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)
Favors topic 1: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right (+2 points on Social scale)	Continue to fund Planned Parenthood: Strongly Favors topic 1 Not role of public servants to implement religious beliefs: Favors topic 1 Personally opposes abortion, but keep government out of it: Favors topic 1 Don't weaken or subvert the basic holding of Roe v. Wade: Strongly Favors topic 1 Don't deny privacy to women making health care decisions: Favors topic 1 Increased access to contraceptive coverage: Strongly Favors topic 1 Restricted funding for fetal & embryonic stem cell research: Opposes topic 1 Personally opposed to abortion, but it shouldn't be outlawed: Strongly Favors topic 1 Parental consent; ban partial birth; informed consent: Opposes topic 1 Promote abstinence; ban partial-birth abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 I have a faith-based opposition to abortion: Opposes topic 1 Supports public abortion funding: Strongly Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Racial biases do exist in the criminal justice system: Strongly Favors topic 2 Battle for social justice: everyone deserves opportunity: Strongly Favors topic 2 Civil rights work inspired by fight to integrate schools: Strongly Favors topic 2 Confederate flag celebrates an anti-civil rights heritage: Strongly Favors topic 2 Help whites and blacks find common ground: Favors topic 2 Strong supporter of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act: Strongly Favors topic 2 Obama fought for equal pay for women: Favors topic 2 Open all combat roles to women: Strongly Favors topic 2 Close the gender pay gap: Strongly Favors topic 2 2007: pardoned leader of 1800 slave rebellion: Favors topic 2 First state apology for involuntary servitude of Africans: Strongly Favors topic 2 1998: elected 8-1 as mayor by majority black city council: Favors topic 2 Ser justo e incluyente de todas las comunidades: Favors topic 2 Endorsed as "preferred" by The Feminist Majority indicating pro-women's rights: Strongly Favors topic 2 More funding & services for victims of domestic violence: Strongly Favors topic 2 Enforce against wage discrimination based on gender: Strongly Favors topic 2 YES on reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act: Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+5 points on Social scale)	Supports the legalization of same sex marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3 Protect LGBT students at schools, including gender identity: Strongly Favors topic 3 Obama fought for fair treatment for LGBT Americans: Favors topic 3 Same-sex couples should have the same legal rights: Favors topic 3 2005: No gay adoption; 2011: gay adoption okay: Favors topic 3 Repeal "Don't Ask Don't Tell": let gays serve in military: Strongly Favors topic 3 GOP agenda on gay marriage is divisive social legislation: Favors topic 3 Tried to pass laws favoring domestic partnerships: Favors topic 3 Opposes defining traditional marriage: Strongly Favors topic 3
Favors topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (-3 points on Social scale)	Faith in personal life, but First Amendment for nation: Opposes topic 4 Catholicism & Quakerism influence his political views: Favors topic 4 Opposes death penalty as a Catholic, but upholds VA law: Opposes topic 4 Inspired to public service by Jesuit missionaries: Favors topic 4 Authenticity as Senator means expressing religiosity: Favors topic 4
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	Increase Medicaid funding for low-income individuals: Favors topic 5 Regulate the prices of life-saving drugs: Favors topic 5 Supports federal requirement that children get vaccinated: Favors topic 5 Let Medicare negotiate rates for prescription drug prices: Favors topic 5 Inaction was not a solution for healthcare: Favors topic 5 Public option puts some real competition into the system: Strongly Favors topic 5 Expand pre-natal care to reduce infant mortality rate: Strongly Favors topic 5 Mental health system is chronically under-funded: Favors topic 5 Prevent childhood obesity by improving health education: Favors topic 5 1 million Virginians do not have health insurance: Strongly Favors topic 5 One out of 7 Virginians lack health insurance: Favors topic 5 Adopt national health reform legislation before the end of the year: Strongly Favors topic 5 Opposes repealing ObamaCare: Strongly Favors topic 5 Religious exemption from ObamaCare individual mandate: Strongly Opposes topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Never, ever risk Social Security with privatization: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Fight against any privatization proposals: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Lift the payroll tax cap: Opposes topic 6 No dangerous privatization schemes for Social Security: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Adamantly opposes privatization of Social Security: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Make Social Security work for today's seniors and future: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Rated 100% by ARA, indicating a pro-Trust Fund stance: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-3 points on Economic scale)	Supports Common Core and educational standards: Opposes topic 7 Supports Common Core and educational standards: Opposes topic 7 Spend on education: key to everything we want to achieve: Strongly Favors topic 7 Individualized learning, not charter schools: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Invest in education--from preschool to career skills: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Increase K-12 school funds despite 3 rounds of budget cuts: Favors topic 7 We raised teacher pay & required regular teacher evaluations: Strongly Favors topic 7 Include private & church schools in kindergarten & pre-K: Favors topic 7 School vouchers divert resources from our public schools: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Opposes school vouchers: Opposes topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Society bears cost of pollution (+5 points on Social scale)	Don't require GMO labels for genetically-engineered food: Favors topic 8 We must protect resources like oyster reefs and clean water: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Property rights important when mapping pipeline routes: Opposes topic 8 A clean environment and a strong economy need not contradict: Opposes topic 8 Always work to protect our air, water and land: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Save animal lives with anti-freeze poisoning prevention bill: Opposes topic 8 Comprehensive study of mercury's effect on environment: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Historic investments in water quality & open space: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Re-zoning to account for transportation infrastructure: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Invest in ongoing work to clean up rivers & Chesapeake Bay: Strongly Opposes topic 8 YES on protecting ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems: Opposes topic 8
Opposes topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (+2 points on Social scale)	Require police to wear body cameras: Opposes topic 9 I opposed death penalty but upheld the law: Favors topic 9 Community policing makes community safer AND police safer: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Kaine's Project Exile disproportionately impacted blacks: Favors topic 9 Kaine's Project Exile disproportionately impacted blacks: Favors topic 9 Focus attention on the overuse of incarceration: Opposes topic 9 Teach Safe Relationships: prevent sexual assault: Favors topic 9 Release non-violent inmates 90 days early: Strongly Opposes topic 9 Smart sentencing: reduce number of "technical violations": Strongly Opposes topic 9 Don't re-traumatize sex crime victims during investigation: Favors topic 9 Supports Project Exile’s longer mandatory sentences: Strongly Favors topic 9 Moratorium on the death penalty until it is fair: Opposes topic 9 Rated 64% by the NAPO, indicating a moderate stance on police issues: Neutral on topic 9
Strongly Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-5 points on Economic scale)	I'm a gun owner but I'm scarred from scourge of gun violence: Opposes topic 10 After VA Tech shooting, closed background check loophole: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Limit size of magazines and ammunition clips: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Gun violence causes unbearable pain; stand up to gun lobby: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Limit high-capacity clips to no more than ten bullets: Opposes topic 10 Invest in community-based mental health care: Opposes topic 10 Instant background checks including mental health database: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Prevent gun sales if buyer declared dangerously mentally ill: Opposes topic 10 Strongly supports the Second Amendment: Strongly Favors topic 10 Supports restricting the Second Amendment: Strongly Opposes topic 10 YES on banning high-capacity magazines of over 10 bullets: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-3 points on Economic scale)	We tried Trump tax plan in 2000s: it caused Great Recession: Strongly Favors topic 11 Close some gaping loopholes that advantage big corporations: Strongly Favors topic 11 Fix the tax code to help businesses without lobbying clout: Favors topic 11 Keep Bush tax cuts except for the wealthy: Favors topic 11 No budget-busting tax cuts; we can't afford to try it again!: Strongly Favors topic 11 Allow Bush tax cuts for wealthy to expire: Strongly Favors topic 11 Balance taxes: let Bush tax cuts expire at the top end: Strongly Favors topic 11 No need for millionaire's tax: just let Bush cuts expire: Favors topic 11 Let Bush tax cuts expire, but do not raise capital gains tax: Favors topic 11 Opposes "Cut, Cap and Balance" as all cuts & no balance: Favors topic 11 Growth sharing: split local tax revenue with nearby towns: Strongly Favors topic 11 Replace income tax for low-income with cigarette tax: Favors topic 11 As governor, Kaine signed death tax repeal on big estates: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Repeal death tax, but raise bottom filing threshold: Opposes topic 11 Increase income tax filing threshold from $7,000 to $12,000: Strongly Favors topic 11 Exempt first 20% of home value from property taxes: Opposes topic 11 Proven record of cutting taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Supports increasing tax rates: Strongly Favors topic 11 $12B in federal economic stimulus as state block grants: Favors topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+5 points on Social scale)	Subsidized healthcare and tuition ok for illegal immigrants: Strongly Favors topic 12 No "deportation force" going door-to-door to deport 16M: Strongly Favors topic 12 Supported 2013 Senate immigration reform package: Strongly Favors topic 12 Give millions of families an earned pathway to citizenship: Strongly Favors topic 12 Make it easier for foreign students to get green cards: Favors topic 12 Seeks defined path to earned citizenship, plus DREAM Act: Strongly Favors topic 12 Comprehensive immigration policy instead of xenophobia: Strongly Favors topic 12 Supercharged rhetoric causes hostility to New Americans: Strongly Favors topic 12
Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+2 points on Economic scale)	Global trade is a reality; need more good trade deals: Strongly Favors topic 13 Pass TPP and create true free trade for U.S.: Strongly Favors topic 13 Unfair Chinese trade practices are hurting American workers: Strongly Opposes topic 13 NAFTA allowed the US to export more products to Mexico: Strongly Favors topic 13 Virginia began as an experiment in global trade: Strongly Favors topic 13 Sponsored sugar quotas & import tariffs to stabilize prices: Strongly Opposes topic 13
Strongly Opposes topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (-5 points on Economic scale)	No ban on Muslim immigrants; no ban on Syrian refugees: Strongly Favors topic 14 On Putin: See difference between leadership & dictatorship: Strongly Opposes topic 14 On Putin: See difference between leadership & dictatorship: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Barring Syrian refugees is antithetical to democracy: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Barring Syrian refugees is antithetical to democracy: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Urges US to accept more Syrian refugees: Opposes topic 14 Maintain relations with Britain & EU to move beyond Brexit: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Iran is the real threat; Israel can make peace with Arabs: Opposes topic 14 Allow more Syrian Refugees to resettle in US: Strongly Opposes topic 14 U.S. leadership in global economy, without blind endorsement: Opposes topic 14 It is time to restore freedom to travel to Cuba: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Non-state organizations will have an increasing role: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Investments in international development is important to US: Strongly Opposes topic 14 Strengthen partnerships with Latin America: Opposes topic 14 Redefine War Powers to reflect realities of 21st century: Opposes topic 14 Engage with people from other countries in global commerce: Strongly Opposes topic 14
Strongly Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-5 points on Social scale)	Secured funds to help homeless vets find good housing: Favors topic 15 Help "Blue Water" veterans harmed by Agent Orange: Favors topic 15 Budget cuts made us vulnerable to Libya embassy attack: Favors topic 15 Let Bush tax cuts expire instead of automatic defense cuts: Favors topic 15 Troop Talent Act: ease transition to civilian careers: Favors topic 15 Expand job benefits for members of the Virginia Guard: Favors topic 15 Focus on counter-terrorism and bioterrorism preparedness: Favors topic 15 Maintain the military presence in Virginia: Strongly Favors topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Make voter registration easier (+5 points on Social scale)	Term limits for members of Congress: Favors topic 16 No photo ID requirement for voting: Strongly Favors topic 16 Citizens United erodes democracy and undermines elections: Strongly Favors topic 16 Citizens United encourages lobbyists to influence votes: Strongly Favors topic 16 Voting Rights Advancement for marginalized groups: Strongly Favors topic 16 We must ban secret money from campaigns: Strongly Favors topic 16 Regulate re-districting so incumbent is not always favored: Strongly Favors topic 16 Voter suppression the worst kind of political corruption: Strongly Favors topic 16 For making public companies publish their political spending: Favors topic 16 Yes to disclosing sources of secret donations: Strongly Favors topic 16 Matching fund for small donors, with debate requirements: Favors topic 16 Public financing of federal campaigns by voter vouchers: Favors topic 16
Favors topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (+2 points on Social scale)	Create a humanitarian zone in northern Syria, with UN aid: Favors topic 17 Create a humanitarian zone in northern Syria, with UN aid: Favors topic 17 Terrorism threat is down due to killing Osama and Iran deal: Favors topic 17 Senate and UN agreed on sanctions against North Korea: Opposes topic 17 Iran deal stopped nuclear program without firing a shot: Strongly Favors topic 17 Success in Ukraine means resistance to Russian aggression: Opposes topic 17 Proactively address North Korean nuclear & missile programs: Opposes topic 17 Wanted a War on ISIL vote in Congress and would support it: Opposes topic 17 Congress censured Obama for troops to Libya without asking: Strongly Favors topic 17 If we allow a nuclear Iran, others will follow; but deal ok: Opposes topic 17 The public deserves robust debate before we go to war: Strongly Favors topic 17 Authorize military force against ISIL, phasing out Iraq AUMF: Opposes topic 17 We ended war in Iraq and are ending Afghan war now: Favors topic 17 Nuke deal with Iran is dramatic improvement over status quo: Strongly Favors topic 17 Supported Obama's stopping the Iraq War: Favors topic 17 Afghanistan war was not a war of Obama's choosing: Opposes topic 17 Iraq was a wrong choice; Afghanistan was no choice: Favors topic 17 Let Israel & Palestine negotiate about status of Jerusalem: Favors topic 17 Visited VA National Guard members in Green Zone in Baghdad: Opposes topic 17 Americans were given inaccurate information regarding Iraq: Favors topic 17
Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-3 points on Economic scale)	Support wind, nuclear, fracking, and offshore drilling: Opposes topic 18 Climate is a big issue, but government is not always the fix: Opposes topic 18 Cut subsidies to big oil companies: Strongly Favors topic 18 We are producing more energy than ever; find alternatives: Favors topic 18 Major attention on creating green jobs: Strongly Favors topic 18 Reduce electricity consumption by 19% by 2025: Strongly Favors topic 18 Nuclear reactors will be key to America's energy future: Opposes topic 18 We can't drill our way out; diversify our portfolio: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Key to success is availability of reliable, low-cost power: Opposes topic 18 Set goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025: Strongly Favors topic 18
Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-3 points on Social scale)	Against decriminalizing marijuana at state or federal level: Strongly Opposes topic 19 Supported Senate bill to fight opioid epidemic: Favors topic 19 Reduce sentences but do not decriminalize pot: Favors topic 19 Anti-drug and anti-gang units in State Police: Favors topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-5 points on Economic scale)	Supports government funding for space travel: Favors topic 20 Invest in infrastructure & invest in our workforce: Strongly Favors topic 20 Trump is "You're fired"; Hillary is "You're hired": Strongly Favors topic 20 No budget-busting tax cuts; we can't afford to try it again!: Strongly Favors topic 20 Tea Party's reckless economic policies create uncertainty: Strongly Favors topic 20 Reverse the sequester: harmful, across-the-board budget cuts: Favors topic 20 I cut state spending $5B while investing in infrastructure: Strongly Favors topic 20 Opposes "Cut, Cap and Balance" as all cuts & no balance: Strongly Favors topic 20 Cabinet Community Days: we see people worried but hopeful: Strongly Favors topic 20