William Ridenour II
Republican | West Virginia
Candidate Profile
Verified Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
William Ridenour II
Party
Republican
Election Year
2024
Election
General
Race
House of Delegates, Dist. 100
Incumbent
Yes
Links
EDUCATION
Marine Corps War College, Quantico, VA, Masters in Strategic Studies, 2017
University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, Masters in Economics, 2000
Marine Corps Command and Staff College, Quantico, VA, Graduate, 1996
Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School, Quantico, VA, Graduate, 1990
Defense Intelligence College, Washington DC, Graduate, Post-Graduate Intelligence Program, 1986
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, Bachelors in History, 1980
WORK & MILITARY
Defense Intelligence Agency, GG-15, 2008-2021
Counterintelligence Field Activity, GG-14, 2001-2008
Director of Naval Intelligence, N2, GG-13, 2000-2001
United States Marine Corps, Major, 1980-2000
AFFILIATIONS
West Virginia Citizens Defense League, Member, Veterans of Foreign War
Life Member, Gun Owners of America, Member
Eastern Panhandle Business Association, Member
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
West Virginia House of Delegates, District 100,, 2
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
None
SCORECARDS
CONSERVATIVE ORGANIZATIONS
LIBERAL ORGANIZATIONS
ENDORSEMENTS
CONSERVATIVE (10)
National Rifle Association (NRA) PVF
West Virginia Farm Bureau
West Virginia Republican Assembly
West Virginians for Health Freedom
West Virginia Freedom Caucus
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (7)
West Virginia Republican Assembly
West Virginia Freedom Caucus
Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, Candidate for Governor
Senator Patricia Rucker
Senator Mike Stuart
OTHER INFORMATION
VoteSmart key votes for candidate William Ridenour.
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
In the event of a threat to the life of the mother.
Chemical abortion drugs should meet essential safety standards (such as in-person consultation with a medical doctor) and require reporting to gather evidence on reactions and outcomes.
Strongly Agree
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer 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
I am opposed to any 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia. I supported and voted in the House of Delegates for the amendment on the 2024 West Virginia ballot prohibiting medically assisted suicide.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
Under no circumstances.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
NATIONAL SECURITY
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Strongly Agree
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) should be treated as an enemy state, given that the CCP is already engaged in an illegal asymmetric war against the United States that has cost thousands of American lives from the opioid epidemic the CCP is facilitating into the U.S., as well as the COVID biological warfare virus that the CCP spread around the world. I sponsored a Joint Resolution against the PRC’s Illegal War in the 2024 legislative session.
Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?
Israel is one of the United States’ strongest and greatest allies. It is critical for the defense against Islamic terrorism globally, particularly in the Middle East and Europe. It provides major military, counter-terrorism and intelligence capabilities throughout the Middle East and where Islamic terrorists have safe havens. It is the lynchpin in achieving any stability in the Middle East.
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) Taxpayer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be defunded.
C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. Government should remove itself from healthcare and give people the freedom to chose their own healthcare options.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
Governments should only require vaccinations for very limited purposes, and after comprehensive trials and peer-reviewed studies that demonstrate both their efficacy and safety. Opting out should be allowed for religious or philosophical reasons.
ECONOMY
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
I believe in and remain an advocate of Free Enterprise and private property rights as the only viable economic system for a free society. I am an opponent of any form of socialism or communism. I will fight to return our economy to a more Free Enterprise system.
What is your position on the minimum wage?
West Virginia should not have a minimum wage. A minimum wage causes employers to find alternatives to employees, including automation, and closing or moving out of the state. It prevents people willing to work for lower wages from being employed.
Should environmental and social issues, like ESG (environmental, social, and governance) ratings, be used as criteria in deciding where to invest public monies?
No
Use of environmental and social issues, like ESG, should never be used as a criteria in deciding where to invest public monies. Government’s role in spending the public’s money should be limited to spending it in the most effective and efficient way possible, and should also seek to limit spending to only those items truly necessary.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
The Harris-Biden regime is enabling an invasion of our borders by illegal aliens to facilitate political control of our country by their party. The borders should be closed until a comprehensive revitalization of border security can be enacted. States not along the border must support those border states that are seeking to protect our border, and should adopt measures that inhibit the ability of the Harris-Biden regime to facilitate human smuggling of illegal aliens into our country.
EDUCATION
The state should fund education by allowing dollars to follow the child through programs which protect parents' freedom to choose their child's school – public, private, or homeschool.
Strongly Agree
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
I support redirecting funds from police departments to community programs.
Strongly Disagree
Government’s first role is to protect the people. I oppose redirecting funds from our seriously underfunded and under-manned law enforcement agencies to community programs.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
I am not aware of many restrictions on gun ownership that actually protects public safety. Most gun laws that reputedly protect public safety have virtually no effect on the perpetrators of violence, but rather either provide a false sense of security or impede the ability of citizens to protect themselves and others.
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
Yes
In my many combating terrorism positions, I thoroughly studied attacks on schools and other terrorist attacks. Immediate response by armed individuals is the critical defensive method that not only defeats an attack, but in most cases deters any attack from occurring by ensuring the terrorist/school shooter believes the target is too hard to attack.
ABOUT YOU
Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.
No.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.
No.
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
Government’s role is to protect the People’s freedom and ability to live their lives.
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?
Conservative
I am a Constitutional Conservative.
VALUES
Children are the most vulnerable members of society and must be protected from abuse, including gender ideology, grooming, and bodily mutilation.
Strongly Agree
Individuals who seek to mutilate or groom children are dangerous and are preying on the most vulnerable in our society to exploit them.
Parents should have the right to make decisions for their minor children.
Strongly Agree
Parents should have the right to make decisions for their minor children on the overwhelming majority of issues, barring those that would mutilate or groom the child in the name of “gender transition.”
Taxpayer funds should be used to provide gender transition services.
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
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a Christian.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
The integrity of our elections is critical to maintaining our Liberty. Only American citizens should be permitted to vote in any election.
States should join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact which makes the Electoral College irrelevant.
Strongly Disagree
I will oppose this, as it is a fundamental threat to the foundation and maintenance of our Constitution and country.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Yes. Racism and Critical Race Theory are tools used by groups to divide the American people, in order to create chaos that they can then exploit to impose their control over the people.
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
Biological males should not be allowed to participate in women's sports or occupy biological women's spaces whether it be bathrooms, locker rooms, sorority houses, women's shelters, or prison.
Strongly Agree
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Which comes closest to your view? (Select all that apply) 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) Stricter environmental laws undermine U.S. energy independence and deter development of reliable electricity sources. D) Climate change is real and requires urgent policy action.
C) Stricter environmental laws undermine U.S. energy independence and deter development of reliable electricity sources.
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
Coal and natural gas. The constant speculation about the impending demise of the coal industry reminds me of the Mark Twain quote “The report of my death was an exaggeration.”
