S. John Massoud
Republican | Virginia
Candidate Profile
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
S. John Massoud
Party
Republican
Election Year
2023
Election
Primary
Race
State Senate, Dist. 1
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Candidate did not provide
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Strasburg Town Council
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
ENDORSEMENTS
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Clarke County ? Matt Leeds, Former 10th District Republican Chairman ? Mark Tate, Clarke County GOP Chairman ? Glen Poe, Clarke County GOP Vice Chairman Frederick County ? Seth Thatcher, Commissioner of Revenue ? Dody Stottlemaier, Previous President of the Apple Valley Tea Party ? Mark Moseley, Former Washington Redskins Kicker ? Mark Berg, Former Delegate Shenandoah County ? Randy Gilbert, Past Chair of SCRC and Northern Regional Vice Chair ? Brandi Rutz, District 5 School Board ? Colonel Dennis Barlow, District 1 School Board ? John Chroniger, Precinct Chair New Market ? John Bost, Precinct Chair Strasburg ? Barbara Williams, Past Precinct Chair Strasburg ? Ashleigh Kimmons, Strasburg Town Councilman ? Josh Stephens, Shenandoah County Supervisor District 1 ? Ken Cherrix, Vice Mayor of Strasburg ? Christie Monahan, Town Council of Strasburg ? Taralyn Nicholson, Town Council of Strasburg ? Doreen Pauley Ricard, Town Council of Strasburg ? Wade Guinn, Woodstock Board of Supervisors Candidate ? Jay Ahlemann, Former Pastor of Restoration Fellowship Church ? Scott Priest, Current Pastor - Restoration Fellowship Church ? Steve Brim, Former Member, Strasburg Town Council ? Keven Walker, Chairman of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation Warren County ? Joe McFadden, Front Royal Town Council ? Gary Gillespie, Front Royal Town Council ? Marilyn Mullens King, Secretary of Warren County Republican Committee ? Colonel Bill Hammack, Community Leader ? Chris Holloway, Former Mayor ? Bishop Larry Johnson, The Liberty Pastor Winchester ? Jorge Gonzales, Winchester City Chairman ? Patrick Sullivan, Treasurer Winchester GOP) ? Harriet Harris, Community Leader Republican Party of Virginia ? Dean Welty, State Central ? Steven “Doc Troxel, State Central Representative ? Craig Scott, State Central Representative ? Kenneth Adams, 6th Congressional District Republican Party Vice Chair ? Patty Lyman, RNC Chairwoman from Virginia ? Morton Blackwell, RNC Chairman from Virginia ? Melvin Adams, 5th Congressional District Committee Chair 1st Responders ? Police Chief Tim Sutherly, Strasburg ? Fire Chief Scott Cullers, Winchester (Retired) ? Fire Department Captain Tim Bob Williams, Strasburg ? Police Officer, George Rathore, Strasburg ? Officer Paul Bernd ? Josh Wilberger, Woodstock Police ? Ken Rosenberg, Former Arlington County Police Officer
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (15)
Ben Cline (2022)
Burton Swoope (2021)
Charlie Nave (2021)
Christopher Runion (2022)
Ed Gillespie (2017)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
I believe in life at John believes life begins at Conception and will fight to END abortion in Virginia. John will work to protect life and sponsor legislation to codify that life begins at conception and oppose budgets that fund planned parenthood, something my opponent has failed to do. My opposition could have done so this past session, and didn't. I will never back down on the fight for life. I see every day how abortion has turned our society into a place where we see children as an inconvenience to be thrown away rather than a blessing. Ending abortion is also about making our community more pro-child and pro-family. The pro-life fight continues by ensuring the expansion of adoption and promoting pregnancy centers so that every child grows up in a loving home, as they deserve.
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?
John supports all options to reform the state tax code. I am going to have a Shenandoah Valley first mentality when it comes to fighting for new jobs or companies looking to bring their industry to Virginia. I will oppose tax breaks to liberal billionaires who only want to bring their jobs to Northern Virginia. Like Jeff Bezos of Amazon.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
John knows that with the rising cost of inflation, families have the right to have more of THEIR money returned. I am going to fight to end regressive taxes like the grocery tax.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
Joe Biden, the Previous two Democratic Governors, and the Democrat Senate have allowed millions of tax dollars to be spent and wasted to teach that America is an evil country and that we are a racist country. Which is critical race theory (CRT) in a nutshell. It’s despicable. The consequences of their mediocrity is Virginia Public Schools with holding the National Merit Award from the children of our school systems. Those bureaucrats should be fired.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Did not answer
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
John is a Christian. Religious freedom has shaped my life in a very special way. In 1962 my father lived in Afghanistan. He would soon be ostracized for renouncing his Islamic faith. My father then legally immigrated to America seeking Religious Freedom. In the Senate I will Support Legislation that will prevent a Governor from shutting down churches and marginalizing Christian and others from worshiping.
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.
C. I want to repeal Medicaid expansion in Virginia
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
I support parental rights. They will do what's best for their kids and schools.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
Whatever it takes to win the war. Secure the peace.
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.
Strongly Agree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Those who come legally.
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Strongly Agree
Our education system is being hammered by the mentality of these extreme ideologies pushing a particular ethnic or gender group, but we are trashing American History. We need to get back to the basics in our education system. We need to teach children how to critically think; not what to think. We need to teach history and not revisionist history or a history that shames our history or heritage. If we are to be a better society we have to teach the good, bad, and ugly of American History.
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
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.
Strongly Agree
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.
Christ saved me. He changed my heart.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Agree
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
In Virginia, it's time to end the COVID-era changes to our elections–we need to go back to having an election day in Virginia. We need to end our election season and enact common-sense measures, too: reinstate Voter ID, signature verification on absentee ballots, and end mass mail-in voting. Taking steps like these will ensure that we conduct our elections with integrity in the future. John will be the 21st necessary vote to bring integrity back to our process. Liberals love European policies except when they make sense. If France can protect and secure their elections using paper ballots that are cast in person and counted by hand then so can Virginians. If the 2020 election were done like that, do you think Joe Biden would be in the White House today?
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
No.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
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 support less regulations from the DEQ.
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Strongly Agree
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
Life, Liberty, and Property.
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?
Very Conservative
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
Did not answer
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?
Glenn Youngkin and the Conservatives of the Senate need a TRUE conservative ally in the Senate. John will be the 21st conservative vote in bringing down Senator Louise Lucas’s Liberal “Brick Wall '' that stops Governor Youngkin and Speaker Gilbert’s legislation from becoming law. John will vote to cut the gas tax, grocery tax, car tax and all other regressive taxation. I will fight to restore our constitutional right to bear arms, and be the 21st vote to repeal the red flag laws supported by the Gun Grabbers, support pro-life legislation to end taxpayer-funded abortion and late-term abortion in Virginia and pass pro-parent common sense policies to put a stop to masking and woke bureaucrats shoving liberal nonsense down our kids’ throats. I will also ensure that ALL Virginian’s religious freedoms are respected and oppose so-called COVID mandates that only mean more government and less liberty. I am a proud constitutional conservative with a proven record of restoring limited government, and I will bring the same fight to Richmond.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Strongly Agree
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?
None.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
