, Secretary

POLITICAL OFFICES HELD

Fennville Public Schools Board, 2012-2016

POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT

MI 80th house, 2018

Allegan County Drain Commissioner, 2020

Race

ENDORSEMENTS*

*These endorsements were received after the deadline and were not considered in the Panel Evaluations and are for additional educational purposes only.
LIBERAL (1)

*American Federation of Teachers AFT Michigan

OTHER (1)

Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union

SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS


LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (3)

Gretchen Whitmer (2018)

International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers (2012)

State Democratic Party Organizations (2020)

RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (1)

Michigan Colalition to Prevent Gun Violence (2018)

OTHER INFORMATION

QUESTIONNAIRE

RIGHT TO LIFE

Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?

Until viabily, for health and life of mother, other medically necessary reasons

Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).

Neutral

Funding for non abortion purposes should be allowed

I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.

Agree

Proper limits are clearly important


ECONOMY

What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?

I support a substantial review and reform of the tax code. I'm in favor of Land Value taxes as an alternative to property taxes.

What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?

I'm open to suggestions

Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.

Agree

Higher education and trade schools need a fair funding system that allows people economic opportunity regardless of their economic starting point


RELIGIOUS LIBERTY

Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.

Strongly Agree

Public businesses should serve any paying customer.

Under what circumstances can government close churches?

Temporary closure for public health reasons. The courts are legitimate checks on this power


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.

B. Private health insurance is a parasite on the system. Preserve it for those wanting luxury care

Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?

Extreme disease risk


NATIONAL SECURITY

What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?

Promote peace, stop participating in stupid foreign adventures eg Iraq 2. Maintain reasonable relations with all countries we can in the Islamic world

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

It's a free country, boycotts are legitimate


IMMIGRATION

The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.

Disagree

Ladders exist, tunnels are profitable and walls cause more harm than good. Electronic monitoring is more effective, cheeper and less environmentally damaging

Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?

Preference for families of citizens and those who were educated in the US. Reasonable limits are ok, but we clearly need significant immigrants to power our economy. Guest worker programs would help considerably


EDUCATION

I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.

Neutral

Charters and home school 100%. The rest would have to be carefully designed to get my support


VALUES

Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.

Disagree

The genius of our system is it's secular nature. The union of church and state perverts both

I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.

Agree

Mind your own business

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 Disagree

Civil marriage is non sectarian. What any church calls marriage is their business

I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.

Strongly Disagree

CRT does not say this, nor is CRT a major factor in real life. This is an absurd issue created to divide people

Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.

I'm Christian


ELECTIONS AND VOTING

People should be able to vote without photo identification.

Neutral

In Michigan we have a provisional voting with later ID verification. I'm good with that.

What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?

Voting is currently secure and fair. Trump's lies to the contrary are self serving bunk as shown by his many court losses. This is another bunk issue.


EQUALITY

Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?

Radical white supremacists are a domestic terrorist threat

Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.

Agree

Repetitions should primarily be community based.


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.

B

I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.

Neutral

Fracking must be well regulated. It is a temporary fix for our energy needs and should not impeed progress on renewable energy


ABOUT YOU

What do you think is the general purpose of government?

Promote general welfare and opportunities. Preserve safety. Archive goals that individuals cannot do alone

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 Liberal

I'm a liberal libertarian

Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).

I've been a member of the Democratic Freedom Caucus for 25+ years. We're on Facebook

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 have extensive agriculture experience. One of my top goals is climate adaptation


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

Police need to be held accountable for misconduct.

I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.

Agree

Police are too often asked to do tasks other professionals are better suited for. I support collaborative public safety systems


2ND AMENDMENT

What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?

Universal background checks. Well structured red flag laws compliant with the 4th and 2nd amendments

Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.

Agree

With substantial limits

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