Interviews on 2020-2022 House, Gubernatorial and Senate races with OnTheIssues

EXPLANATORY NOTE by OnTheIssues.org:

We at OnTheIssues.org ask all candidates for answers to our 20 questions in our VoteMatch quiz. The following Senate candidates have responded in detail. Responding to press inquiries like ours shows a level of openness that augurs well for the candidate in office, regardless of party affiliation.

Almost always, the incumbent ignores our requests, indicating that they don't want their constituents to know their issue stances. We track their voting records accordingly, and infer their VoteMatch responses based on those. We also collect up public statements and book excerpts, and include those in our VoteMatch quiz results as well.

Below are the responses from this year's candidates.

-- Jesse Gordon, jesse@OnTheIssues.org

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Abortion     Al Pisano: Abortion is not a woman's unrestricted right.     Andrew Straw: No abortion for characteristics selection; that's eugenics.     Bob Walsh: Supports a woman's unrestricted right.     Joan Farr: Oppose abortion as a woman's unrestricted right.     Sandy Smith: The right to life is the most important right.     Valencia Stovall: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right.     Brian Moore: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right.

Budget & Economy     Al Pisano: Market-led recovery better than stimulus.     Andrew Straw: I'm a Keynesian; control the money supply.     Bob Walsh: Market-led recovery better than stimulus.     Joan Farr: Market-led recovery better than stimulus.     Sandy Smith: We're $22 trillion in debt with no end in sight.     Valencia Stovall: Market-led recovery better than stimulus.     Brian Moore: Stimulus better than market-led recovery.

Civil Rights     Joan Farr: Oppose same-sex marriage.     Joan Farr: Don'tegally require hiring more women/minorities.

Corporations     Andrew Straw: Make corporations easier and cheaper to create and use.

Crime     Al Pisano: No opinion on crime & punishment.     Bob Walsh: Stricter punishment doesn't reduce crime.     Donald Trump: FactCheck: No, not endorsed by Portland's Sheriff.     Donald Trump: FactCheck: Yes, Trump aide said rioting & chaos helps Trump.     Donald Trump: FactCheck: falsely claims Biden wants to defund the police.     Joan Farr: Stricter punishment reduces crime.     Joe Biden: FactCheck: Endorsed by 175 law enforcement officials.     Sandy Smith: Maximum penalty for horrible crimes like murder and rape.     Valencia Stovall: Stricter punishment reduces crime.     Brian Moore: Stricter punishment doesn't reduce crime.

Drugs     Al Pisano: Marijuana is a gateway drug.     Andrew Straw: Complete legalization of marijuana at federal & state level.     Bob Walsh: Marijuana isn't a gateway drug.     Joan Farr: Marijuana is not a gateway drug.     Sandy Smith: Let doctors prescribe marijuana, at state level.     Valencia Stovall: Marijuana is not a gateway drug.     Brian Moore: Treat drug addiction and mental health on a massive scale.

Education     Al Pisano: Vouchers for school choice.     Bob Walsh: Supports vouchers for school choice.     Joe Biden: FactCheck: Attended U.Delaware, not Delaware State HBCU.     Sandy Smith: Vouchers for school choice, at state level.     Valencia Stovall: Vouchers for school choice.     Brian Moore: Opposes vouchers for school choice.     Joan Farr: Oppose vouchers for school choice.

Energy & Oil     Al Pisano: Don't prioritize green energy.     Bob Walsh: Don't prioritize green energy.     Brian Moore: Prioritize green energy.     Donald Trump: FactCheck: falsely blames windmills for Texas power outage.     Joan Farr: Don't prioritize green energy.     Sandy Smith: Let the free market work on green energy.     Valencia Stovall: Prioritize green energy.

Environment     Al Pisano: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach.     Bob Walsh: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach.     Joan Farr: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach.     Sandy Smith: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach.     Valencia Stovall: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach.     Brian Moore: Support the EPA.

Families & Children     Al Pisano: Opposes same-sex marriage.     Andrew Straw: Make divorce as easy to get as marriage.     Bob Walsh: Supports same-sex marriage.     Brian Moore: Comfortable with same-sex marriage.     Sandy Smith: Supreme Court overstepped by redefining marriage.     Valencia Stovall: Comfortable with same-sex marriage and polygamy.

Foreign Policy     Al Pisano: No opinion on American Exceptionalism.     Bob Walsh: Opposes American Exceptionalism.     Joan Farr: Support American Exceptionalism.     Sandy Smith: Support American Exceptionalism.     Brian Moore: Oppose this false notion of American exceptionalism.

Free Trade     Al Pisano: No opinion on free trade.     Andrew Straw: If unions oppose a trade deal, I do too.     Bob Walsh: Support & expand free trade.     Brian Moore: Free trade causes global inequalities & job loss.     Joan Farr: Support & expand free trade.     Joe Biden: FactCheck: Yes, US has tried "Buy American" for 100 years.     Sandy Smith: Expand free trade, but treat U.S. fairly.     Valencia Stovall: Strongly support & expand free trade.

Government Reform     Al Pisano: Opposes making voter registration easier.     Bill Cassidy: FactCheck: Yes, giving water to voters is criminalized.     Bob Walsh: Make voter registration easier.     Jim Risch: Opposed independent commission to investigate Jan. 6th.     Joan Farr: Don't make voter registration easier.     Joe Biden: 30 years ago, I proposed campaign finance reform.     Jon Ossoff: AdWatch: Fighting corruption is my job; no PAC donations.     Sandy Smith: Protect against fraud, waste, & abuse of our voting system.     Valencia Stovall: Make voter registration easier.     Joan Farr: January 6th investigation is a witch hunt; Trump won.     Pat Toomey: Bipartisan independent commission to investigate Jan. 6th.     Brian Moore: Make voter registration easier.     Jim Risch: Bipartisan independent commission to investigate Jan. 6th.

Gun Control     Al Pisano: Absolute right to gun ownership.     Bob Walsh: Absolute right to gun ownership.     Joan Farr: Absolute right to gun ownership.     Sandy Smith: Absolute right to gun ownership.     Valencia Stovall: Right to gun ownership, with background checks.     Brian Moore: No absolute right to gun ownership.

Health Care     Al Pisano: Oppose ObamaCare.     Bob Walsh: Opposes ObamaCare.     David Perdue: Coronavirus numbers projected were supposed to be much worse.     Donald Trump: FactCheck: No, America has tested less than Europe combined.     Joan Farr: Expand ObamaCare but not income-based.     Joan Farr: Lawsuits would end pandemic; it's about population control.     Jon Ossoff: AdWatch: We were left unprepared for the pandemic.     Sandy Smith: Strongly oppose ObamaCare.     Valencia Stovall: Expand ObamaCare with more state & local regulation.     Brian Moore: Opposes ObamaCare because it allows private sector.

Homeland Security     Al Pisano: No opinion on expanding the military.     Andrew Straw: Minimum income and benefits for those who served in military.     Bob Walsh: Don't expand the military.     Joan Farr: Don't expand the military.     Sandy Smith: Obama drastically weakened our great military.     Valencia Stovall: Don't expand the military.     Brian Moore: Oppose expanding the military.

Immigration     Al Pisano: No opinion on pathway to citizenship.     Bob Walsh: Pathway to citizenship; there are no illegal aliens.     Joan Farr: Oppose pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens.     Sandy Smith: Merit-based immigration; protect American workers first.     Valencia Stovall: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens.     Brian Moore: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens.

Jobs     Al Pisano: Don't legally require hiring more women/minorities.     Bob Walsh: Opposes affirmative action hiring.     Brian Moore: Legally require hiring more women/minorities.     Sandy Smith: Free-market capitalism instead of affirmative action.     Valencia Stovall: Legally require hiring more women/minorities.

Principles & Values     Al Pisano: Keep God in the public sphere.     Andrew Straw: Religious freedom is individual right, not government power.     Bob Walsh: Separate religion from public sphere.     Donald Trump: FactCheck: "We have the best testing in the world"? Not!     Donald Trump: FactCheck: Claims GOP is growing as 30,000+ left.     Jim Risch: Supported certifying the AZ electoral college results.     Joan Farr: Keep God in the public sphere.     Joe Biden: FactCheck: No, only 50% of recent presidents were Ivy league.     Sandy Smith: Keep God in the public sphere.     Valencia Stovall: Keep God in the public sphere.     Donald Trump: The Big Lie was the Election itself.     Donald Trump: January 6 commemoration political theater, a distraction.     Jim Risch: Opposed second impeachment of President Trump.     Brian Moore: Keep God out of the public sphere.

Social Security     Rick Scott: FactCheck: Yes, sunsetting could abolish entitlements .     Al Pisano: No opinion on Social Security privatization.     Bob Walsh: Privatize but Ponzi scheme will fail.     Joan Farr: Don't privatize Social Security.     Sandy Smith: Privatize Social Security, with protections.     Valencia Stovall: Privatizing Social Security creates problems & uncertainty.     Brian Moore: Don't privatize Social Security.

Tax Reform     Al Pisano: Oppose higher taxes on the wealthy.     Bob Walsh: Lower taxes for the middle class.     Brian Moore: Higher taxes on the wealthy.     Donald Trump: Fact Check: Claims falsely that Biden would raise all taxes.     Joan Farr: Higher taxes on the wealthy.     Joe Biden: Return top rate to 39.6% from 37%; cap itemized deductions.     Sandy Smith: Tax all Americans fairly at the same rate.     Valencia Stovall: Higher taxes on the wealthy.

Technology     Justin Olson: Censorship of conservative voices is unconstitutional(?).     Joan Farr: Lawsuits against Big Tech for denying freedom of speech.

War & Peace     Al Pisano: Avoid foreign entanglements.     Bob Walsh: Avoid foreign entanglements.     Joan Farr: Avoid foreign entanglements.     Sandy Smith: Avoid foreign entanglements; peace through strength.     Seth Moulton: AdWatch: Don't send troops back to Iraq.     Valencia Stovall: Avoid foreign entanglements; find peace when necessary.     Brian Moore: Avoid foreign entanglements & regime change abroad.

Welfare & Poverty     Andrew Straw: National public housing system is broken.     Valencia Stovall: Apply American Exceptionalism to slavery & current inequity.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Al Pisano North Carolina Constitution Party Challenger Andrew Straw Disability party candidate for Vermont House Indiana Bill Cassidy Republican Senator Louisiana Bob Walsh Libertarian Senate Challenger New Mexico Brian Moore Florida Green Party candidate for Governor David Perdue Georgia Republican Challenger Donald Trump Republican Presidential incumbent Jim Risch Idaho Former Republican Governor (2006-2007); U.S. Senator Joan Farr Republican Challenger OK and KS Kansas Joe Biden Democratic President; former V.P.; former Senator Jon Ossoff Democratic Senate challenger Georgia Justin Olson Republican Challenger for Senate Arizona Pat Toomey Republican Jr Senator Pennsylvania Rick Scott Florida Republican Governor Sandy Smith Republican 2020 Senate Challenger North Carolina Seth Moulton Massachusetts Democratic candidate for President; U.S. Rep from MA-6 Valencia Stovall Independent challenger for 2-year special election Georgia