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)
Strongly Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right (+5 points on Social scale)	Women should decide, not government: Strongly Favors topic 1 100 percent rating from NARAL: Strongly Favors topic 1 An abortion, even late-term, is a legal, personal decision: Strongly Favors topic 1 Keep Title X funding for reproductive health services: Favors topic 1 Rejected that insurers have plans with and without abortion: Strongly Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Guarantee equal pay for women: Strongly Favors topic 2 Address persistent wage gap between men and women: Strongly Favors topic 2 Close the wage gap for women: Strongly Favors topic 2 Still work to be done to ensure gender pay equity: Strongly Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+5 points on Social scale)	Prohibit discrimination based on gender identity: Strongly Favors topic 3 Supports same-sex marriage in Montana: Strongly Favors topic 3 We celebrate progress, but fight for equal rights continues: Strongly Favors topic 3 First MT governor to officiate same-sex wedding: Strongly Favors topic 3
No opinion on topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-3 points on Economic scale)	Medicare-for-All is wish-list economics: Opposes topic 5 We pay more for prescription drugs than anyplace in world: Favors topic 5 Medicare-for-All is wish-list economics: Opposes topic 5 Health care reform without disrupting the entire system: Strongly Favors topic 5 Build on ObamaCare but don't replace with single-payer: Favors topic 5 Medicaid expansion good for business & jobs: Strongly Favors topic 5 Got Medicaid expansion through a GOP-dominated legislature: Strongly Favors topic 5 Protect ObamaCare before pushing to expand further: Favors topic 5 Worked with legislature to expand Medicaid: Favors topic 5 Insure the working poor with federal dollars: Strongly Favors topic 5 Access Health Montana: increase coverage and access: Favors topic 5
Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-3 points on Economic scale)	Tax cut would have benefitted high-income seniors: Opposes topic 6 Vetoed state tax exemption for Social Security income: Opposes topic 6
Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-3 points on Economic scale)	1-2-Free: High school dual enrollment to college: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Invest in publicly funded early childhood education: Strongly Favors topic 7 MT is dead last in investment in early childhood education: Opposes topic 7
Opposes topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (+2 points on Social scale)	Cut red tape and cut business equipment tax: Favors topic 8 Passionate about protecting public land access for all: Strongly Opposes topic 8 MT economy depends on hunting & fishing; let's fund LWCF: Opposes topic 8 Tackle the threat of invasive species: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-3 points on Social scale)	Keep death penalty for circumstances like terrorism: Favors topic 9 Less money for prison and more for treatment: Opposes topic 9 Arrest and prosecute sex predators and scam artists: Favors topic 9
No opinion on topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (0 points on Economic scale)	Must address dark money to take on NRA: Opposes topic 10 Voluntary buyback, but locally, not federally: Favors topic 10 Firearm owners just want to keep their family safe: Favors topic 10 Firearm owners just want to keep their families safe: Favors topic 10 Ban assault weapons: Opposes topic 10 Supports background checks & semi-automatic ban: Favors topic 10 Background checks & age restrictions to reduce gun violence: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Believes in 2nd Amendment, but not guns in wrong hands: Opposes topic 10 Forever preserve access to public land for hunting & fishing: Favors topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Tech giants make billions and pay no taxes: Favors topic 11 Many people not benefitting from economy: Favors topic 11 Don't benefit the wealthy at the expense of middle class: Strongly Favors topic 11 $400 personal rebate instead of $100M property tax cut: Favors topic 11
Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+2 points on Social scale)	Healthcare for immigrant means more border crossers: Opposes topic 12 Playing into Trumps hands, don't decriminalize: Favors topic 12 No wall; no open borders; need immigration reform: Opposes topic 12 There are bigger problems than illegal immigration: Favors topic 12 Refused to send National Guard troops to the southern border: Strongly Favors topic 12 Public DACA support, also tries private persuasion with GOP: Strongly Favors topic 12 No Guard troops to border without asking state governor: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Keep Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA): Strongly Favors topic 12 Protect DREAMers instead of deporting them: Strongly Favors topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+5 points on Economic scale)	Blunt instrument of tariffs hurt farmers: Favors topic 13 Don't use tariffs to pressure countries: Favors topic 13 Tariffs hurt farmers; let's work to open up markets: Strongly Favors topic 13 Trump has turned "America First" into "America Alone": Strongly Favors topic 13 Work with other nations to deal with China's practices: Favors topic 13 End reckless trade war with China: Strongly Favors topic 13 Reauthorize the Ex-Im Bank: Favors topic 13 Support long-term reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank: Strongly Favors topic 13
Opposes topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (-3 points on Economic scale)	Israel is a trusted partner & trusted friend: Favors topic 14 Block foreign influence on elections; end Cuba embargo: Opposes topic 14 Vetoed bill banning Shariah law; it's just anti-Muslim: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Don't let terrorists intimidate us to abandon our values: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Safety first; review protocols for Syrian refugees: Favors topic 14
Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-3 points on Social scale)	Wrap-around services to reintegrate heroes to civilian life: Favors topic 15
Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+2 points on Social scale)	Elections should be decided by people, not corporations: Strongly Favors topic 16 Primary allows spending $667K instead of returning it: Opposes topic 16 Dark money makes our elections into auctions: Strongly Favors topic 16
Opposes topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (-3 points on Social scale)	Keep first use of nuclear weapons on the table: Opposes topic 17 We need nuclear deterrence against North Korea and others: Opposes topic 17 We've been in Afghanistan for entire life of young recruits: Favors topic 17
Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-3 points on Economic scale)	Climate change vs. jobs: that's a false choice: Favors topic 18 President's role is to set direction on climate change: Favors topic 18 Re-enter Paris climate agreement: Strongly Favors topic 18 Promotes wind and solar power and clean coal for Montana: Favors topic 18 Develop our resources for American energy independence: Opposes topic 18
Opposes topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (+2 points on Social scale)	Let the states decide on legalizing marijuana: Opposes topic 19 Strongly supports medical marijuana: Opposes topic 19 Confront the invisible epidemic of prescription drug abuse: Favors topic 19 Rated B- by NORML, indicating a pro-drug-reform stance: Strongly Opposes topic 19
No opinion on topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (0 points on Economic scale)	Veto any budget in the red: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Create jobs by investing in roads and bridges: Strongly Favors topic 20