Joshua S. Higgins
Republican | Illinois
Candidate Profile*
Conservative
*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Joshua S. Higgins
Party
Republican
Election Year
2026
Election
Republican Primary
Race
General Assembly, District 94
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Candidate did not provide
WORK & MILITARY
USAF, SSgt, 2007-2019
AFFILIATIONS
2022-2023
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Precinct Committeeman, 2022-2024
School Board, 2023-2025
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
State Representative 94th district, 2025-
Race
Previous Races
ENDORSEMENTS*
*These endorsements were received after the deadline and were not considered in the Panel Evaluations and are for additional educational purposes only.
CONSERVATIVE (1)
*Illinois Family Action
OTHER INFORMATION
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
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
When the health of the mother is in question.
Human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death.
Strongly Agree
The lives of human embryos created through artificial methods ought to be protected from purposeful destruction.
Choose not to answer
Need to do more research on this topic.
iVoterGuide Notes:
After candidate evaluations were complete, candidate indicated that his preferred response to this question is that he is: "totally against" the destruction of human embryos.
The Comstock Act, which bans interstate transportation of abortion-inducing drugs, should be enforced.
Choose not to answer
I need to do more research on this act, but I have an issue with the government having too much power.
iVoterGuide Notes:
After candidate evaluations were complete, candidate indicated that his preferred response to this question is that he is: "Totally against [the] Comstock Act."
ECONOMY
What is your position on the minimum wage?
No minimum wage, it prevents voluntary exchange.
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
List your top 3-5 priorities to eliminate government waste.
1. End whole categories/departments in federal government. 2. Enact local control, devolve federal power to states, localities, and markets. 3. Impose hard fiscal restraints along with slashing regulations.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
It means the federal government cannot create or endorse an official national church, nor unite religious authority with political authority in a single state backed church leader.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
Nobody should be forced by the government to provide any service.
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.
C, but Medicare and Medicaid should be closely monitored and the information within should be constantly scrutinized.
The government should keep a database of people with various ongoing medical illnesses to assess the economic burden of treatment.
Choose not to answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
After candidate evaluations were complete, candidate indicated that his preferred response to this question is: "I do not want the government to have a database for medical illnesses."
NATIONAL SECURITY
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Agree
Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?
I generally support Israel’s right to exist and defend itself, but opposes using U.S. government power and tax dollars to manage Israel’s security or region-wide politics.
IMMIGRATION
I support the existence of sanctuary cities to protect undocumented persons.
Strongly Disagree
I believe in legal immigration with strict background checks.
EDUCATION
I support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and giving control back to states and communities.
Strongly Agree
Illinois would be at a bit of a disadvantage because our state leaders don’t believe in school choice, but the department of education has provided little over the years as it pertains to helping k-12 students.
Foreign governments should be prohibited from funding American education.
Agree
VALUES
Government should recognize and support the fundamental right and essential duty of parents to direct their child's health and educational well-being.
Strongly Agree
Parents should have primary authority over their children’s healthcare decisions, with government limited to stopping clear abuse or neglect, not substituting its judgment for loving families.
Attempts to physically or socially transition a child to the opposite sex constitute child abuse.
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.
Agree
Marriage has always meant the union of one man and one woman in my view, rooted in biology, family formation, and the best environment for raising children. That definition can be held firmly while still treating every person with dignity and respecting adults’ freedom to make private choices in their own lives.
I support the expansion of gambling in my state.
Neutral
Adults should be free to gamble, but government should not promote, depend on, or aggressively expand it for revenue.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I am a Christian man. My values are directly tied to my Christian faith.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
EQUALITY
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
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
I believe God calls us to wisely steward the earth He created, and humans can and should do better. At the same time, there is so much money and politics wrapped up in the climate change agenda that it is hard to fully trust the data or the proposed “solutions.”
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
Nuclear
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?
Very Conservative
I’m someone who combines strong support for individual liberty and small government with traditional moral or cultural values. I want the state to be limited mainly to protecting life, liberty, and property, while families, churches, and communities handle most moral and social questions.
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
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
What should be the goal of the criminal justice system?
The main goal of the criminal justice system should be to protect people’s rights. Life, liberty and property.
Government has a responsibility to protect children from sexual exploitation during online activities.
Strongly Agree
Sharia law should not be accepted or incorporated in any form within the legal framework of the United States.
Strongly Agree
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Restrictions on gun ownership for public safety should be minimal, tightly targeted to true threats, and not burden the rights of peaceful, law abiding adults.
