Gordon Howie in 2014 SD Senate debate

On Abortion: Man does not have the right to destroy innocent life.

Howie: Strongly Agree

Question topic: Should abortion be allowed under extenuating circumstances? If so, what circumstances?

Howie: No. The life of an innocent child is always taken in an abortion.

Question topic: Briefly list political or legislative issues of most concern to you.

Howie: Protection of the unborn. Life is created by God. Man or government does not have the right to destroy innocent life.

On Budget & Economy: Economic survival depends on fiscal responsibility

Howie: Strongly Agree.

Question topic: Briefly list political or legislative issues of most concern to you.

Howie: Government spending, debt and growth. Our economic survival as a nation depends on fiscal responsibility.

On Civil Rights: Government shouldn't redefine marriage

Howie: Strongly Agree

On Energy & Oil: No subsidies for wind and solar

Howie: Strongly Disagree

On Government Reform: Photo ID for voting

Howie: Strongly Disagree

On Gun Control: Opposes more gun restrictions

Howie: Strongly Disagree

On Health Care: Repeal ObamaCare; it's not a government responsibility

Howie: Strongly Disagree

Question topic: The Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) should be repealed by Congress.

Howie: Strongly Agree

On Homeland Security: Maintain a superior nuclear arsenal

Howie: Strongly Agree

On Immigration: Protect the borders; prevent illegal entry

Howie: Strongly Agree

On Principles & Values: Religious liberty is foundational to our freedom

Howie: Strongly Disagree.

Question topic: Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which permitted our system of limited government.

Howie: Strongly Agree.

Question topic: Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.

Howie: My life has been surrendered to Christ. I believe God is pleased by our faith and obedience, and has created us to worship Him and serve our fellow man. The Bible is the inspired, written Word of God which provides a complete guide for our lives.

Question topic: Briefly list political or legislative issues of most concern to you.

Howie: The preservation and protection of religious liberty. It is foundational to our freedom.

On Tax Reform: Rein in bloated government instead of raising taxes

On potential tax increases, Independent Gordon Howie said, "We've had enough. It's not a problem that we are taxed too little. The problem is we have a bloated government and we need to rein it in."

On overcoming the current do-nothing Congress, Republican Mike Rounds said, "They don't want folks to come on in and promise everything and then turn around and borrow it from the next generation."

Independent Gordon Howie says Congress must get the federal budget in line. "We can cut our spending, we can reduce our debt and we can stop government growth."

On Civil Rights: Gays and lesbians choose to live outside the laws of God

Howie is running on a socially conservative platform to bring God back into public life, and believes homosexuality is immoral. But the candidate who regularly bashes Republican nominee Mike Rounds for being insufficiently conservative is actually to Rounds' left on one particular question of gay rights.

Howie supports civil unions for same-sex couples, while Rounds said he doesn't.

On Civil Rights: Civil unions and equal rights for gays, but not marriage

"I think it's silly not to allow those kind of things," Howie said of letting same-sex couples file taxes jointly, have hospital visitation rights and other privileges currently limited to married couples.

Rounds, like Howie, said he believes "marriage is between a man and a woman." Beyond that, Rounds said romantic partners can enter into contracts to do things that already are legal but opposes changing the law to allow same-sex couples privileges currently reserved for married couples.

[One pundit noted], "Very conservative people could come to endorse civil unions by breaking it up and looking at the legal elements of it and saying, okay, we're not going to discriminate against them, and this is a different status, but that doesn't mean they're married."

On Energy & Oil: Congress should pass laws benefiting the oil & gas industry

Former Sen. Larry Pressler said he would vote for an immediate increase 12 cents per gallon in the gas tax. Two other candidates, Mike Rounds and Rick Weiland, didn't rule out an increase in the gas tax, but said other solutions need to be tried first.

Independent Gordon Howie said he opposes raising the gas tax--and especially proposals to tie it to the rate of inflation. Instead, he said, Congress should pass laws benefiting the oil and gas industry, which he said would result in higher tax revenue as the industry booms.

"Some estimates have predicted that with pro-growth policies, the industry could bring in an additional $800 billion in revenue over the next 15 years," Howie said.

On Principles & Values: A great America needs God

Here's the truth: The United States isn't going to solve its problems in a country empty of faith. I'm Gordon Howie and I approve this message because a great America needs God.

On Budget & Economy: Say No to $17 trillion national debt

Over $ 17 1/2 TRILLION dollar national debt. Establishment, career politicians of both parties recently removed the limits on the debt ceiling.

Nearly $130 TRILLION dollars in unfunded liabilities. Budget busting Republicans and Democrats claim their brand of "common sense" can fix it.

Our government continues to spend about a TRILLION dollars more than existing revenue each year. Only a handful of Representatives and Senators are fighting against this out of control spending.

The only way out of this mess is to return to principles of fiscal sanity: CUT spending, REDUCE taxes and STOP government growth.

On Gun Control: Bumper sticker: God, Guns, and Gordon

Howie will begin a tour of the State this week, to meet with supporters. "We will have plenty of our bumper stickers with us," he said. "It looks like we may have to re-order sooner than we thought."

"We are having fun delivering our message to South Dakota. While we are certainly dealing with serious issues, I think it is good to enjoy the process," Howie said. "Besides, what could be more fun than winning, when it means doing the right thing for our State and our Nation?"