VoteMatch Responses (Click here for VoteMatch quiz)
VoteMatch Question & Answer (Click on question for explanation and background)	Based on these stances: (Click on topic for excerpt & citation)
Opposes topic 1: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right (-3 points on Social scale)	Unblemished anti-abortion voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Abortion is the freedom of choice: Strongly Favors topic 1 AdWatch: My daughter is living proof of my pro-life values: Opposes topic 1 Provide alternatives to Planned Parenthood before blocking: Favors topic 1 Signed one of country's most restrictive anti-abortion laws: Strongly Favors topic 1 Member of Democrats for Life, anti-choice group: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Abortion doctors must have hospital admitting privileges: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Favored fetal heartbeat bill banning early abortions: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Add rape and incest exceptions to our abortion ban: Opposes topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Support affirmative action in government hiring and college: Strongly Favors topic 2 Pandemic highlighted inequities in our communities: Strongly Favors topic 2 Help families by closing our deplorable gender pay gap: Strongly Favors topic 2 Close gender wage gap by ending corporate "pay secrecy": Strongly Favors topic 2 Equal Pay for Women, but only for state employees: Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Support transgender and LGBTQ+ rights (+5 points on Social scale)	Supreme Court decided: issue same-sex marriage licenses: Favors topic 3 Vetoed requiring only "biological females" in women's sports: Strongly Favors topic 3
Strongly Favors topic 4: America was founded on Christian values (-5 points on Social scale)	Catholic upbringing shapes commitments to community & family: Strongly Favors topic 4 Faith plays a central role in his life and work: Favors topic 4 In every decision I have strived to be a Matthew 25 governor: Strongly Favors topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	Ban flavorings in e-cigarettes that target teens: Strongly Favors topic 5 Universal health care with guaranteed coverage: Strongly Favors topic 5 Don't delay Medicaid expansion; that ties up LA tax dollars: Strongly Favors topic 5 Medicaid expansion reduced uninsured by 43% & saved $200M: Strongly Favors topic 5 Medicaid expansion addresses opioid crisis: Strongly Favors topic 5 Pro-life includes helping the poor get access to health care: Favors topic 5 No medical school needed for optometrist eye surgeries: Favors topic 5 COVID: Relying on doctors and scientists and epidemiologists: Favors topic 5 Medicaid expansion saved lives: Strongly Favors topic 5 Medicaid expansion has been a blessing, fixed budget mess: Strongly Favors topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Opposes raising retirement age; opposes private accounts: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-5 points on Economic scale)	Replace Common Core with more K-12 school funding: Opposes topic 7 Increase in teacher pay isn't enough, hope to do more: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Invest in higher education for student success in workplace: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Get teacher pay up to at least the Southern Regional Average: Strongly Opposes topic 7 One free book per month for every child age 0-5 in the state: Strongly Opposes topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Businesses have a right to pollute (+5 points on Social scale)	Strengthen environmental enforcement for clean air: Opposes topic 8 Mississippi River diversion: backbone to coastal restoration: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Opposes topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (+2 points on Social scale)	Rehab for criminals; enforce hate crime & white collar crime: Opposes topic 9 Let New Orleans police itself; remove state police soon: Opposes topic 9 End tax giveaways but keep funding for first responders: Favors topic 9 Blue Lives Matter: targeting police officer is a hate crime: Strongly Favors topic 9 Reduce incarceration rate of non-violent offenders: Opposes topic 9 Reduce highest incarceration rate in the nation: Opposes topic 9 No executions until better lethal drugs found: Opposes topic 9 Create an Office of Human Trafficking Prevention: Strongly Favors topic 9 Need to do more to hold few bad police officers accountable: Strongly Opposes topic 9 I am calling on the legislature to end the death penalty: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Four generations of sheriffs in family lineage: Favors topic 9
Favors topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (+2 points on Economic scale)	Maintain restrictions & records of individuals and guns: Opposes topic 10 I support gun rights, unlike national Democrats: Strongly Favors topic 10 We need to do a better job with our background checks: Opposes topic 10 Allow concealed carry in houses of worship: Strongly Favors topic 10
Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-3 points on Economic scale)	We paid off billions of deficit; and we shouldn't go back: Favors topic 11 80% of C-corps pay no state tax; that's just not right: Strongly Favors topic 11 Keep the estate tax; don't keep Bush tax cuts: Strongly Favors topic 11 Reform tax structure or face $1.3B fiscal cliff in 2018: Favors topic 11 Reduce sales tax; eliminate federal income tax deductibility: Favors topic 11 Opposed empty tax credit to offset tax increases: Favors topic 11 We can make tax reforms but they must be revenue neutral: Opposes topic 11
Opposes topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (-3 points on Social scale)	Establish English as the official national language: Opposes topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale)	Support NAFTA, CAFTA, and WTO, but account for rights: Strongly Favors topic 13 China tariffs hurt local economy: Favors topic 13
Opposes topic 14: Stay away from the UN & Globalism (-3 points on Economic scale)	Offer foreign aid for humanitarian crises, including AIDS: Opposes topic 14
Favors topic 15: Peace through Strength (-3 points on Social scale)	West Point grad; served 8 years in US Army: Favors topic 15
Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+2 points on Social scale)	Public funding for campaigns, but deregulate soft money: Favors topic 16 Require voter ID; require proof of citizenship: Strongly Opposes topic 16 Vetoed Congressional redistricting for racial imbalance: Strongly Favors topic 16
Favors topic 17: Stay out of foreign wars (+2 points on Social scale)	Engage Israel, Afghanistan, & North Korea, but out of Iraq: Favors topic 17
Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-3 points on Economic scale)	More ethanol; more CAFE standards; more alternative fuels: Strongly Favors topic 18 Reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050: Strongly Favors topic 18 Work with--not against--oil & gas companies on solutions: Favors topic 18 Goal is offshore oil platforms, wind turbines side by side: Favors topic 18 All-of-the-above strategy drives new energy investment: Opposes topic 18
Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-3 points on Social scale)	Opposes legalizing marijuana: Favors topic 19 More jail time & more interdiction, but more rehab too: Favors topic 19 Expand medical marijuana, but no recreational usage: Favors topic 19 Rated B- by NORML, indicating a pro-drug-reform stance: Strongly Opposes topic 19
Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-3 points on Economic scale)	Blind allegiance to Grover Norquist cripples our economy: Favors topic 20 Gas tax to pay for transportation and coastal infrastructure: Favors topic 20

John Bel Edwards is a Moderate Liberal Populist
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