Josh Burns
Republican | Michigan
Candidate Profile
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
EDUCATION
Candidate did not provide
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Executive Committee (Precinct Delegate), Ingham County Republican Party, 2024-2026
Executive Committee (At-Large Member), Eaton County Republican Party, 2026-2026
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Michigan State Senate, District 21, 2026-2026
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?
Never. Life begins at conception; mother and child have equal value. In rare cases where the mother’s life is in mortal danger (e.g. ectopic pregnancy), treat to save the mother and do everything possible to preserve the child’s life - never intentionally kill the child. Rape, incest, and disability do not justify abortion.
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.
Strongly Agree
IVF can be ethical if limited to creating only the embryos intended for implantation (one or two), not surplus embryos created to be discarded. We should also look at criminalizing scientific testing on live human embryos.
The Comstock Act, which bans interstate transportation of abortion-inducing drugs, should be enforced.
Agree
Outside my direct authority as a state legislator, but I support protecting unborn life and would look favorably on that goal.
ECONOMY
What is your position on the minimum wage?
Oppose increases, revisit rigid mandates that price out entry-level workers. Wages should be set by the market, not government mandates that discourage hiring and penalize businesses for trying to grow.
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Agree
List your top 3-5 priorities to eliminate government waste.
Efficiency audit and cut redundant bureaucracy End funding for ideological/political activism Require measurable results for major spending Reduce regulatory costs on small businesses Eliminate wasteful special-interest carve-outs
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
Separation of church and state means the government cannot establish a religion or force anyone to worship. That does not mean people of faith must abandon their convictions in public life — and it does not mean government itself cannot be guided by Christian morals and principles.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
Disagree. Businesses and individuals should not be forced to provide speech, ceremonies, or services that violate their moral or religious convictions. A free enterprise economy depends on voluntary exchange, not government compelling private citizens to participate in acts that go against their conscience. Mandating service on hot-button social issues turns the marketplace into a tool of political coercion. Michigan needs free enterprise and freedom of conscience, not compelled speech/commerce.
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.
Closest view - C, with potential serious reform and evaluation or even privatization of parts of Medicare and Medicaid.
The government should keep a database of people with various ongoing medical illnesses to assess the economic burden of treatment.
Strongly Disagree
Government should not maintain a database of people’s medical conditions to judge the “economic burden” of treating them. Medical privacy matters, and human beings are not line items on a government spreadsheet.
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?
Yes. The US - Israel relationship matters. We share important security interests -- including intelligence cooperation and counterterrorism -- and America should maintain strong partnerships where our interests align. Like any alliance, it should serve the American people and be grounded in mutual benefit.
IMMIGRATION
I support the existence of sanctuary cities to protect undocumented persons.
Strongly Disagree
Cities and officials are not above the law. Sanctuary policies that deliberately obstruct federal immigration enforcement undermine the rule of law. Local governments that choose to defy federal statute should be prepared to face legal consequences - not rewarded for it.
EDUCATION
I support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and giving control back to states and communities.
Agree
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
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.
Strongly Agree
Marriage is God’s design; government does not redefine it.
I support the expansion of gambling in my state.
Disagree
I do not support expanding gambling in Michigan. The state already profits from lottery tickets, scratch-offs, and casino arrangements while restricting others - a clear double standard. Government should not pick winners and losers in vice. Until Michigan ends that hypocrisy and applies one consistent standard, I won't entertain the thought of expansion whatsoever.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
Christian. Every human being is made in God’s image; life is sacred; family and faith come before government, and government exists at the pleasure of its citizens.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
Photo ID is a basic safeguard for election integrity -- the same kind of identification people routinely use for banking, flying, and many everyday transactions. If government requires an ID to vote, that ID should be available to citizens at no cost. Secure elections and free access to required identification can, and should, go together.
EQUALITY
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
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.
Agree
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Man-made climate change is a global threat and requires urgent political action.
Disagree
Humans can harm local environments, and we have a duty to steward the land -- up to and including cracking down on toxic pollution. I reject using “climate change” as a political tool for radical mandates that raise costs and hurt families.
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
Nuclear. It is the most reliable large-scale source we have — U.S. plants produce power about 90% of the time at near full production, far above wind and solar, and deliver steady electricity around the clock.
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?
Conservative
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?
Protect the public, deter crime, and rehabilitate. The system should not turn one-time offenders into lifelong criminals. People who serve time should leave more experienced, educated, and capable than when they entered - with real skills they can use -- not warehoused in a cell for years and dumped back on the street with no trade skills or expertise.
Government has a responsibility to protect children from sexual exploitation during online activities.
Agree
Serious care is needed however, in how we do this without limiting lawful freedoms.
Sharia law should not be accepted or incorporated in any form within the legal framework of the United States.
Agree
America rests on natural law and constitutional rights, not on any religion writing the civil code. Separation of church and state means the government does not elevate religion-explicit law above the Constitution. Incorporating Sharia would erase that boundary and replace equal protection under one law with a religious legal system.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
None beyond recognizing adulthood. If the government recognizes you as an adult, the Constitution protects your right to keep and bear arms. That right can not be infringed -- concealed or open carried, regardless of size, caliber or feature.
