Gary Wester
Democrat | Missouri
Candidate Profile
Liberal
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Gary Wester
Party
Democrat
Election Year
2024
Election
General
Race
State Representative, Dist. 107
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
University of Missouri, St Louis, MS, 1992
University of Missouri, St Louis, BA, 1988
University of Missouri, Columbia, BA, 1975
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
St Charles Democratic Central Committee, Member, University of Missouri Extension - St Charles County
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Missouri House of Representatives District 102
ENDORSEMENTS
LIBERAL (5)
Planned Parenthood Advocates in Missouri
Sierra Club Missouri Chapter
Missouri AFL-CIO
Pro-Choice Missouri
Every Town For Gun Safety
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (7)
MIssouri AFL-CIO
Tri-County Labor Legislative Club
314 Action
Sierra Club
Planned Parenthood Great Rivers
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (3)
State Democratic Party Organizations (2024)
Local, County, and District Democratic Organizations (2022)
Elad Gross (2020)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (10)
Amanda Taylor (2024)
Cheryl Hibbeler (2024)
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (2024)
International Brotherhood of Teamsters (2024)
International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (2024)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
Every person should have the autonomy to make decisions about their body and their life and abortion should be allowed in the case of incest or rape or when the life of the mother or fetus is in peril or up to fetal viability
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.
Disagree
Medical dispensing decisions and reporting adverse events from taking a medication should be left to the FDA to regulate.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Neutral
At this time, Planned Parenthood cannot receive payment from the federal government and if the law changes then I will support that decision.
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Strongly Agree
Only for terminally ill patients under hospice care
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 Missouri minimum wage was last changed in 2008, when it was raised $5.65 from $6.65 to $12.30. This is greater than the Federal Minimum Wage of $7.25. The minimum wage in Missouri is not a livable wage and should be increased.
Should environmental and social issues, like ESG (environmental, social, and governance) ratings, be used as criteria in deciding where to invest public monies?
Choose not to answer
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
As long as the government maintains a neutral approach, addresses an objectively serious threat , and does not use that threat as pretext for targeting disfavored religious entities, then churches, synagogues, mosques, and other religious bodies cannot claim unconstitutional discrimination.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Choose not to answer
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 Healthcare insurance funded by the government (including the ACA, Medicaid and Medicare) should be available for all who qualify for it, along with private healthcare options.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
Government, schools, or employers have legal authority to impose vaccination requirement for fully approved vaccines.
NATIONAL SECURITY
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?
Israel is our strongest ally in the Middle East providing intelligence on terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and Middle Eastern politics. Israel’s experience has shaped the United States approach to counterterrorism and homeland security.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
There was a bi-partisan deal in the senate that would have strengthened our national security abroad and along our borders; however, it died in the House when it was tabled without debated. Congress needs to get their act together and work for the good of the nation.
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
Every Missouri child should have access to free, quality public education regardless of their zip code. I have a parochial education that my parents paid for yet, my father always voted to increase the property tax to fund schools. Parents already have the freedom to choose their child's school and private schools should not be funded with taxpayers dollars at the expense of our public schools.
VALUES
Children are the most vulnerable members of society and must be protected from abuse, including gender ideology, grooming, and bodily mutilation.
Disagree
The question includes too many variables. I disagree with the statement. No child is allowed to physically change gender until the age of adulthood.
Parents should have the right to make decisions for their minor children.
Strongly Agree
Taxpayer funds should be used to provide gender transition services.
Strongly Agree
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
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
Raised a Catholic
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Disagree
States should join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact which makes the Electoral College irrelevant.
Strongly Agree
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Yes All people are to be treated fairly
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Choose not to answer
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.
Neutral
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) Climate change is real and requires urgent policy action.
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
To supply the growing demand for electricity will require a combination of solar, wind, hydroelectric, nuclear, and battery along with updated transmission lines.
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?
To provide an infrastructure and protection so that the populace can thrive.
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?
Liberal
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
I support redirecting funds from police departments to community programs.
Agree
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Keep guns out of the wrong hands (background checks, red flag laws, report lost or stolen guns, waiting period for purchase),prohibit open carry, prohibit carrying in sensitive areas, keep guns out of schools, hold the gun industry accountable, prohibit assault weapons and dangerous hardware.
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
No
