Patty Judge in Past and present Senate candidates from Iowa
On Abortion:
Supports public funding for Planned Parenthood
Q: On Healthcare: Should Planned Parenthood be eligible to receive public funds for non-abortion health services?Grassley: No
Judge: Yes
Q: On Contraception: Should employers be able to withhold contraceptive coverage from employees if they
disagree with it morally?
Grassley: Yes. Religious freedom takes precedence.
Judge: Probable no, based on Emily's List endorsement.
Q: On Abortion: Should abortion be highly restricted?
Grassley: Yes
Judge: No
Source: CampusElect Voter Guide to 2016 Iowa Senate race
Oct 9, 2016
On Drugs:
Legalize medical marijuana, but not recreational use
Q: On Marijuana: Decriminalize and/or legalize marijuana? Grassley: Blocked bi-partisan medical cannabis bill from getting hearing and supports federal override of state laws. Does support research on CBD-only medical strains.
Judge: Supports legalization of medical marijuana. Opposes recreational use.
Source: CampusElect Voter Guide to 2016 Iowa Senate race
Oct 9, 2016
On Gun Control:
Supports banning assault rifles
Q: On Gun Control: Support more restrictive gun control legislation?Grassley: Mixed. Supports banning sales to people on no-fly list but has opposed most legislation.
Judge: Yes. Supports banning assault rifles and gun sales to people on no-fly list.
Source: CampusElect Voter Guide to 2016 Iowa Senate race
Oct 9, 2016
On War & Peace:
Supports Iranian nuclear deal
Q: On Iran: Support the US-Iran treaty that limits Iran's nuclear capability in return for lifting economic sanctions?Grassley: No. Signed letter to Iran intended to make a deal more difficult to accomplish.
Judge: Yes
Q: On Iraq: Should the US recommit significant additional ground troops to Iraq to combat the success of ISIS?
Grassley: Unclear. In 2014 thought it was too early to make ground troop commitment.
Judge: No, but does support increased air strikes.
Source: CampusElect Voter Guide to 2016 Iowa Senate race
Oct 9, 2016
On Corporations:
Our corporate tax code is broken; MNCs don't pay fair share
Q: What changes would you propose in the federal tax policies? And how would they impact the goal of balancing the federal budget?Patty Judge:
Our tax code is broken and encourages companies to offshore profits and jobs. We need a tax code that puts working families first and ensures multinational corporations pay their fair share, which will also help balance the federal budget.
Source: Vote411.org League of Women Voters on 2016 Iowa Senate Race
Sep 19, 2016
On Crime:
Reform mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent offenders
Q: Do you support legislation to reform mandatory sentencing laws so low-risk non-violent offenders aren't required to serve long sentences at taxpayer expense?Patty Judge: We need to reform our criminal justice system, including mandatory minimum
sentences for nonviolent offenders. Taxpayers are spending far too much on housing inmates for long periods of time, when they could be better served through treatment and rehabilitation programs.
Source: Vote411.org League of Women Voters on 2016 Iowa Senate Race
Sep 19, 2016
On Energy & Oil:
Global warming is real and we need to take immediate action
Q: What would you do to clean up the environment? Please address global warming, water and air quality, and other issues you believe are important.Patty Judge: Global warming is real and we need to take immediate action to
preserve our environment and natural resources for future generations. I believe Iowa can be a model for the clean energy economy and I'm proud of the work I've done to promote renewable fuels and wind energy in the state.
On the federal level, we must continue to fund programs like the production tax credit for wind energy. On a federal and state level we must also make funding conservation programs a priority, which is why
I strongly support funding the Iowa Natural Resources and Outdoor Trust Fund to give sustainable funding to protecting our state's water and other natural resources.
Source: Vote411.org League of Women Voters on 2016 Iowa Senate Race
Sep 19, 2016
On Foreign Policy:
Use our diplomatic power to help create peace and stability
Q: Characterize your view of our diplomatic efforts around the world.Patty Judge:
The United States can be a powerful voice for diplomacy across the globe. We should use our diplomatic power, when appropriate, to help create peace and stability across the globe. We should always prioritize diplomatic vs. military action.
Source: Vote411.org League of Women Voters on 2016 Iowa Senate Race
Sep 19, 2016
On Jobs:
Increase the federal minimum wage & all working wages
Q: How do you view the state of the U.S. economy. If elected to the Senate, what would you do to strengthen it? Patty Judge: The U.S. economy has recovered since the 2008 recession, however wages for working families remain stagnant.
We have to increase wages and give working families a fair shot. To strengthen the economy, I support an increase to the federal minimum wage. We must also take action to end gender discrimination in pay once and for all.
Source: Vote411.org League of Women Voters on 2016 Iowa Senate Race
Sep 19, 2016
On Social Security:
Adjust benefits for caregivers who take time off work
Q: What changes would you propose in Social Security and Medicare?
Patty Judge: I strongly believe we must protect Social Security and Medicare for future generations. In addition to protecting Social Security from dangerous privatization schemes or cuts to the program,
I support increasing the cap on Social Security wages. I also believe we must make adjustments to Social Security benefits for caregivers who take time out of the workforce--
the individuals should receive a credit that ensures adequate Social Security benefits in retirement.
Source: Vote411.org League of Women Voters on 2016 Iowa Senate Race
Sep 19, 2016
On War & Peace:
Deploy military only after diplomacy, dialogue, & sanctions
Q: Characterize your view of our military involvement around the world. Patty Judge: America plays an important role in international diplomacy and security. I believe we must carefully deploy military resources to ensure the safety and security of
America and our allies across the globe. However, military force should be used only after diplomacy, dialogue, and sanctions have failed. We must also continue to work to bring home troops currently serving overseas and also ensure that our
Veterans have access to quality health care and other resources as they return to civilian life.
Q: Characterize your view of our diplomatic efforts around the world.
Patty Judge:
The United States can be a powerful voice for diplomacy across the globe. We should use our diplomatic power, when appropriate, to help create peace and stability across the globe. We should always prioritize diplomatic vs. military action.
Source: Vote411.org League of Women Voters on 2016 Iowa Senate Race
Sep 19, 2016
On Abortion:
Strong advocate for protecting access to women's health care
As a former nurse, Patty knows the importance of quality health care and how critical it is that women be able to make their own health care decisions. Patty has been a strong advocate throughout her career for protecting access to health care for women.
She will stand up to Republicans like Chuck Grassley who believe Planned Parenthood should be defunded and will fight any attempts to make it more difficult for women to receive the health care they need.
Source: 2016 Iowa Senate campaign website PattyJudgeForIowa.com
Aug 8, 2016
On Civil Rights:
Strong advocate for LGBTQ rights
Patty has been a strong advocate for LGBTQ rights. As Lt. Governor, she advocated for an updated civil rights code to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation.
As a United States Senator she will work to ensure that the rights of all Americans are protected and work to pass the Employee Nondiscrimination Act.
Source: 2016 Iowa Senate campaign website PattyJudgeForIowa.com
Aug 8, 2016
On Civil Rights:
Take action to end gender discrimination in pay
Patty believes we need to take action to end gender
discrimination in pay to ensure that men and women are receiving equal pay for equal work.
Source: 2016 Iowa Senate campaign website PattyJudgeForIowa.com
Aug 8, 2016
On Education:
Increased access to Pell Grants & student loan refinancing
Ensuring access to affordable education is critical. Patty believes we need to address the growing burden of student loans on college graduates. Patty will be an advocate for increased access to Pell Grants, allowing graduates to refinance
student loans at lower interest rates (an effort Chuck Grassley has opposed), and supports two years of free tuition at community colleges for students who maintain high academic standards.
Source: 2016 Iowa Senate campaign website PattyJudgeForIowa.com
Aug 8, 2016
On Energy & Oil:
Move away from fossil fuels & toward a clean energy economy
Protecting our environment and natural resources for future generations is critical for Iowa and the nation. Climate change is real and we need to continue to move away from fossil fuels and toward a clean energy economy.
Patty believes the success of Iowa's renewable fuel and wind energy industry can be a model for the rest of the nation. She also supports investing in research to find new solutions to meet America's long-term energy demands.
Source: 2016 Iowa Senate campaign website PattyJudgeForIowa.com
Aug 8, 2016
On Environment:
Address serious water quality problem in Iowa & nationally
Patty supports taking action to address the serious water quality problem that Iowa and other states face. On a state level, she supports funding the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund, which was created by a
2010 constitutional amendment in Iowa. On the national level, Patty believes we need to ensure that water quality initiatives are given the proper funding and attention--especially in the upcoming Farm bill.
Source: 2016 Iowa Senate campaign website PattyJudgeForIowa.com
Aug 8, 2016
On Government Reform:
Address unlimited amounts of undisclosed campaign money
We must take action to address the issue of unlimited amounts of undisclosed money flowing into elections. Patty supports a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United in order to ensure transparency and accountability in elections.
Corporations are not people and should not be able to pour unlimited amounts of anonymous money into campaigns.
Source: 2016 Iowa Senate campaign website PattyJudgeForIowa.com
Aug 8, 2016
On Homeland Security:
Military is last resort, when diplomacy is exhausted
Patty believes there is nothing more important than keeping Americans safe. To do this, we need smart and strong leadership.
The United States has a powerful ability to bring nations together and build coalitions that promote peace and prosperity across the globe.
That means we must be willing to strategically use our military, but ensure that military force is a last resort, when diplomatic efforts have been exhausted.
Patty believes that ISIS is a serious threat and supports increased airstrikes against ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria to destroy their infrastructure and operations.
Source: 2016 Iowa Senate campaign website PattyJudgeForIowa.com
Aug 8, 2016
On Jobs:
Take action to increase the minimum wage
Middle class wages are stagnant and Patty believes we need to take action to increase wages and give working families across the nation a fair shot. This starts with increasing the minimum wage to allow working families
to get ahead without working 2 or 3 minimum wage jobs at a time. Patty also believes we need to take action to end gender discrimination in pay to ensure that men and women are receiving equal pay for equal work.
Source: 2016 Iowa Senate campaign website PattyJudgeForIowa.com
Aug 8, 2016
On Social Security:
Vital to protect program; increase cap but don't privatize
Patty believes that it's vital that we protect Social Security for future generations who have paid into the program and have been promised benefits. To ensure the long-term stability and benefits of the program, Patty supports increasing the current
cap on Social Security wages to provide more funding for the program. Patty will also fight any attempts to privatize Social Security and Medicare--these programs are far too important to gamble on the open market.
Source: 2016 Iowa Senate campaign website PattyJudgeForIowa.com
Aug 8, 2016
On Health Care:
Look again at affordable health care
Q: What would your priorities be as U.S. Senator?PJ: I'm in this race for one real reason and that's because Washington is not working. Things are not getting done that are important to the people of this country. And we need to immediately start
working again to get our economy going strongly, to make certain that the wages that people are receiving are adequate. We need to look at issues around the cost of education. We need to look again at affordable health care.
The list goes on and on.
Q: What committees would you like to serve on, if you're elected.
PJ: My first choice would be the Senate Ag committee.
I also would like to be involved in HomelandI'm also a nurse by education and have been always interested in providing quality health care to the citizens of Iowa so those are also issues that would be important to me.
Source: Iowa Public Radio on 2016 Iowa Senate race
Aug 4, 2016
On War & Peace:
Containment of ISIS and terrorists, by targeted air strikes
Q: How do you differ from other candidates on foreign policy?PJ: As Democrats, there are some similarities in our positions but from my work with Homeland Security through the years, I am very much aware of the seriousness of the situation in the
Middle East and very much aware for the need of containment of ISIS and other terrorist groups, and to try to keep them at bay here in our own country. We need to be very vigilant. We need to engage in targeted air strikes. We need to engage in
economic sanctions. And, here in our country, we need to be, again, very vigilant and watching carefully to make sure that we're all safe. There's probably nothing more important than the safety of American citizens.
Q: When you look at how President
Obama has contained ISIS, do you think it's too little in regard to ISIS?
PJ: Well I don't, I would not advocate at this time in time any additional American troops, committed to the Middle East. I think we always should be using diplomacy first.
Source: Iowa Public Radio on 2016 Iowa Senate race
Aug 4, 2016
On Education:
Commitment to a quality public education
Patty Judge has received the recommendation of the National Education Association. "Access to a quality education is something that makes our state & nation stronger and it's an issue that I will continue to fight for in the US Senate," said Judge.
The NEA and ISEA issued a joint press release in support of Judge's campaign: "Given her commitment to students and public education, we believe that Patty will do what is best for all of the children of the state of Iowa regardless of the ZIP code in
which they live," said the NEA President. "She knows that when children have a fair chance, we not only create stronger public schools, we create a stronger country."
"Partisan politics have no place in our great public schools. Patty Judge is
committed to Iowa's students, professional educators and public schools and understands that even in lean economic times they are the resources that will lead us back to economic prosperity.," added the president of the Iowa State Education Association.
Source: 2016 Iowa Senate campaign website "NEA Endorsement"
Jun 30, 2016
On Government Reform:
Special interests get too much help from Congress
Patty Judge is launching a new television ad today that takes aim at what she calls a broken system in Washington that supports the wealthy and big corporations instead of middle class families. The ad, "Enough," is a 30-second spot, part of the former
one-term lieutenant governor's $100,000 primary television advertising campaign.In the ad, Judge says special interests get too much help from a Congress that takes from Social Security and education to pay for those tax breaks. Although she doesn't
mention Grassley by name in the ad, Judge argues "Chuck Grassley has played a big part in that over his 41 years in office."
"From here in Iowa, it seems to be the wealthy and big corporations get enough help," Judge says while leaning on a pasture
fence. "It's time Washington starts working for middle-class families."
The special interests "need to pay their fair share, because Washington is giving those at the top too much and it's time someone stood up for the rest of us."
Source: Cedar Rapids Gazette AdWatch on 2016 Iowa Senate race
Jun 23, 2016
On Immigration:
DACA and DAPA are first steps toward reforming broken system
Former Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge, weighing in on the Supreme Court's decision says: "Today's split decision by the Supreme Court is another reminder of how critical it is that
Chuck Grassley do his job and begin the process of filling the vacancy on the court. The DACA and DAPA executive actions by the president are a first step toward reforming our broken immigration system.
Unfortunately, Chuck Grassley's obstruction has resulted in an uncertain future for these programs and has left millions of people in legal limbo.
This is an important reminder of how import the Supreme Court is and how critical it is that we get the U.S. Senate back to work."
Source: KWWL Radio on 2016 Iowa Senate race
Jun 23, 2016
On Jobs:
Raise minimum wage to $15 an hour, instead of tax breaks
Judge, who has served as a state senator and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture in addition to lieutenant governor, wants to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour, offer two years of fee community college for students meeting academic requirements and
lift the cap on Social Security wage.Senator Grassley, she said, has supported tax breaks and loopholes for the wealthy and big corporations, including the Bush-era tax cuts for those at the top.
Grassley has a history of supporting tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas, and has opposed bills aimed at protecting American jobs, Judge added.
Rather than more tax breaks, she notes in a TV ad, the special interests "need to pay their fair share, because Washington is giving those at the top too much and it's time someone stood up for the rest of us."
Source: Cedar Rapids Gazette AdWatch on 2016 Iowa Senate race
Jun 23, 2016
On Gun Control:
Block gun sales to those on terrorist watch-lists
Patty Judge is stopping by in north Iowa to talk about gun control, and her feelings on the Orlando shooting. Judge is running against U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley.
She expresses that what happened in Orlando is tragic, and supports taking the availability of purchasing a gun away from someone that is or has been on the terrorist watch list.
"If our government is afraid of someone to fly on an airplane then I don't think they need to have an assault weapon," Judge said. Grassley feels if you're on the list not to fly, you should still be able to purchase a gun.
He stresses Senator Kennedy was once on that list and he was a good man. Grassley believes it's an issue of radical terrorism.
Source: KIMT Radio on 2016 Iowa Senate race
Jun 15, 2016
On Drugs:
Not vocal about legalizing, but opponent vocally against it
Incumbent Sen. Charles Grassley (R) chairs the Judiciary Committee and has long been one of Congress's most ardent and vocal opponents of legalization. In November, Grassley faces off against Democrat Patty Judge,
Iowa's former lieutenant governor and secretary of agriculture. While Judge doesn't appear to have been especially vocal about marijuana laws one way or the other, replacing Grassley would be an enormous win for pro-legalization forces.
Drug Policy Action, an advocacy group, believes they have the votes in the Senate to approve broad medical cannabis legislation but that Grassley "has been unwilling to bring it or any other marijuana reform up for vote."
Calling Grassley "the main obstacle to reform in the Senate," the group's spokesperson said that "if he loses, or if Democrats take back the Senate (depriving him of chairmanship), the prospect for marijuana reform greatly improves."
Source: Marijuana.com on 2016 Iowa Senate race
Jun 13, 2016
On Free Trade:
Oppose TPP: I don't know that free trade is good for Iowa
Judge won't please every Iowa farmer. Today, she doesn't side with ag groups on issues like the Waters of the U.S. rule. While some believe the EPA should leave regulation to the states,
Judge says it will take both state and federal regulation to solve the problem.Judge tries to strike a conciliatory tone on trade, which tends to divide farmers and labor unions. "I believe we have to trade," she said.
But, she added, "I don't know that free trade is good for our country and good for Iowa and Iowa workers."
She said there were "too many questions" about the recent Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and she would vote against it if she had to vote today.
Source: Des Moines Register on 2016 Iowa Senate race
May 2, 2016
Page last updated: Feb 22, 2019