Jeffrey Powell
Democrat | North Dakota
Candidate Profile
Liberal
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Jeffrey Powell
Party
Democrat
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
Secretary of State
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Univ of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Ph.D., 2003
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
ENDORSEMENTS
LIBERAL (3)
North Dakota Democratic–Nonpartisan League Party
American Youth for Climate Action
Our Revolution - North Dakota
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
The AMA has guidelines related to when pregnancies should be terminated. There is a fallacy that abortions are conducted willy-nilly and most learned people know that such information is false and propogandistic. Doctors and patients in general will make the decision that respects life and respects the rights of the patient that our Constitution provides for. Government should have very little say in restricting the freedom to secure an abortion.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Disagree
Planned Parenthood does amazing work in education surrounding family planning and amazing work in delivering health care - including healthcare unrelated to abortion services. We should be taking all the money we give to "pregnancy centers" - who provide very little in terms of actual healthcare, and instead fund Planned Parenthood. This would be the financially wise thing to do.
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Strongly Agree
Having control over one's end of life is a good and humane thing.
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
Did not answer
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
Did not answer
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Choose not to answer
The Secretary of State office is not responsible for the tax code.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Agree
When a business uses a public street, publicly regulated utilities, and opens their doors to the public, they are agreeing to follow the secular promise of our nation. A business person who wishes to discriminate should expect to be sued, and expect to lose.
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
None. First Amendment.
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.
Healthcare is 1/6 of our national economy and more than 1/5 of that cost is directly associated with the insurance industry. Not healthcare - insurance. My concern is not *that we should get rid of insurance as the means of access to healthcare, my concern is we should excise the cancer that is the cost associated with the insurance industry controlling access. If they can do it cheaper, we should listen. If they can't, we should also listen.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
We've required vaccinations for decades, with carveouts to Constitutionally recognized exemptions. This should not be an issue. "Promote the General Welfare" is a valid role of government.
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.
Did not answer
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Did not answer
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Strongly Disagree
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Neutral
I appreciate many Americans believe our values are rooted in religion, and that bias is evident in this question. While I am a leader in my congregation, we are wrong when we assume that religion was the reason our forefathers assembled our government as-is.
I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
Neutral
This is a bad question. All Americans either are or are not entitled to freedom from discrimination. All. And my opinion is that people should not be subjected to discrimination, even if Republicans believe the characteristic that causes that discriminatory behavior creates due cause.
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
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Neutral
That's not what CRT asserts, and the Secretary of State is not responsible for curriculum development.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a leader in my congregation and work, every day, to honor the commandments of my God.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Neutral
I will enforce the laws of the state, which require a photo ID when voting in person.
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
I am comfortable with our voting practices in North Dakota. I do think we need more dropboxes in the counties that are 'vote by mail,' and I think we need to discuss with County Commissioners if expanding the number of early vote locations during the early vote period would encourage voter participation.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
yes. Racism is a threat to the fabric of our society, and our history includes several episodes where domestic terrorism has used race as a means to identify targets. We cannot allow discimination in a society that is governed by written law and a promise of equal protection under that law.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Neutral
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.
C) ignoring the damages to our earth saves people money today and helps corporate earnings today, and the only cost is the damage we're doing to the earth and generations who will follow us.
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Neutral
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic transquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity.
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?
Moderate
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
I'm not sure I have such documents
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 far more qualified to supervise a complicated office with diverse responsibilities than either of my competitors. I appreciate I may be more liberal than the other people and some people will find that to be offputting. While the other candidates are more dogmatically conservative, one is a career politician with iffy legistative results and the other overtly wants to make it harder - much harder - to vote. I find my position on the law and access to the ballot to be consistent with the Constitution. I believe in equal rights and I believe that finding a way for all eligible people to vote is a central purpose of the Secretary of State office. Thanks.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Choose not to answer
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Choose not to answer
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
We need to do a better job at understanding who is getting the most dangerous of weapons. As a gun owner, I'm offended that radical, domestic terrorists are granted access to weapons of war without properly identifying the person or their potential for mass violence first.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Agree
