Michael Inganamort
Republican | New Jersey
Candidate Profile*
Leans Conservative
*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Michael Inganamort
Party
Republican
Election Year
2023
Election
General
Race
General Assembly Dist. 24
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Sparta High School, Sparta, Graduate, 2002
American University, Washington, DC, BA, 2006
Georgetown University, Washington, DC, MA, 2007
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Morris County Republican Committeeman, Elected County Committeeman, National Rifle Association
Life Member, American Council of Young Political Leaders, Trustee
Boy Scouts of America, Merit Badge Counselor
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Chester Township Mayor, less than 1
Chester Township Councilman, 5
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
Previous Races
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
New Jersey Right to Life PAC
New Jersey Second Amendment Society
OTHER (7)
New Jersey State Building and Construction Trades Council (NJ B&CTC)
New Jersey Outdoor Alliance
Morris County Republican Committee
Harold J. "Hal" Wirths
Steve Oroho
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (4)
New Jersey Right to Life PAC
New Jersey Second Amendment Society
New Jersey Outdoor Alliance
AQ Rating, National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (3)
Ron DeSantis (2023)
Frank Pallotta (2022)
Mike DeWine (2018)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (1)
Stephanie Howse (2016)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
I believe that life begins at conception and am proud to have the endorsement of New Jersey Right to Life PAC in this election. In the Assembly, I will support the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act and the parental notification Constitutional amendment. I will work to ensure taxpayer dollars are not funding Planned Parenthood, remove any health insurance mandate that covers abortion, and protect the work of crisis pregnancy centers. As a co-founder of my university’s first-ever pro-life student organization, I saw first-hand the incredible work of these crisis pregnancy centers and hope to champion their life-saving mission.
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?
New Jersey’s high property taxes, income taxes, and corporate taxes put us at a competitive disadvantage when trying to attract new businesses and jobs while keeping families and current employers here. If elected to the Assembly, I will sponsor legislation to reduce taxes, increase government transparency, and eliminate wasteful spending. Specifically, I support indexing income taxes for inflation (A2058), eliminating the marriage penalty tax (A2059), eliminating the minimum Corporate Business Tax on New Jersey S corporations (A2899), eliminating the New Jersy inheritance tax (A735), reducing New Jersey’s Corporate Business Tax rate (A1146), creating a tax deduction for charitable giving (A1032), reducing state income tax rates by ten percent over three years (A1657), and convening a special session of the Legislature to lower property taxes (ACR-14).
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
New Jersey’s rate of spending is unsustainable. Governor Murphy’s budget for the FY2024 fiscal year is 7% larger than the previous year’s budget and 57% larger than the prior administration's final budget. That's a $20 billion increase in just six years. We need to reduce the size of State Government in New Jersey by eliminating wasteful and duplicative programs. I support establishing the Red Tape Review Commission (A2053), authorizing the State Auditor to conduct cost-benefit analyses of certain programs and initiatives (A2056), establishing a Government Efficiency and Regulatory Review Commission (A4161), eliminating the more than one billion in pork projects in this year’s budget, and stopping taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood and programs that incentivize illegal immigration.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
None.
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.
I am unequivocally opposed to options A and B. Medicare is a federal program over which State legislators have little to no say. Medicaid is a joint federal-state program over which State Legislators have much say. I believe we need to look at alternatives to Medicaid and Charity Care (emergency rooms) to treat our poor for routine healthcare in New Jersey, such as empowering a statewide network of free health clinics operated by volunteer health professionals in exchange for coverage of the medical malpractice insurance for their private practices. I oppose the individual mandate and other mandates on consumers, businesses, doctors, religious employers, and health insurance companies, as well as taxpayer funding for abortions.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
None.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
The United States should maintain the American military’s position as the world’s most lethal and technologically advanced fighting force; target all networks that fund terrorism; control our borders; and support our allies, including Israel.
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.
Strongly Disagree
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?
It is not the “who” that is most relevant, but rather the necessity of a proper vetting program to ensure that legal immigration benefits American taxpayers and that terrorists and criminals are prevented from entering the United States. New Jersey should mandate E-Verify to ensure that only those who are legal immigrants may be employed here.
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Strongly Agree
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.
Agree
Government cannot define religious rites for religious institutions
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.
I am a parishioner of St. Lawrence Church in Chester.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
If elected to the Assembly, I will support legislation including but not limited to: increasing penalties for mishandling of ballots; requiring identification to vote; repealing the “Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote”; permitting County Clerks to remove voters from vote-by-mail lists under certain circumstances; establishing a "Vote by Mail Study Commission"; requiring electronic voting system vendors disclose financial ties prior to approval by the Secretary of State; prohibiting mail-in ballot outer envelopes from containing political affiliation or designation visible to public; requiring Commissioner of Registration to move voters with undeliverable mail-in ballots to inactive file; and requiring the Attorney General to create a voting fraud task force, among other election integrity reforms.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
I reject racism unequivocally. The laws in the State of New Jersey protect us from those who wish to commit harm, bodily or otherwise. New Jersey’s anti-hate crime laws punish those who commit bodily harm against others based on race.
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.
A) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy.
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?
Government may do what is allowed under the United States Constitution and the New Jersey Constitution. The size and scope of government should be reduced.
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).
I was a longtime aide to Congressman Scott Garrett, the most conservative Congressman from New Jersey, in Washington, DC and the Newton District Office. I was Garrett campaign's manager for five years.: https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county/express-times/2012/10/us_rep_scott_garrett_has_23_mi.html https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2012/05/12-0527-2141/ I worked for the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC.
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?
One issue that my running mates and I are very concerned about is Governor Murphy's energy mandates, which are extreme, unrealistic, and anti-consumer. They would: 1. Ban the sale of gas-powered cars in New Jersey by 2035 2. Force New Jersey families to give up gas stoves 3. Force New Jersey families to retrofit their heating systems to electric 4. Cost hundreds of billions of dollars 5. Ignore the will of the people and the Legislature We oppose his Energy Master Plan and all the mandates he wants to force upon the residents of New Jersey.
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?
The Second Amendment is an unalienable right, which the Supreme Court affirmed last year. I do not support further restrictions on law-abiding gun owners. Violent felons and illegal immigrants should not be allowed to own and possess firearms, which is the law today.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
