

Ant L Thornton
Republican | New Mexico
Candidate Profile
Conservative
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Ant L Thornton
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
Primary
Race
Lt. Governor
Incumbent
No
EDUCATION
Purdue University, W. Lafayette, Ph.D., 1992
Stanford University, Palo Alto, M.S., 1980
University of Colorado, Boulder, B.S., 1978
WORK & MILITARY
USN-Reserve, Lieutenant, 7
AFFILIATIONS
Republican Party of Bernalillo County, 2021- 1st Vice Chair, United Way Campaign Chair
2012 - Employee Caring Program for Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement, Inc, Board Member, 1995-1997
National Atomic Museum, Board of Trustees, 1995-1997, Purdue University’s School of Aeronautics & Astronautics,
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
1st Vice Chair Bernalillo County, 2021
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
NM State Senate District 19, 2016
ENDORSEMENTS
CONSERVATIVE (2)
Gregg Schmedes
Stefani Lord
OTHER (2)
James Strickler
Oil & Gas Workers Association
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (9)
Jay Block - 2022 NM Gubernatorial Candidate
Greg Zanetti - 2022 NM Gubernatorial Candidate
David Black - Otero County Sheriff
Denise Vigil - Valencia County Sheriff
Gregg Schmedes - State Senator District 19
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (5)
Janice Arnold-Jones (2018)
Michelle Garcia Holmes (2020)
State Republican Party Organizations (2022)
Ted Cruz (2016)
WinRed (2022)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (1)
Obama for America (2008)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
SELECTED FINANCIAL SOURCE DOCUMENTS
Candidate signed Abortion Free New Mexico’s Pro-Life Pledge.
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
None. Abortion is wrong even in the case of incest or rape.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Choose not to answer
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
None. Government has no role to play when it comes to the 1st amendment.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
Not fund it.
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.
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)Tax-payer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be de-funded.
I am closer to C leaning toward D. Healthcare is not a right, it is a service. Like most other services, I want the best service at the lowest cost. This can only occur when we force all medical providers to list their prices openly and transparently and not allow the insurance companies to dictate prices.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
Medical decisions should be left to the individual and their medical practitioner... not the government.
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
At the state level, social security should be tax free for all income levels. Military and law enforcement retirement pensions should be tax free.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
I favor fiscal restraint and tax cuts to balance the budget and relieve the burden on taxpayers.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Disagree
Not everyone is suited for college. Job mentoring via trade schools should be an option for those seeking a skill in the trades.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
We already have legal immigration laws on the books. The process can be streamlined, but the U.S. allows over 1 million legal immigrants into our country annually... no other country can match our legal immigration rates.
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Strongly Agree
Parents and their children should not be limited to the education options available to them based on their geographic location.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Strongly Agree
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Strongly Disagree
We need to increase the funds to police departments AND create community programs that remove the homeless off the streets.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
I support the Second Amendment. Some current restrictions like Red Flag laws are too burdensome and violate the Right to Bear Arms as enumerated in the Bill of Rights.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
The sole purpose of government is to protect our individual rights. If we all followed the 10 commandments, there would be no reason for government. Given that we do not all follow the 10 commandments, we instituted government to protect our God-given rights.
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
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
https://www.facebook.com/TheNextLG/
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?
My priorities will be: Education, Enforcement of the Border, and Election Integrity
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
Strongly Disagree
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 agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
CRT, and it's derivatives (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), which leads to social and emotional learning needs to be eradicated from our educational system.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
Devout Christian. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
I would move to Block Chain Voting (distributed ledger technology) to make it easier to vote, but harder to cheat. Each ballot would have a unique code and each registered voter would have a unique ID... once you have voted, your transaction would be added to the block chain, allowing anonymity but also transparency. Each person could verify their vote with their unique ballot designation.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
No. Racism, while it still exists among some individuals, is no longer prevalent in our society. It is an artifact of the Progressive Left to divide us as a people and to foster division and hatred when none exists. We have more in common than our external differences.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly 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.
A.
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Strongly Agree
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