Matthew R. Hanson
Non-Partisan | Minnesota
Candidate Profile
Originalist (Conditional)
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Matthew R. Hanson
Party
Non-Partisan
Election Year
2024
Election
General
Race
Supreme Court, Seat 6
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Concordia University, Saint Paul, BA
Mitchell Hamline, Saint Paul, Juris Doctor
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
(Candidate did not provide)
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
OTHER INFORMATION
Matthew Hanson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024.
Candidate Statement:
"This week I filed to run for Minnesota Supreme Court Justice. I did so in part because the courts across the country have become politicized and partisan. I intend to bring an even handed, non-partisan jurisprudence to Minnesota's highest court. I filed to run against Karl Procaccini, @GovTimWalz recent appointee. Procaccini, former General counsel and Deputy Chief of Staff for Walz (2019-2023), was a key advisor to Walz during his COVID emergency power declarations which lasted well over a year. Gov. Walz appointing his former lawyer and deputy chief of staff to the Supreme Court raises questions about the independence and impartiality of the appointee in cases involving the governor and the executive branch. I find it incumbent on me to offer Minnesotans a choice this November. Our Constitution specifically provides for judicial elections as an important check on the judiciary to ensure it remains independent and non-partisan. In Minnesota and across this country we need judges that will follow the rule of law and apply it equally without bias. I will pre-judge no case that may come before me; I am committed to ensuring the scales of justice weigh equally and accurately for all. It would be my great honor to be Minnesota's next elected Supreme Court justice. Thank you."
"My name is Matthew R. Hanson and I'm running for Supreme Court in our great state of Minnesota. An independent judiciary is essential for upholding the rule of law, protecting individual rights, and ensuring a fair and impartial legal system free from undue influence or political interference."
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Was Dobbs v. Jackson rightly decided according to the text of the Constitution? Please explain.
“The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives“
I support a right to accelerate ending a human life.
Disagree
Human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death.
Agree
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States.
Strongly Agree
VALUES
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
Nicene Creed
What is your view of parental rights regarding the upbringing of children, specifically education and sexual "identity"?
Did not answer
I support "gender identity" as a specially protected class. Please explain.
Strongly Disagree
What do you believe to be true about the human condition?
Did not answer
EQUALITY
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT).
Strongly Disagree
ABOUT YOU
What, if any, church or organizations do you belong to?
LCMS
I voted in these primaries and general elections:
Did not answer
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.
No
Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.
No
Would you describe your judicial philosophy as originalist, living constitutionalist, or something else? Please explain.
Originalist.
JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY
Which current or past U.S. Supreme Court justice best reflects your judicial philosophy?
Clarence Thomas
Is there a separation of church and state in the Constitution? Please explain.
Section 16 of Article XIII of the Minnesota Constitution states: "No money shall be drawn from the treasury for the benefit of any religious sect, religious denomination, or theological seminary." This provision is intended to maintain the separation of church and state and prevent public funds from being used to support religious institutions.
Should courts address threats to religious liberty in the United States? If so, how?
If unlawful yes.
Was Obergefell v. Hodges rightly decided according to the text of the Constitution? Please explain.
Thomas’ dissent makes some great arguments.
Was Bostock v. Clayton County rightly decided under the law? Please explain.
Did not answer
I agree that “the custody, care and nurture of the child reside first in the parents, whose primary function and freedom include preparation for obligations the state can neither supply nor hinder.” (Troxel v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57, 65-66 (2000); quoting Prince v. Massachusetts, 321 U.S. 158, 166 (1944).
Agree
What should a judge do when legislative texts and court precedents dictate different results?
Did not answer
When should a judge overturn past court decisions?
Did not answer
When, if ever, should a judge take popular opinion or the social views of the majority into consideration?
Did not answer
Do you believe the meaning of the Constitution changes over time, absent changes through the amendment process of Article V?
No
What do you believe is the single most important quality a judge should possess?
Discernment
If you are an incumbent judge, describe a recent instance in which you acted to preserve your judicial independence. If you are an aspiring judge, how do you plan to remain independent if elected to the bench?
With the help of God.
2ND AMENDMENT
The right to bear arms is fundamental and must be protected.
Strongly Agree
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Which branch of government do you believe was intended to wield the most authority?
Executive.
How should the court address public health and individual freedoms in the time of a public health emergency?
Freedom over fear
