David H. Tofsted
Republican | New Mexico
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
David H. Tofsted
Party
Republican
Election Year
2024
Election
General
Race
State Senator, Dist. 36
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Penn State, State College, PA, Bachelor's in Physics, 1979
New Mexico State, Las Cruces, NM, Master's in Electrical Engineering, 1992
New Mexico State, Las Cruces, NM, Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, 2013
WORK & MILITARY
US Army, Signal Corps, 2LT to CPT, 1980-1984
US Army Research Laboratory, Physicist, 1984-2017
AFFILIATIONS
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
ENDORSEMENTS*
*These endorsements were received after the deadline and were not considered in the Panel Evaluations and are for additional educational purposes only.
CONSERVATIVE (1)
*National Rifle Association (NRA) PVF
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (19)
Ron DeSantis (2024)
Kari Lake (2022)
Senate Conservatives Fund (2022)
WinRed (2022)
Ted Cruz (2016)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
Rape, Incest, and Life of the mother are key concerns. But also the true test for elective abortion should follow the same lines as the restrictions outlined in the Roe-v-Wade decision - it should be based on the viability of the growing infant. A viable baby should never be aborted. From my understanding viability begins around 24 weeks.
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
Nor should there be publicly financed abortion clinics. Nor should the states or Federal government force insurance plans to cover abortion services.
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Disagree
ECONOMY
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Agree
What is your position on the minimum wage?
The actual minimum wage is always zero. The minimum wage should be set low enough that there is always full employment. This incentivizes employers to seek out employees based on their skills and to pay higher wages in competition with one another.
Should environmental and social issues, like ESG (environmental, social, and governance) ratings, be used as criteria in deciding where to invest public monies?
No
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
The separation of church and state indicates that the state should have no jurisdiction over churches. Of course, in the event of public safety concerns, the state should alert churches to dangers present.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Agree
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
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
It really depends on the degree to which a given disease is contagious and also the degree to which it is capable of producing life-threatening or health-threatening effects. For example, the polio vaccine was offered to all because of its effects.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Agree
While not a direct threat today, CCP represents a threat to world peace.
Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?
Yes it is important. Israel represents the only true democracy in the Middle East.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Agree
The southern border is a concern, but not because the physical security is the problem. The main issue is the policies being adopted to deal with illegal border crossers. These policies are allowing people who are not at risk in their own countries to move to the US at their choice, whereas the question should be whether these individuals are valuable to the US from our perspective, not theirs.
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.
Disagree
Unfortunately, New Mexico has no provision for providing public funding for private or home schooling options. We must deal with a situation which must be dealt with at the public classroom level.
VALUES
Children are the most vulnerable members of society and must be protected from abuse, including gender ideology, grooming, and bodily mutilation.
Strongly Agree
Parents should have the right to make decisions for their minor children.
Strongly Agree
Minors are minors for a reason. They should not be making life-altering decisions without their parents' knowledge.
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.
Neutral
Unfortunately, our country, and many others around the world have made their own decisions on how to define the concept of marriage. Humans are fallible. This is obvious. Even in the Bible there were many mistakes made, even by Biblical patriarchs.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
Briefly, I cannot describe my beliefs in a mere 750 letters. Suffice to say there are many Biblical creeds that cover the main issues, but more specifically I follow a Wesleyan belief system. Salvation is meant for all, and individuals must make a choice to follow God as they are given opportunity and knowledge. Our relationship with God is based on a salvation by faith in Christ's atoning sacrifice (1st John 2:2) and not of works. This sacrifice was satisfactory not only for us, "... but also for the sins of the whole world." Nevertheless, we have two concepts: Paul indicates we must work out our salvation with "fear and trembling," while John indicates that "perfect love casts out all fear."
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
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Yes. Because racism continues to be used to fuel hatred between the races. It can affect everyone and anyone, depend on who is spinning the narrative. Racism is not just for so-called white people, anyone can be racist.
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.
A & C. We already have environmental laws that are sufficient. Reliable electric supplies can be developed by further expanding nuclear power.
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
The best source will be fusion power, but this is perhaps many decades away from commercial development.
ABOUT YOU
Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.
Did not answer
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.
Did not answer
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
Did not answer
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?
Did not answer
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
I support redirecting funds from police departments to community programs.
Did not answer
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Did not answer
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
Did not answer
