Heather-Marie Wilson

Neutral

Abortion should be a decision between a woman and her medical personnel. It should be allowed in cases of rape, incest, and medical emergencies without question. I do not judge others who had an abortion to end an unwanted pregnancy as I don't know what they experienced to reach that point of crisis. There needs to be more non-judgmental conversations and tangible support offered women who are looking for options and answers. Access to contraceptives would make elective abortions rarely needed.

Agree

While I understand why multiple embryos are fertilized for efficiency, I have problems with the morality of it. I think one way to minimize this practice would be for non-profit prolife organizations to help offset the cost difference for those who are using IVF and don't have the finances to go the ethical route.

Abortion should be allowed for rape, incest, and medical purposes for the mother and for unborn child fetal pathologies. The hardest section of study during my Ph.D. training was fetal pathologies. The heartache of mothers who want their children but out of necessity had to terminate their pregnancies before term is soul crushing. I prefer that elective abortions be rare and I prefer the decision to be left to the woman and her medical personnel.

Neutral

I think Planned Parenthood should receive taxpayer funds for services that prevent pregnancies to minimize the need for abortions. However, if they want to provide abortions as a service, they should have a separate non-taxpayer funded account set up for donors to contribute. Taxpayers should not be put into a position where a portion of their taxes are paying for an elective procedure that violates their freedom of religion and is in direct conflict with their belief system.

Neutral

I do not like mail order because I worry about women taking mifepristone without any doctor supervision. Mifepristone is ineffective for ectopic pregnancies (~2% of all pregnancies), which, if undetected, can be life-threatening. Other risks include incomplete abortion/heavy bleeding (~1% without intervention may develop hypovolemic shock). Using mifepristone outside of doctor supervision can elevate a near zero risk to an unknown but estimated to be greater than 1-2% for a serious outcome.

Strongly Agree

Economic success occurs when there are private property rights, voluntary exchange, the freedom to compete, and profit incentive. This combination creates motivation, innovation, and fair competition, thus making both the economy and society more productive and prosperous.

Strongly Disagree

High wage earners are already paying higher taxes. People with higher income should be allowed to use what they earned as they see fit. Philanthropic donations by high earners contribute to our communities in many other unseen ways, be it through non-profits organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs, the fine arts (symphonies/ballet/opera/folk art festivals/etc.), local sports teams. Driving away high earners actually hurts working families who become the replacement source for the lost tax revenue.

Agree

The motto used for hiking and camping should be applied to government finances. Leave it better than you found it. We should strive to leave our government finances in a healthier state than left to us for the next generations.

1. Accountability. Every department, agency, NGO needs to submit progress reports on a quarterly basis in order to continue receiving their grants. There must be consequences. I had to do this when I was working on CDMRP and DOD grants. It was not a hardship and ensured I achieve results. 2. Government wastes a lot of time and money on studies rather than achievement. Place emphasis on achieving set goals. 3. Reduce redundancy. Consolidate and/or improve coordination among programs.

Disagree

Our country was founded on religious freedom. Protecting this right is important. That being said, there are some exceptions that are dependent on the types of services provided. Is it critical, life saving measures, like a medically necessary abortion? It should be provided. Is it an elective abortion? The doctor should not have to provide such services. Any non-life threatening services that goes against an individual's or business' belief should not be required.

People should be allowed to practice their faith, but they should not be allowed to enforce their belief system on others. In the Gospels (Matt. 22:15, Mark 12:13, Luke 20:20), religious leaders asked Jesus about Roman taxes as a gotcha question. His response indicates the idea of us living in the earthly realm of laws, taxes and civic duties AND the spiritual realm of conscience, morality, and faith. To me, it means that I will fulfill my civic obligations but my ultimate identity is for God.

Medicaid & Medicare should remain available AND healthcare should be provided for under 18-year-olds or until graduated from high school (cap at 19 years old). These two populations are vulnerable. Children don't choose the circumstances to which they are born. The first decades of life are critical to adult health so by providing uniform healthcare to minors to prevent early disease formation, healthcare costs will be reduced during adult life. It should be implemented at a state level.

Strongly Disagree

I am a firm NO on a database. Medical diagnosis does not always correlate with disability. It can lead to discrimination in the workplace. When I was the leader of an arthritis support group, I could predict who would end up on disability and it had nothing to do with diagnosis but rather the patients' mindset: victim, survivor, or thriver. The placebo effect is real. I could see the database becoming an invasion of privacy to those who have real medical needs but worked hard to overcome.

C) The US should not be the world's policeman. That said, we should step in when Americans are being targeted and killed, and when tyranny in other countries has a direct effect on the US.

Strongly Agree

I work in biotech and intellectual property theft is a real concern. The Chinese Communist Party poses a serious threat at multiple levels to the US. I do differentiate between the CCP (government) and the people. I have many close friends, colleagues, and mentors who immigrated to the US from China. While I am not fond of the CCP government, I appreciate the Chinese culture.

The US relationship with Israel is important from a strategic point of view as it was at one time as our strongest and most reliable ally in the region. US partnerships with other governments in the region (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, Joran, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman) are making Israel less critical. However, seeing the rise of antisemitism throughout the world, it underscores the constant threat to the Jewish population and their need for a place where they can protect themselves.

Strongly Agree

Most Muslim-majority governments treat Islamic extremist groups as a national-security threat, not a religious issue. We need to be doing the same in the US. These countries include Saudi Arabia (the birthplace of Islam), Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan and Iraq. Saudi Arabia has the largest deradicalization program, Munasaha. Most Muslim-majority nations either ban, restrict, or suppress in the Muslim Brotherhood for distorting Islamic teachings, politicizing religion, and harming unity.

Anyone who passes security screening should be allowed to immigrate to the US as long as they follow US laws, has a culture/belief system that is not in conflict with American values, and does not strive to suppress the rights of American citizens. I do have issue with people who come and don't want to assimilate and want to force their value system on Americans. As a woman, I worry about some of the restrictive interpretations of Sharia law which seems dependent on country of origin.

Neutral

Should we help all in need? Yes. However, our government's priority should be to help American citizens first. Sanctuary cities create a strain on local services. We have many Americans, including US veterans, living on the streets while the city priority seems to be on providing services to undocumented people. The other aspect of sanctuary cities that I do not like is the constant political tension and legal battles (lawsuits, funding threats, and political conflicts with federal government).

Agree

Every state has unique needs. The one-size-fits-all provided by the federal government guidelines did not result in consistent results nationwide. The US Dept of Education added bureaucracy and cost without providing a single hour of teaching in the classroom. Local districts ended up spending more time and money meeting federal requirements, including unfunded mandates, instead of improving instruction. Local control allows states and communities to adapt to local culture and tailor programs.

Strongly Agree

US education should reflect American values, not foreign political interests. Foreign funding poses national security risks by gaining access to sensitive technologies, influencing research, cultivating political leverage, suppressing criticism of their country, restricting speakers/events, promoting propaganda, etc. Our schools should be focused on teaching American civic values, community expectation, national interests, and protecting academic freedom.

Neutral

There are individuals with true gender dysphoria. The Cass Review, published in April 2024 by Dr. Hilary Cass, concluded medical inventions were not justified for widespread use without better data. Gender services did not adequately address the complex mental-health needs that included high rates of autism, depression, anxiety, trauma, and neurodiversity. The report suggested psychosocial support, not medical treatment, until better evidence of quality, safety, and clinical standards are met.

Neutral

The reality is that marriage carries legal consequences and because we have separation of church and state, the government cannot base its definition on religious doctrine. The government must protect equal access to civil institutions. I always thought we should have separated the civil marriage from the religious ceremonies as is done in most European countries as the practice is rooted in the principle of church-state independence.

The heart of Lutheran theology is that we are saved by God's grace alone, received through faith alone, based on Scripture alone. My faith with God is personal and I try to live my life as best I can so when I meet God in person, I won't be totally embarrassed by my behavior on earth. All sins are equal in separating us from God. Pointing fingers at others' lifestyle when I also fall short would be looking at the speck in someone's eye, ignoring the log. I bring others to God most through how I treat people and live my life. I am open about my faith, but I never impose it on others. I believe in righteous judgement: discernment, protecting the vulnerable, upholding moral truth, and correction done in love.

Strongly Disagree

We have to use photo ID for everything else in life: employment, drivers license, gym membership, doctors appointments, etc. It is not hard to get a photo ID and I find the whole argument carries the soft bigotry of low expectations towards women and minorities. Frankly, it's insulting. If cost really is a factor, people who already qualify for government assistant programs should get their voter ID when they get approved for the assistant programs.

Strongly Agree

Intact biological males should not be allowed in biological women's spaces. The CDC National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey showed: 36% of US women experienced contact sexual violence (rape, sexual coercion, unwanted touching); 47% experienced psychological aggression by a male partner; 31% experienced physical violence by a male intimate partner. It is understandable why this is 80/20 issue. Women need safe spaces, especially places where undressing is involved.

Nuclear fission energy (light-water reactors) is currently the most reliable energy source. The downside is the long-live radioactive waste. In the future, I hope we will have many choices of nuclear fusion energy which are currently in development.

No

No

Moderate

My faith and my respect for scientific evidence shape how I make decisions. I choose to remain independent of political parties because I want my judgment to remain unbiased and grounded in principle, not partisanship.

Strongly Agree

Government can play a helpful role in protecting children by using a combinational approach that uses law (mandatory reporting, stronger penalties for offenders), platform regulation (built in child-safety features), education (parent training, public awareness), safety-by-design technology (uses AI detection), and cybercrime units specializing in child protection.

I support constitutional gun rights, and I’m committed to preserving the right to keep and bear arms. However, anyone purchasing a gun should be required to demonstrate that they can handle it safely. Along with the required federal background check, it would benefit both society and the gun owner to pass a one time gun safety exam before taking possession of a firearm.