Interviews on 2020-2022 House, Gubernatorial and Senate races with OnTheIssues

EXPLANATORY NOTE by OnTheIssues.org:

We at OnTheIssues.org ask all candidates for answers to our 20 questions in our VoteMatch quiz. The following Senate candidates have responded in detail. Responding to press inquiries like ours shows a level of openness that augurs well for the candidate in office, regardless of party affiliation.

Almost always, the incumbent ignores our requests, indicating that they don't want their constituents to know their issue stances. We track their voting records accordingly, and infer their VoteMatch responses based on those. We also collect up public statements and book excerpts, and include those in our VoteMatch quiz results as well.

Below are the responses from this year's candidates.

-- Jesse Gordon, jesse@OnTheIssues.org

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Abortion     Brian Moore: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right.     Joan Farr: Oppose abortion as a woman's unrestricted right.     Valencia Stovall: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right.     Bob Walsh: Supports a woman's unrestricted right.     Al Pisano: Abortion is not a woman's unrestricted right.     Sandy Smith: The right to life is the most important right.     Andrew Straw: No abortion for characteristics selection; that's eugenics.

Budget & Economy     Brian Moore: Stimulus better than market-led recovery.     Joan Farr: Market-led recovery better than stimulus.     Valencia Stovall: Market-led recovery better than stimulus.     Bob Walsh: Market-led recovery better than stimulus.     Al Pisano: Market-led recovery better than stimulus.     Sandy Smith: We're $22 trillion in debt with no end in sight.     Andrew Straw: I'm a Keynesian; control the money supply.

Civil Rights     Joan Farr: Don'tegally require hiring more women/minorities.     Joan Farr: Oppose same-sex marriage.

Corporations     Andrew Straw: Make corporations easier and cheaper to create and use.

Crime     Brian Moore: Stricter punishment doesn't reduce crime.     Joan Farr: Stricter punishment reduces crime.     Valencia Stovall: Stricter punishment reduces crime.     Donald Trump: FactCheck: No, not endorsed by Portland's Sheriff.     Donald Trump: FactCheck: Yes, Trump aide said rioting & chaos helps Trump.     Joe Biden: FactCheck: Endorsed by 175 law enforcement officials.     Donald Trump: FactCheck: falsely claims Biden wants to defund the police.     Bob Walsh: Stricter punishment doesn't reduce crime.     Al Pisano: No opinion on crime & punishment.     Sandy Smith: Maximum penalty for horrible crimes like murder and rape.

Drugs     Brian Moore: Treat drug addiction and mental health on a massive scale.     Joan Farr: Marijuana is not a gateway drug.     Valencia Stovall: Marijuana is not a gateway drug.     Bob Walsh: Marijuana isn't a gateway drug.     Al Pisano: Marijuana is a gateway drug.     Sandy Smith: Let doctors prescribe marijuana, at state level.     Andrew Straw: Complete legalization of marijuana at federal & state level.

Education     Brian Moore: Opposes vouchers for school choice.     Joan Farr: Oppose vouchers for school choice.     Valencia Stovall: Vouchers for school choice.     Joe Biden: FactCheck: Attended U.Delaware, not Delaware State HBCU.     Bob Walsh: Supports vouchers for school choice.     Al Pisano: Vouchers for school choice.     Sandy Smith: Vouchers for school choice, at state level.

Energy & Oil     Brian Moore: Prioritize green energy.     Joan Farr: Don't prioritize green energy.     Donald Trump: FactCheck: falsely blames windmills for Texas power outage.     Valencia Stovall: Prioritize green energy.     Bob Walsh: Don't prioritize green energy.     Al Pisano: Don't prioritize green energy.     Sandy Smith: Let the free market work on green energy.

Environment     Brian Moore: Support the EPA.     Joan Farr: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach.     Valencia Stovall: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach.     Bob Walsh: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach.     Al Pisano: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach.     Sandy Smith: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach.

Families & Children     Brian Moore: Comfortable with same-sex marriage.     Valencia Stovall: Comfortable with same-sex marriage and polygamy.     Bob Walsh: Supports same-sex marriage.     Al Pisano: Opposes same-sex marriage.     Sandy Smith: Supreme Court overstepped by redefining marriage.     Andrew Straw: Make divorce as easy to get as marriage.

Foreign Policy     Brian Moore: Oppose this false notion of American exceptionalism.     Joan Farr: Support American Exceptionalism.     Bob Walsh: Opposes American Exceptionalism.     Al Pisano: No opinion on American Exceptionalism.     Sandy Smith: Support American Exceptionalism.

Free Trade     Brian Moore: Free˙trade˙causes global inequalities & job loss.     Joan Farr: Support & expand free trade.     Valencia Stovall: Strongly support & expand free trade.     Joe Biden: FactCheck: Yes, US has tried "Buy American" for 100 years.     Bob Walsh: Support & expand free trade.     Al Pisano: No opinion on free trade.     Sandy Smith: Expand free trade, but treat U.S. fairly.     Andrew Straw: If unions oppose a trade deal, I do too.

Government Reform     Brian Moore: Make voter registration easier.     Bill Cassidy: FactCheck: Yes, giving water to voters is criminalized.     Jim Risch: Opposed independent commission to investigate Jan. 6th.     Jim Risch: Bipartisan independent commission to investigate Jan. 6th.     Pat Toomey: Bipartisan independent commission to investigate Jan. 6th.     Joan Farr: January 6th investigation is a witch hunt; Trump won.     Joan Farr: Don't make voter registration easier.     Valencia Stovall: Make voter registration easier.     Jon Ossoff: AdWatch: Fighting corruption is my job; no PAC donations.     Bob Walsh: Make voter registration easier.     Al Pisano: Opposes making voter registration easier.     Joe Biden: 30 years ago, I proposed campaign finance reform.     Sandy Smith: Protect against fraud, waste, & abuse of our voting system.

Gun Control     Brian Moore: No absolute right to gun ownership.     Joan Farr: Absolute right to gun ownership.     Valencia Stovall: Right to gun ownership, with background checks.     Bob Walsh: Absolute right to gun ownership.     Al Pisano: Absolute right to gun ownership.     Sandy Smith: Absolute right to gun ownership.

Health Care     Brian Moore: Opposes ObamaCare because it allows private sector.     Joan Farr: Lawsuits would end pandemic; it's about population control.     Joan Farr: Expand ObamaCare but not income-based.     Valencia Stovall: Expand ObamaCare with more state & local regulation.     Donald Trump: FactCheck: No, America has tested less than Europe combined.     David Perdue: Coronavirus numbers projected were supposed to be much worse.     Jon Ossoff: AdWatch: We were left unprepared for the pandemic.     Bob Walsh: Opposes ObamaCare.     Al Pisano: Oppose ObamaCare.     Sandy Smith: Strongly oppose ObamaCare.

Homeland Security     Brian Moore: Oppose expanding the military.     Joan Farr: Don't expand the military.     Valencia Stovall: Don't expand the military.     Bob Walsh: Don't expand the military.     Al Pisano: No opinion on expanding the military.     Sandy Smith: Obama drastically weakened our great military.     Andrew Straw: Minimum income and benefits for those who served in military.

Immigration     Brian Moore: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens.     Joan Farr: Oppose pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens.     Valencia Stovall: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens.     Bob Walsh: Pathway to citizenship; there are no illegal aliens.     Al Pisano: No opinion on pathway to citizenship.     Sandy Smith: Merit-based immigration; protect American workers first.

Jobs     Brian Moore: Legally require hiring more women/minorities.     Valencia Stovall: Legally require hiring more women/minorities.     Bob Walsh: Opposes affirmative action hiring.     Al Pisano: Don't legally require hiring more women/minorities.     Sandy Smith: Free-market capitalism instead of affirmative action.

Principles & Values     Brian Moore: Keep God out of the public sphere.     Jim Risch: Supported certifying the AZ electoral college results.     Jim Risch: Opposed second impeachment of President Trump.     Joan Farr: Keep God in the public sphere.     Donald Trump: FactCheck: Claims GOP is growing as 30,000+ left.     Valencia Stovall: Keep God in the public sphere.     Joe Biden: FactCheck: No, only 50% of recent presidents were Ivy league.     Donald Trump: FactCheck: "We have the best testing in the world"? Not!     Bob Walsh: Separate religion from public sphere.     Al Pisano: Keep God in the public sphere.     Sandy Smith: Keep God in the public sphere.     Andrew Straw: Religious freedom is individual right, not government power.

Social Security     Brian Moore: Don't privatize Social Security.     Joan Farr: Don't privatize Social Security.     Valencia Stovall: Privatizing Social Security creates problems & uncertainty.     Bob Walsh: Privatize but Ponzi scheme will fail.     Al Pisano: No opinion on Social Security privatization.     Sandy Smith: Privatize Social Security, with protections.

Tax Reform     Brian Moore: Higher taxes on the wealthy.     Joan Farr: Higher taxes on the wealthy.     Valencia Stovall: Higher taxes on the wealthy.     Donald Trump: Fact Check: Claims falsely that Biden would raise all taxes.     Joe Biden: Return top rate to 39.6% from 37%; cap itemized deductions.     Bob Walsh: Lower taxes for the middle class.     Al Pisano: Oppose higher taxes on the wealthy.     Sandy Smith: Tax all Americans fairly at the same rate.

Technology     Justin Olson: Censorship of conservative voices is unconstitutional(?).     Joan Farr: Lawsuits against Big Tech for denying freedom of speech.

War & Peace     Brian Moore: Avoid foreign entanglements & regime change abroad.     Joan Farr: Avoid foreign entanglements.     Valencia Stovall: Avoid foreign entanglements; find peace when necessary.     Bob Walsh: Avoid foreign entanglements.     Al Pisano: Avoid foreign entanglements.     Sandy Smith: Avoid foreign entanglements; peace through strength.     Seth Moulton: AdWatch: Don't send troops back to Iraq.

Welfare & Poverty     Valencia Stovall: Apply American Exceptionalism to slavery & current inequity.     Andrew Straw: National public housing system is broken.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Al Pisano North Carolina Constitution Party Challenger Andrew Straw Disability party candidate for Vermont House Indiana Bill Cassidy Republican Senator Louisiana Bob Walsh Libertarian Senate Challenger New Mexico Brian Moore Florida Green Party candidate for Governor David Perdue Georgia Republican Challenger Donald Trump Republican Presidential incumbent Jim Risch Idaho Former Republican Governor (2006-2007); U.S. Senator Joan Farr Republican Challenger OK and KS Kansas Joe Biden Democratic V.P. Jon Ossoff Democratic Senate challenger Georgia Justin Olson Republican Challenger for Senate Arizona Pat Toomey Republican Jr Senator Pennsylvania Sandy Smith Republican 2020 Senate Challenger North Carolina Seth Moulton Massachusetts Democratic candidate for President; U.S. Rep from MA-6 Valencia Stovall Independent challenger for 2-year special election Georgia