Carolyn L. Destefani
Republican | Ohio
Candidate Profile
Conservative (Conditional)
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Carolyn L. Destefani
Party
Republican
Election Year
2024
Election
Republican Primary and U.S. House Dist. 6 Special Primary
Race
State Senator, Dist. 10
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Ohio State University, Columbus, BS In Engineering, 1990
United States Air Force Technical Training Wing, Keesler AFB, Biloxi, Mississippi, Manpower Management Certification, 1991
United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Top Secret Control Officer Certification, 1992
Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, AL, Squadron Officer School (SOS), 1995
Girl & Boy Scouts of America, Online Training, Child and Youth Protection Certification, 2003-2017
The National Rifle Association of America (NRA), Dayton, Ohio, NRA Basic Pistol Course, 2008
Office of the Ohio Attorney General - Mike DeWine, Columbus, Ohio, Sunshine Law/Public Records/Open Meeting Law Training, 2016 & 2023
Ohio Township Association (OTA), Blacklick Township, Ohio, Leadership 1.0 & Leadership 2.0 Academy Graduate, 2017 & 2023
Institute on the Constitution, Kettering, OH, U.S. Constitution Course: A View of Law, Liberty, and Government, 2018
Syracuse University Institute for Veterans & Military Families, Syracuse, NY, Project Management Professional (PMP) Course, 2019
WORK & MILITARY
United States Air Force, Captain, 1991-1998
Self-Employed, Destefani Family Chief Executive Officer (CEO), 1998 - 2013
Greene County, Ohio, Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Family Resource Center, Social Service Specialist, 2013 – 2016
HumanIT Solutions LLC, Operations Manager, Technical Writer and Agile SCRUM Master, 2017 - 2020
Estrella Group LLC, Director of Business Development, 2020 - 2022
Flairsoft Ltd., Director of Federal Programs, 2022 - Present
AFFILIATIONS
Greene County Republican Party, Exec Board Officer/County Coordinator & Precinct 152 Captain, Greene County Township Association
Three-Term President Voted in by fellow Township Trustees, Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC), Board of Directors, 2016 - 2022
Greene County Regional Planning & Coordinating Commission, Board, Executive Board, & Perspectives 2040 Chairperson, Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Chamber of Commerce
Township Representative & Board Member 2013 - Present, National Association of Towns and Townships (NATaT), Ohio State Team for D.C. Fly-Ins with Federal Legislators 2016, 2018, 2019 & 2022
Greater Ohio Valley (GOV) Women In Defense (WID), Chapter Treasurer, Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of America, & Venture Crew Scouts
Adult Troop and Crew Leader 2003-2016, Miami Valley Military Affairs Association (MVMAA), Board of Directors & Inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame
The National Rifle Association of America (NRA), Member & Concealed Carry License, Since 2008
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Sugarcreek Township Trustee, Greene County, Ohio, 2016 - Present
Greene County Republican Central Committee Precinct Capt., 2018 - Present
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Ohio State Senate, District 10, Election 2024, Take Office 2025
ENDORSEMENTS
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (10)
67th Ohio Governor Bob & Hope Taft
Ohio State Rep. Bill & Pamela Dean (District 71)
Ohio State Rep. Brian & Karen Lampton (District 70)
Former Ohio State Rep. Bob & Dianna Doyle
Greene County Commissioner Dick & Cindy Gould
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (4)
Republican National Committee (2023)
Brian Lampton (2022)
Pat DeWine (2022)
Rick Perales (2016)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
Rape, Incest, and for the health of the mother as determined by the Family Doctor, not the Abortion Physician.
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
Yes, if they must be used, chemical abortion drugs should meet essential safety standards. For instance, Misoprostol/Cytotec was FDA-approved for the prevention of gastric ulcers, but its current use for abortion/labor induction can result in serious complications, including uterine rupture or the death of the mother. Mifepristone is designed to break down the uterine lining and cut off the child’s supply of oxygen/nutrients, but if it doesn't expel the baby could cause infection/sepsis.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Agree
I am not generally in favor of Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, receiving taxpayer funds. Unfortunately, abortions have become a lucrative profession for Abortion Providers. As a "big business," abortions have become the worst possible form of birth control. I would certainly prefer it if all mothers would choose life!
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Strongly Disagree
No, I don't support 'aid in dying' laws that legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia. Hospice provides a "Comfort Care" alternative that allows people to pass with dignity when it is their time to go.
ECONOMY
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
Yes, I strongly agree that free enterprise and the right to private property are essential. Research shows that the more enterprising people are free to be, the more businesses they will start, the more people they will employ, and the more technologies and innovations they will discover. People are far more likely to work hard when they can enjoy the benefits of their efforts and feel secure that their worked-for home is their own!
What is your position on the minimum wage?
Increasing minimum wage may sound like a way to help people/reduce poverty, but with the increased operating costs for businesses, the owners are often forced to eliminate jobs for the lowest-paid, least-experienced workers, resulting in more poverty
Should environmental and social issues, like ESG (environmental, social, and governance) ratings, be used as criteria in deciding where to invest public monies?
No
No ESG should not be used as a criterion in deciding where to invest public money. It’s a political tool for pushing businesses to advance progressive ideology in American society. Investing public money based on ESG ratings would force companies to take political positions on issues such as Second Amendment rights, welfare policy, or fossil fuels that may have nothing to do with the company’s actual business activities.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
The First Amendment states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” During COVID-19, governmental entities took aggressive measures to combat virus spread. When the Louisville Mayor “ordered Christians not to attend Sunday services, even if they remained in their cars to worship,” the court rightly concluded there was no neutrality between religious and non-religious conduct since other drive-in operations were allowed.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
There are all kinds of commercial businesses and services that I would never use because they are not of interest to me. So, I choose to shop at a store that caters to what I am looking for. No individual or business should be required to provide services if it violates their moral and/or religious beliefs. To me, that is governmental overreach. There are other businesses catering to other beliefs; if not, there is an economic opportunity to make one!
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.
B or C
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
Americans should be able to make their own medical decisions without the government forcing their employers to punish them or collect their private information. A few exceptions exist, such as Combatant Military, where these rights are relinquished.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Agree
I have attended many briefings detailing the Chinese Communist Party’s success at stealing American intellectual property to gain military, economic, and Cyber Security dominance. This is clearly a threat to National Security, only slightly lessened by their recent economic decline.
Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?
The U.S. relationship with Israel is critically important. I am 100% for standing with our long-standing allies. They are fighting for their very survival, facing a vicious, brutal Islamist regime that has every intention of building a nuclear weapons capability. Iran’s nuclear program threatens not only the security of the Middle East but the U.S. as well.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
The U.S. should absolutely do more to physically secure the southern border! Since President Joe Biden took office on January 20, 2021, over 5.4 million illegal aliens have entered the nation. The drug cartels continue to work to feed our nation’s rampant fentanyl problem. There are public safety, human trafficking, and negative financial ramifications associated with the inflow and housing of all these people.
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.
Agree
I like the idea of allowing State Education funding dollars to follow the child, giving parents the freedom to educate their children how they deem best. However, it should be done in a way that ensures the oversight and accountability of public tax dollars and ensures that public schools can remain viable and operational. Our children are our country's future!
VALUES
Children are the most vulnerable members of society and must be protected from abuse, including gender ideology, grooming, and bodily mutilation.
Strongly Agree
Our Children are the most vulnerable members of society and must be protected. There is truly something wrong if we tell our children that they must take lifelong hormone therapy and mutilate their bodies to be their authentic selves!
Parents should have the right to make decisions for their minor children.
Strongly Agree
It has been established that the critical parts of the brain involved in decision-making are not fully developed until the age of around 25. It is a parent’s responsibility to guide their children to make good and responsible decisions.
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.
My husband and I have been married for 32 years, attend church faithfully, participate in community service organizations and have a core value of supporting children and strengthening families. We have mentored many couples preparing for marriage and have given weekend presentations for Worldwide Marriage Encounter. Character counts!
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
States should join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact which makes the Electoral College irrelevant.
Strongly Disagree
We only get mob rule if that was enacted.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
No, racism is not a threat to domestic security in the United States. Every society in the World practiced slavery. What rendered America unique is that Americans killed one another in the Civil War to abolish slavery. America eventually became the least racist, multi-racial country in history. We remain the only White majority Country to elect a Black leader.
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
We need to protect Women's sports and let Women be Women.
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.
A and C
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
Nuclear Energy
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?
The Government is for the Good of the People and to provide Security.
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
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
I support redirecting funds from police departments to community programs.
Strongly Disagree
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Restricting access for those with Mental Health issues.
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
Yes
If they are trained, qualified, wish to do so, and are anonymous so that it is not publicly known that they are carrying.
