Christian He-Man Schlaerth
Democrat | Iowa
Candidate Profile
Far Left
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Christian He-Man Schlaerth
Party
Democrat
Election Year
2024
Election
General
Race
State Rep., Dist. 9
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, PhD in sociology, 2014
University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, MA in sociology, 2007
LeMoyne College, Syracuse, NY, BA in history and sociology, 2003
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Humane Society of United States, Heffer International
Social Democratic Labor Party of America, President
Humane Society of Northern Iowa, Cat Kenneler
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Florida State Senate District 40, 2017
ENDORSEMENTS
LIBERAL (3)
Iowa Federation of Labor AFL-CIO
Planned Parenthood Advocates of Iowa
Center for Freethought Equality
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (3)
AFL-CIO
Iowa Federation of Labor
American Center for Free Thought Equality
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (1)
ActBlue (2024)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Local, County, and District Democratic Organizations (2024)
OTHER INFORMATION
The Reporter (The Student Newspaper at Miami Dade College) article: ‘He-Man’ Running For State Senate Seat
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
Reproductive choices should be left up the the person and their doctor. There is no such thing as "post birth abortion."
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.
Agree
See answer above.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Disagree
Reproductive healthcare is healthcare.
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Strongly Agree
Government should stay out of decisions between doctors and patients.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
State should stay out of religion. Conversely, and this is more important, religion should stay out of government. When I say "Build the wall," I mean the wall between church and state.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Neutral
It depends. If the business is doing business across state lines or receives business from any level of government, then the owners should not be able to discriminate, as governed by the "commerce clause" of the Constitution.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Agree
But we should also be working with China on certain global issues, like climate change. The office I am seeking has little to do with national security.
Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?
Yes, but the US relationship with any of its allies is important. I do not believe that any country should have a "blank check" from the United States, like what we have done with Israel. I would like to point out that this issue has little to do with the office I am seeking.
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. I do not see much a distinction between A & B answers. I think there should be universal healthcare with the option for a person to purchase private insurance if they want it.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
It all depends. The military already requires vaccinations, as do schools and some employers, with exceptions for religious beliefs and for those who are allergic to vaccine ingredients. I believe in science and the science indicates that vaccinati
ECONOMY
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Neutral
Yes, there should be free enterprises, but I do believe that certain aspects of the economy should be publicly owned (healthcare, internet, utilities) with the option for people to purchase services from private providers.
What is your position on the minimum wage?
Raise it! Minimum wage is too low and the rent is too high! It needs to be increased to at least $15/hour, with future increases tied to inflation. The current minimum wage is not enough to afford to live anywhere in the US.
Should environmental and social issues, like ESG (environmental, social, and governance) ratings, be used as criteria in deciding where to invest public monies?
Yes
Yes, ESG ratings should be used when deciding to invest public funds.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Neutral
A physical wall will never be enough and is not the answer. The US should do more to address the core causes of immigration (the push factors) while also increasing drone usage at the border as well as expanding the number of border patrol agents. Again, Iowa House of Reps has little to do with this issue.
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 Disagree
I am against vouchers. If parents want to sacrifice to send their children to go to a private or religious school, so be it, that is their right and privilege. Public money should not go to those ventures. However, I do support the use of school district buses to send students to their private schools.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
I support redirecting funds from police departments to community programs.
Neutral
I believe that police departments need to be funded appropriately, but I also think we need to expand funding for social programs, and expand mental health coverage and care in communities.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
I am a proud gun owner. However, I do not think the 2nd Amendment is absolute, and current interpretations of said amendment always forget about the "...well regulated militia" part.
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
No
We ask so much of teachers, why do we want them to also carry guns? No, teachers should not be carrying guns in the classroom. Using firearms sufficiently in a defensive situation requires more training that the average person puts in.
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 is meant to serve all people. I believe government can and should be used to help people and make the lives of our collective public, better.
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 Liberal
I consider myself a socialist, liberal on most issues. However the liberal/conservative dichotomy is not sufficient to describe most people.
VALUES
Children are the most vulnerable members of society and must be protected from abuse, including gender ideology, grooming, and bodily mutilation.
Neutral
This question does not make sense. Learning about gender is not wrong. Of course I am against grooming and bodily mutilation - which I am assuming is a reference to gender affirming care, which, then, is reserved for a patient and their doctor.
Parents should have the right to make decisions for their minor children.
Choose not to answer
Taxpayer funds should be used to provide gender transition services.
Agree
I do not think this is a fair question. For instance, I believe with universal healthcare, this becomes a moot point.
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 Disagree
Here is my answer: hahahahahaha (seriously, quote that). I am an atheist, so nothing is "God-ordained," and the bible does not have any explicit rules on marriage. No, marriage is not necessarily between one man and one woman. All relationships are important and when consenting adults want, they should receive the public benefits of being married.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am an atheist who is heavily influenced by Catholic social teachings and the social gospel. We are in this together.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Neutral
I do think voter ID laws are important (please read Disproven by Ken Block), but we need to be accommodating for those who do not have or cannot afford government issued photo identifications. I also believe those attending public colleges and universities should be able to use their school IDs to vote.
States should join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact which makes the Electoral College irrelevant.
Neutral
The electoral college was established to prevent the masses from having too much power. It is outdated and needs to be revised.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
The biggest national security danger, domestically, are white supremacist groups, according to the FBI. So, the question really is, how do we combat it?
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Agree
I studied CRT while in graduate school. I teach about CRT in college. Yes, the US "system" has been race-based, and has inherent in its institutions, racial inequality. Slavery was stolen labor and the transgenerational transmission of poverty. This needs to be righted.
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.
Disagree
The problem with the word "biological" makes this difficult to answer. So, it depends. I think national and international governing bodies for sports should make those decisions for themselves, and should have flexible guidelines. Leave those decisions to the athletic bodies governing amateur sports and keep government out of it. As for the rest: it depends. Sororities should decide their own membership.
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.
D - it is real, largely man-made, and poses an existential threat to our planet. We are not doing enough to address it at any level of government. We are already seeing its effects. We should have been addressing this 20 years ago.
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
It depends on the area of the country. Iowa is great for wind and solar power. Coastal areas also have littoral power. We should expand current nuclear fission technology, and also invest heavily into nuclear fusion.
