Michael Ziomko
Democrat | Minnesota
Candidate Profile
Liberal
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Michael Ziomko
Party
Democrat
Election Year
2024
Election
General
Race
State Rep., Dist. 9A
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Yale University, New Haven, BA, 1971
U of MN, Minneapolis, MA, 2010
WORK & MILITARY
No military experience.
AFFILIATIONS
National Soaring Museum, Director of Development, St John's University and Abbey
Director of Planned Giving, U of MN, Development Officer, Foundation
Basilica of St Mary, Director of Development, Children's Hospital
Director of Development, Fairview and Ebenezer, Development and Director of Development
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
ENDORSEMENTS
LIBERAL (3)
Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party (DFL)
MN DFL - Rural Caucus
NASW-MN Chapter
OTHER (1)
DFL Senior Caucus
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (2)
Rural Caucus
Senior Caucus
OTHER INFORMATION
Michael Ziomko completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024.
Michael Ziomko completed answers in the 411 Voter Guide.
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
By the choice of the woman and/or with the guidance of her doctor.
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.
Neutral
Of course, the drugs, self managed abortion pills, should be safe and made available outside of a clinic. She should be able to receive the pills by mail. It should be a woman's choice if she goes into a clinic..
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Disagree
Abortion providers should be treated as any other medical provider and receive taxpayer funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants.)
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Strongly Agree
This is the choice of the person. VSED (Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking) is another method which does not necessarily require assistance.
ECONOMY
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Neutral
Free enterprise and private property are important, but there is much in a productive economic system that includes other issues -- education and health care are two such examples that are not necessarily part of free enterprise and private property, and they are essential.
What is your position on the minimum wage?
Should be increased to $20/hr
Should environmental and social issues, like ESG (environmental, social, and governance) ratings, be used as criteria in deciding where to invest public monies?
Yes
Environmental and social issues, like ESG ratings, should be used as criteria in deciding where to invest public monies.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
Only as it did for the health of the people, as in Covid. Public health is of paramount importance.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Agree
Individuals and businesses should not discriminate illegally in providing services
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.
A) Universal healthcare should be available to all
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
The government, school, or employer should be allowed to require vaccinations, if such vaccinations protect the health of others in the office, school, or place of work.
NATIONAL SECURITY
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Disagree
Disagree generally, though we should look at it on a case-by-case basis, as circumstances and intelligence warrant.
Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?
Yes. Israel, as the state of the Jewish people, and the Jewish people themselves have been discriminated against for millenia and almost totally wiped out in the Holocaust. They must be protected against anything like that ever happening again. Maintaining the state of Israel is of key importance in this.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Neutral
Securing the border, in my mind, doesn't mean closing it off. I'm sure there is a way for us to secure the border and allow immigration. This is something that we can agree on, as we did, with the bill that Trump pressured his fellow Republicans, who had agreed on it, to set aside. Let's get back to the table!
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
The state should fund public eduction. If parents want private school or homeschool, they should pay for it.
VALUES
Children are the most vulnerable members of society and must be protected from abuse, including gender ideology, grooming, and bodily mutilation.
Neutral
Agreed -- children are the most vulnerable members of society; they must be protected from abuse, including sexual abuse. The children and their parents/families should together make decisions about gender ideology, which if mutually agreed upon is not abuse.
Parents should have the right to make decisions for their minor children.
Agree
Yes, the parents should have the right to make decisions for their minor children, but as I said above -- the parents should listen to their children and include their children in the decisions. The parents should be open to something they might not fully understand or have experience with, if their children want it.
Taxpayer funds should be used to provide gender transition services.
Agree
As with all medical procedures.
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
Marriage is a legal union between two people of any gender -- as defined by the state. The state issues the license and records the marriage. The partners may think of their union as God-ordained, or sacred, but that's not the way it is treated legally, and thinking of it or treating it from a religious point of view is not legally required.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
My spiritual path is personal.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Agree
...though states set such requirements.
States should join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact which makes the Electoral College irrelevant.
Strongly Disagree
We should forget the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. My view is simple -- the Electoral College should be dissolved, and we should elect the President and Vice President by popular vote.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Yes, racism is a threat, as we have seen through our entire history. It clearly undermines freedom, and freedom is our core value as Americans. When freedom is undermined, domestic tranquility is undermined, as we have repeatedly witnessed.
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Agree
We are a fundamentally racist society and have been from the beginning. But we are making strides to correct it and should continue those efforts. Correcting it requires conceding that it exists. Understanding its history is an important part of understanding and correcting it.
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
It seems that when biological males become biological females, they retain certain physical strength advantages. I want to learn more about this before taking an unequivocal position on sports' participation. But regarding women's spaces, generally, biological males who have changed to biological females should be allowed to use them. One exception might be prison -- I would want to learn more before taking a position on this space.
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.
B and D: Climate change is real and requires urgent policy action. This could involve stricter environmental laws and the development of new energy sources such as wind and solar panels -- for the future health of the planet and all living creatures.
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
Wind and solar
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 the way we care for each other, protect each other, and secure our freedom -- both as individuals and as a country.
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
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
I support redirecting funds from police departments to community programs.
Disagree
I support the funding of a variety of response teams, not just police -- but also counselors, for instance. I don't think this necessarily means redirecting funds from the police; I think we should increase funding to include these other professionals. I also support the expanded training of police and the recruitmen of other genders and races, besides white males.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
No more automatic weapons. Citizens should not carry arms, concealed or otherwise, in public. Guns should be kept at home or used for hunting.
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
No
Let's keep guns out of schools
