Brandon N. Givens
Other | Virginia
Candidate Profile
Leans Liberal
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Brandon N. Givens
Party
Other
Election Year
2025
Election
General & School Board
Race
House of Delegates, Dist. 11
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Brenau University, Gainesville, GA, Specialist in Education
University of Central Arkansas, Conway, Arkansas, B.A. Psychology
University of Phoenix, Master of Special Education
American College of Education, Master of Educational Leadership
WORK & MILITARY
Army Reserves, E-4, 1997-2005
AFFILIATIONS
Georgia Association of Educators, Board of Directors, 2011-2014
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Virginia House of Delegates District 11
OTHER INFORMATION
Brandon Givens pledges to support Congressional Term Limits.
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Abortion should be allowed in all circumstances up until the 6th month. At the 6th month forward it should be allowed if the pregnancy is not viable or the pregnancy endangers the life or health of the mother.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Disagree
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Strongly Agree
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
Federally, Capital Gains tax rates and income tax rates should be equal. We need tax brackets based on the wealth scale. Just as people without property shouldn't pay property tax, people with low incomes should not pay tax on their income. The cap on Social Security Wages should be eliminated. There should be no income or capital gains taxes on the first $191,403 made. $191,403 puts someone in the top 10% of income. Income from $191,403 to $787,712 should be taxed at 20%. $787,712, a year puts someone in the top 1%. The next bracket should be $787,712 to $7,000,000 and taxed at 30%. That bracket covers from the top 1% to the top 0.01%. Anything over $7,000,000 a year should be taxed at 40% or an X rate with X being whatever is necessary to balance the budget. The law should be written so that the brackets adjust with inflation or deflation and stay pegged to wealth percentages. We should consider a national VAT to be in line with what other nations are doing and make sure we aren't giving unfair accidental trade tax advantages. The VAT should be given directly to the States. This also makes a lot of sense in a world of so much online trade. Payment in stock should be considered income and taxed at the same percentage as income. There should also be a wealth ad valorem tax on wealth held over $100,000,000. This is to avoid the issue of the hyper elite borrowing money continually so they avoid income taxes.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
Much of it should be about spending smarter and avoiding overlap. Why do 50 states have Medicaid when one universal system of Medicare would be cheaper and more effective.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Agree
Yes, and there should be alternative graduation pathways as well. Student wishing to graduate at 16 and move to a technical field should have a pathway to do so. College should be taxpayer funded and based on merit based admission.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Neutral
It really depends on the situation. Pharmacists should provide any legally prescribed medication. Healthcare is a private affair between a doctor and patient. However, a Jewish caterer shouldn't be required to cater an event where they must make non-kosher items.
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
Under the same circumstances any building would be closed, for example evacuations due to fires, floods, or chemical leaks.
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 advocate for Medicare for All. All should have access to medicare but private options should also be available.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
When there is a safe, proven vaccine against a deadly communicable disease, such as measles, meningitis or polio and the CDC recommends it.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
Undermine Iran. Promote free thought around the world. Provide clean water to communities that lack it and other soft power initiatives. Allow victims of religious oppression to seek refuge in the US.
I support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement to pressure Israel to withdraw from occupied territories, remove the separation barrier in the West Bank, allow full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees.
Disagree
I support a two state solution. I believe that Israel should withdraw from the occupied territories whenever doing so would not harm their security. I do believe that Arab citizens of Israel should have equal rights and Palestinian refugees should have their human rights recognized.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
The existence of a nation depend upon its ability to control its border.
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
I support a points based system for immigration. Points should be based on education, skills, language ability, how much money the person has to set up in the US. We should also consider a 6 month on 6 month off work visa for farm and seasonal workers from Latin America and the Caribbean. It should not be tied to a specific job to both reduce paperwork and abuse. The applicant needs to pass a background check, pay a bond and then they can come and work in the US for 6 months at a time.
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Neutral
I don't mind voucher based school choice in principle. Yet, my observation of school choice in the US has been to take public tax money and hand it over to private companies for poorer results than the public schools. I think it wiser to bring discipline and curriculum variety back to public schools, which is a large reason why people want these vouchers anyway.
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Disagree
Systems of limited government exist outside of Judeo-Christianity. Japan and South Korea would be the two that come to mind. The birthplace of Democracy was pagan Greece.
I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
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.
Disagree
A religion has every right to define its sacraments or beliefs. A government should never tell a church what marriages they must recognize within their halls. However, marriage also exists as a civil institution and may have different definitions or components that may not be biblically acceptable, for example divorce.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I'm an atheist. Here's a story to sum up my spiritual beliefs. A Rabbi was asked why God made atheists. He said, "When an atheist gives charity, visits the sick, helps the needy, and cares for the world, he is not doing it because of a religious teaching. He does not believe God told him too. He does not believe in God. His acts are based on an inner sense of morality. He is kind because he feels it to be right. He believes that since there is no God, he must act because God isn't there to act. This means that when someone asks for help, you should never only say "I'll pray for you". Instead, you should become an atheist, imagine that since there is no God to help, you must become the one to help.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Disagree
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
We should have open primaries and ranked choice voting.
EQUALITY
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Neutral
That's a gross simplification of what CRT is saying. Worded like that I disagree but many of our institutions have a history of racism and some likely continue to function under that influence.
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
If it leads to riots and other such problems yes.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Disagree
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Which comes closest to your view? A) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy. B) Stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost.
B
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Agree
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
Insure domestic tranquility, establish justice, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty.
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?
Moderate
I have beliefs across the political spectrum about different things.
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
At present I have nothing available. You can look at my social media posts.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
No
What else would you like voters to know about you, including your legislative priorities?
As the federal government steps back the states should step up.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Agree
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Disagree
We need more such funds, but the police should not be cut to provide them.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
People should have to pass a firearms licensing exam to own one. Purchases should be made through licensed dealers only. People should be required to have civil liability insurance on their firearms.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Disagree
