Edward A. (Andy) Maidment
Libertarian | Missouri
Candidate Profile
Moderate
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Edward A. (Andy) Maidment
Party
Libertarian
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
U.S. Rep., Dist. 6
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, Bachelors, 2007
WORK & MILITARY
US Army, Sergeant, Tank Gunner, 2000-2004
Army National Guard, Captain, Signal Officer, 2011-2020
Army National Guard, Asst Aviation Ops NCO, 2004-2011
IT Engineer, 2013-2019
IT Security, 2019-2022
AFFILIATIONS
Civil Air Patrol, Squadron Commander
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (1)
Austin Petersen (2018)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
No private organization should receive funds from public sources unless it is providing goods or services to that public source.
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Neutral
Adults have control of their own bodies and lives. It is the choice of individual.
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Most Americans agree that there are at least a limited number of circumstances under which an abortion can be performed. This is a decision to be made between a doctor and patient. Your medical decisions should be between you and your doctor. Even if an abortion occurs outside of this scope, if we have any privacy from government then this should be virtually impossible to prove.
ECONOMY
Redistribution of income is needed to lessen the gap between the wealthy and working classes.
Strongly Disagree
Your income represents your labor and a portion of your life. Whenever income is redistributed it is an opportunity for graft and it will be exploited.
The government should cut spending in order to reduce the national debt.
Strongly Agree
Cut spending and programs.
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
Repeal the 16th Amendment and eliminate duplicate and unnecessary programs. Some may need to be phased out over time, such as Social Security. The entire tax code should be no more than ten pages long and easy to understand by anyone, not just accountants.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Neutral
Religious liberty is not currently at risk, however, is deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
The government has no right to prevent association, nor does it have a right to force association.
What should be the relationship between the church and the state?
None.
HEALTHCARE
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
None.
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.
D)Tax-payer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be de-funded.
iVoterGuide Notes:
The candidate asked that the "D" identifier be removed and he rephrased his answer to read "Taxpayer funded health care should be abolished in all forms. Medicare and Medicaid will need to be phased out over time until it is gone. It is irresponsible and immoral to simply pull the rug out from under vulnerable people."
NATIONAL SECURITY
With regard to America's foreign policy, which view most closely resembles yours: A) The United States should intervene whenever freedom is threatened. B) The United States should selectively help countries trying to grow democracy and fight tyranny. C) The United States has become too involved in others' policies and should remain focused on issues regarding our own sovereignty unless in imminent danger. D) The United States should stay out of foreign conflicts completely.
C) The United States has become too involved in others' policies and should remain focused on issues regarding our own sovereignty unless in imminent danger.
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
As someone of partial Arab ethnicity I am sympathetic to Palestinian independence. The United States need not be involved in this conflict. We usually just make things worse.
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Agree
The Chinese Economy is showing signs of decay. If they can fix this then they represent a major threat to the United States. They should be treated no more favorably or unfavorably than any other nation. If intellectual property violations can be proven then their goods should have a tariff assigned to cover this violation.
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
Stop trying to interfere so much in that part of the world. Limit our reprisals to individuals and organizations that actually attack us. Drone strikes and air strikes are not "surgical" and should not be used except on confirmed terrorist training camps which are away from civilians and urban centers.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Neutral
Temporary workers should be encouraged for industries which need them. All person entering the United States should be known, checked for medical and criminal backgrounds, and all persons entering the United States should have the same opportunity for citizenship as any other person.
State and federal funds shall be denied to any public or private entity, such as a sanctuary city, that is not in compliance with immigration laws.
Disagree
Federal funds should never be provided to a city, this is a function of the State. Federal funds should, generally, not be provided to a State except for Constitutionally enumerated purposes. States may make their own decisions of what to do about these activities.
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Anyone should be allowed to immigrate to the United States who has a clear criminal background and can reach the country.
VALUES
Sexual orientation and gender identity should be protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Agree
For government actions, the people should not take sexual orientation or gender identity into account for any purpose. Private individuals and organizations should be allowed to follow their conscience.
iVoterGuide Notes:
The candidate asked that the "Agree" qualifier be removed.
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
The fact that Critical Race Theory can exist and be taught in a public forum proves this not to be the case.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I refuse to discuss my spiritual beliefs. If the professed spiritual beliefs of a candidate affect your vote then you are using poor judgement. Candidates should be judged solely on their positions and actions. I will follow the philosophy of protecting the fundamental human rights of the individual from the State and other individuals against force or fraud.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Disagree
If an ID is required is should be provided at no cost to the individual.
iVoterGuide Notes:
The candidate edited his answer to read "An ID should be required to vote. This ID should be at no cost to the individual and be funded through sources other than taxes, such as fines and service fees."
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
This is a question for candidates for State office, since all voting law is required to originate from the States. I would make voter fraud a major felony punishable by long prison terms.
EQUALITY
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
I do not believe in the "Sins of the Father." No one alive today is responsible for slavery or internment. It is equally unfair to take from someone who is not responsible for an action as depriving someone of their liberty.
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Not at this time but race relations could be incited to become a threat by either the minorities or by European descended Americans. We should be skeptical of anyone calling for any policy based upon race.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Strongly Agree
The government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers in the economy.
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.
A) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy. The free market has already provided excellent solutions to environmental problems but those solutions are not acceptable to some people. This also provides a wedge issue for politicians which we do not need.
ABOUT YOU
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?
Choose not to answer
The terms are useless in modern discourse. "Liberals" are not actually liberal. Neither are conservatives. They all seek to control the lives of others. I am a libertarian and I choose not to control other's lives. Government's sole purpose is to protect people's individual rights.
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
https://ballotpedia.org/Edward_Anders_Maidment I have not been extensively interviewed except by other voter information sites.
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?
My sole purpose is to protect you from force or fraud, whether from government or unscrupulous people. Government should not be a consideration in someone's daily life, particularly the Federal government.
iVoterGuide Notes:
The candidate asked to rephrase his answer to read "I am a libertarian and I choose not to control other's lives so long as they are not actively harming other through force or fraud. Government's sole is to protect people's individual rights."
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
Qualified immunity was made up by the Supreme Court. We are seeing the results. Police officers who violate the rights of individuals in sufficiently unique ways are immune from prosecution, despite their methods being obviously immoral or, in other contexts, illegal. This is a joke and not a funny one.
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Disagree
I support eliminating unjust and unnecessary laws so that we do not create criminals where no victim exists. This will free up funds since police will be less necessary which can be returned to taxpayers. The taxpayers can then voluntarily provide funds to such programs they deem appropriate, which will only help to ensure their communities are safer.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
None.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
You cannot sue Jack Daniels or GM for drunk driving. You cannot sue a knife maker for being stabbed. This is an obvious dichotomy.
