Matt Woodside
Republican | Florida
Candidate Profile
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
EDUCATION
Florida Community College at Jacksonville, Jacksonville, AA, 2000-2002
University of Central Florida, Orlando, BS, 2002-2005
WORK & MILITARY
Brevard Public Schools, Teacher, Athletic Coach, 2006-2026
Brevard Public Schools, Athletic Director, 2008-2026
AFFILIATIONS
First Baptist Church of Merritt Island, Member, 1987-2026
First Baptist Church of Merritt Island, Worship Team Volunteer, 2010-2026
First Baptist Church of Merritt Island, Youth Group Volunteer, 2008-2014
First Baptist Church of Merritt Island, Personnel Team Member, 2022-2025
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
None
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
None
ENDORSEMENTS
CONSERVATIVE (1)
Florida Family Action
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Megan Wright
OTHER INFORMATION
Fox News article - Florida teacher rips school district's gender policies: 'Exact opposite of loving and safe'. July 2022.
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
Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers should be completely defunded by the government.
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
I do not support elective abortions under any circumstances.
Human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death.
Strongly Agree
I believe every life from the moment of conception is an intentional miracle created in the image of God with inherent dignity and purpose and is therefore due the protections personhood requires. I am therefore against physician's assisted suicide as well.
The lives of human embryos created through artificial methods ought to be protected from purposeful destruction.
Strongly Agree
The Comstock Act, which bans interstate transportation of abortion-inducing drugs, should be enforced.
Strongly Agree
ECONOMY
What is your position on the minimum wage?
The purpose of minimum wage should be to guard against labor-exploitation and be used as a stepping stone for entry-level and low-skill workers to join the workforce. It should not be a tool to engineer middle-class living standards.
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. Crack down on entitlement fraud through enhanced verification 2. Mandatory independent audits of all major programs 3. Broader implementation of zero-based budgeting for every state agency
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
What does "separation of church and state" mean to you?
Separation of church and state protects the ability of citizens to freely exercise their faith privately and publicly. And while it guards against the establishment of a national religion, it was not meant to silence faith-based voices in the public square. From our founding, faith-based voices and perspectives have always helped shape public policy and form our national character.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
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
The government should keep a database of people with various ongoing medical illnesses to assess the economic burden of treatment.
Strongly Disagree
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 one of our most important international relationships. They are our strongest ally in the Middle East against Islamic terrorism and other threats to Western civilization. Israel is the only true democracy in the region, sharing our commitment to individual liberty, the rule of law, and a respect for Judeo-Christian heritage. Their leadership in defense and advancements in cybersecurity, medicine, agriculture and water technology directly benefit the United States as well.
IMMIGRATION
I support the existence of sanctuary cities to protect undocumented persons.
Strongly Disagree
Sanctuary cities are a violation of the rule of law as they deliberately shield illegal immigrants from federal immigration enforcement. I oppose the existence of sanctuary cities and support the denial of state funding to any city or county that refuses to comply with federal immigration law.
EDUCATION
I support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and giving control back to states and communities.
Strongly Agree
Since its inception in 1979, U.S. Department of Education spending has skyrocketed and student achievement has stagnated. America continues to lab behind other nations. Education belongs with parents, teachers, and local communities, not Washington bureaucrats.
Foreign governments should be prohibited from funding American education.
Agree
Allowing any funding from adversarial nations is a direct threat to national security, academic integrity, and national sovereignty. American education should serve American interests. Allowing any foreign aide, even from friendly nations threatens to compromise this mission. Any aide must be met with full transparency and lowered reporting thresholds to ensure American interests are not being compromised.
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
It is not the government's role to parent America's children. Parents have the inherent right and responsibility to direct the upbringing, health, and education of their child, and government has the responsibility to protect the rights of parents.
Attempts to physically or socially transition a child to the opposite sex constitute child abuse.
Strongly Agree
I completely oppose any so-called "gender-affirming care". Such practices are abusive and often irreversible.
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
I support the expansion of gambling in my state.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
I believe the Bible is God's inerrant Word, and it defines what is right and true. I believe in the Trinity - God the Father, Jesus his Son, and the Holy Spirit. I believe God created the world and everything in it through his Son, Jesus. I believe sin entered the world through Adam's sin in the garden. I believe God sent his Son, Jesus into the world to die for the sins of mankind, and those who put their faith in Jesus will be saved from their sins, receive the Holy Spirit, and have eternal life. I believe the most important things in life are that we come to know God and make Him known. As a follower of Christ, I'm called to live like Jesus, serving others out of love, speaking the truth in love, and preaching the gospel to the world.
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
Biological males have a clear physical advantage over females. Allowing them to participate in female sports threatens the safety, dignity, and accomplishments of female athletes. As an educator, I risked my job to lead a two-year fight against our district's harmful gender restrooms policies that were endangering our students and alienating our parents. I exposed these policies nationwide, rallied our parents, and fought all the way to the state capitol. And praise God, we won that battle.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Man-made climate change is a global threat and requires urgent political action.
Strongly Disagree
What do you believe is the most reliable energy source that will supply the growing demand for electricity?
Nuclear power is by far the most reliable source of energy. American should expand nuclear power, including the use of small modular reactors while utilizing natural gas as the bridge fuel.
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 am a Christian Constitutional 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?
The goal of the criminal justice system is to protect law-abiding citizens by deterring crime, holding offenders accountable, and promoting public safety while respecting the rule of law, individual rights, and the dignity of each person.
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?
I believe in our 2nd Amendment, constitutional carry, and the right of our law-abiding citizens to defend themselves. I believe we need to strictly enforce the laws we already have in place, prosecute violent criminals, and keep guns out of the hands of felons, domestic abusers, and the dangerously mentally ill. I do not support new restrictions, such as assault weapons bans. These laws punish law-abiding gun owners while criminals ignore them.
