Mark David Garcia Sanders
Independent | Oklahoma
Candidate Profile*
Leans Liberal
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Mark David Garcia Sanders
Party
Independent
Election Year
2024
Election
General
Race
U.S. Rep., Dist. 1
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Columbia University School of Law, New York, J.D., 1986
Occidental College, Los Angeles, B.A., 1982
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Hamden Alliance for Responsible Taxation (HART), Chairperson, Tulsa Preservation Commission
Commissioner, Farmington Canal Trail Commission, Commissioner
Domestic Violence Intervention Services, Board Member, St. John's Episcopal Church
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
ENDORSEMENTS*
LIBERAL (1)
*The Forward Party
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (1)
WinRed (2020)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (2)
Bernie Sanders (2019)
Drew Edmondson (2018)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
Abortion is deeply divisive issue tied to deeply-held moral and religious convictions. We should always attempt to avoid use of taxpayer funds for issues of that nature.
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
I do not believe that any drugs should be dispensed without direct contact with a doctor. And I believe that our debate over abortion would be aided by the evidence produced by drug reaction/outcome reporting.
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
Within 15 weeks of conception (as a national standard); thereafter, only to save the life of the mother. This response should be read in conjunction with my response concerning federal legislation.
Does the federal government have a role to play in limiting abortion, and if so what federal steps and/or federal legislation would you support?
The current patchwork of state abortion laws is insane. I believe that ALL Americans should live under the SAME abortion standard. The way to achieve that is through a grand compromise implemented in Congress. It will provide a brief 15-week window for abortion in all states, but after that window is closed, no person, in ANY state, will be able to obtain an abortion unless their life is at risk. In this way, we will be able to eliminate the horrors of late-term abortions in blue states in exchange for an early right to terminate a pregnancy in red states. Plus, putting the issue of abortion "to rest" in this manner will allow working people to no longer be divided by it, and make it possible for them to unite around their shared economic struggle.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
It reflects both the 1st Amendment's Establishment and Free Exercise clauses - (1) the state may not require citizens to adhere to the tenets of a particular religion; and (2) the government may not restrict a citizen's practice of their chosen religion unless it impairs another person's fundamental rights.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
NATIONAL SECURITY
With regard to America's foreign policy, which view most closely resembles yours: A) The United States should intervene whenever freedom is threatened. B) The United States should selectively help countries trying to grow democracy and fight tyranny. C) The United States has become too involved in others' policies and should remain focused on issues regarding our own sovereignty unless in imminent danger. D) The United States should stay out of foreign conflicts completely.
The United States has become too involved in others' policies and should remain focused on issues regarding our own sovereignty unless in imminent danger. We should engage with the world and its conflicts, but only as the globe’s most generous contributor of humanitarian and peacekeeping assistance.
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Strongly Agree
Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?
Our relationship with Israel is strategically important; but so are our relationships with scores of other countries. Currently, our relationship with, and support for, Israel is more costly than it is beneficial.
What are the causes of decline in U.S. military recruitment and retention?
Forever wars and the implementation of "woke" initiatives within the military. I favor returning to a system of mandatory conscription to fully staff our military, build character in young people, and act as a "check" against unwise foreign interventionism.
HEALTHCARE
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
In light of our pandemic experience, I don't believe the government should be able to condition any of the benefits of citizenship on proof of vaccination. A private employer should be able to do so, but only if stated at the start of employment.
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.
A safe and healthy community requires that ALL have medical coverage. So, I believe that insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options.
ECONOMY
What actions would you take that would allow Americans to retain more of their income and wealth?
We must gradually phase-out Federal Income Tax on salaries and wages, and gradually phase-in a steeply-graduated Wealth Tax. We should tax people only when they have succeeded in our system, NOT as they are struggling to build wealth.
Student loan forgiveness unfairly shifts the financial burden to those not responsible for student debt.
Strongly Agree
Should environmental and social issues, like ESG (environmental, social, and governance) ratings, be used as criteria in deciding where to invest public monies?
No
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
Our Southern Border is the flash point for so much of what ails us as a nation. This absolutely insane situation is not sustainable without grave damage to our national sovereignty and permanent injury to the health and livelihood of individual Americans and their local communities.
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
We should have periodically-revised quotas for certain types of workers based on the evolving needs of our economy. Our asylum system and standards must be tightened considerably.
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Neutral
I support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and giving control back to states and communities.
Strongly Agree
The current President's Administration should not be setting educational policy nationwide.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
I support redirecting funds from police departments to community programs.
Disagree
We can, and should, do BOTH at the same time.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
We must balance Americans' 2nd Amendment right to firearms with the urgency of reducing gun violence by (1) doubling existing penalties for crimes perpetrated with a gun; (2) reducing the possibility that criminally-disposed and mentally unstable individuals acquire or retain firearms; and (3) reducing the mass lethality of firearms available to the general public.
JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY
The Supreme Court should be reformed to include more seats.
Strongly Disagree
ABOUT YOU
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?
Choose not to answer
I am a self-styled Progressive Populist. I faithfully follow Jesus' principal mission of bringing "good news to the poor" – i.e. hard-working Americans struggling economically and psychologically to navigate a hostile economy and culture. At the end of the day, I ask what policies best serve the interests of working Oklahomans, living paycheck-to-paycheck. That focus naturally produces a broad, eclectic mix of policy positions - many of which do not line up with current partisan labelling.
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
Government should be limited to (1) securing individual liberty; (2) protecting citizens from each other and foreign enemies; and (3) assuring that our market economy is fair and efficient - free from externalities and monopoly power.
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.
VALUES
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition.
Disagree
Agree that marriage is God-ordained and sacred; and feel it should be available for all who desire that blessing. I believe that homosexuality is a genetically-determined orientation. Given that, our society will be more stable and healthy if we encourage homosexual individuals to pursue and solemnize committed, long-term relationships.
Children are the most vulnerable members of society and must be protected from abuse, including gender ideology, grooming, and bodily mutilation.
Strongly Agree
Taxpayer funds should be used to provide gender transition services.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
My personal faith and spirituality are the essential sources of my worldview and policy choices. My particular religious orientation is that of a Evangelical (Pentecostal) Christian, though in recent years I've developed an increasing appreciation of the role of Christian Tradition in worship and spiritual discipline, and so has come to refer to myself as an Anglican-Pentecostal. Pentecostals have always focused on the possibility of miraculous and transformative change wrought by the power of God’s Spirit working through people. As a disciple of Jesus, I attempt to channel God's Spirit in the world in that manner.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Disagree
The Electoral College should be abolished.
Disagree
EQUALITY
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
Man-made climate change is a global threat and requires urgent political action.
Neutral
Climate change is an existential challenge for America and the world. There is no doubt the planet is warming, and that a substantial part of it is due to human activity. There is plenty we can do, individually and as a nation, to be responsible stewards of our planet. I’m committed to advancing those solutions in Congress; but there’s only so much we can do alone without ceding our economic sovereignty to our global rivals, and consigning our working class to unfair international competition.
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
I favor an “All of the Above” energy policy – maintaining strategic fossil fuel independence while aggressively developing sustainable alternatives (e.g., wind and solar) including new, safe nuclear initiatives.
