Ballotpedia.org political website: on Government Reform

Aimee Winder Newton: Need strong planning for Utah's tremendous growth

I firmly believe that government leaders need to take more seriously their charge to use tax dollars in a responsible way. On the county council I come prepared with ideas on how to cut wasteful spending and to better utilize dollars to make long-term impact and investment for the state's second largest budget. As Governor, I will bring that same diligence and fiscal conservatism to the state budget.

Andy Martin: End partisan bickering and gridlock in Congress

A: Work to end the partisan bickering and gridlock in the U. S. House.

Q: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

A: Fighting endemic corruption in government and politics.

Q: What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

A: To stand up against prevailing orthodoxy.

Jo Rae Perkins: 12-year term limits; no more career politicians

• I support term limits, 12 years maximum in Congress. No more career politicians
• I will work to shrink the size of the federal government agencies. This should lead to curtailing out of control spending and reduce the over reach of those agencies.
• I support Medical Freedom, am Pro life and Pro 2nd Amendment.

Joan Farr: Term limits for Senate and House

A: I am in favor of term limits. If the president is limited to two, then this should be the requirement for the Senate and House as well. There is too much power and control when Senators stay in any longer.

Q: Do you believe that it's beneficial for senators to have previous experience in government or politics?

A: To some degree, but I truly feel that we need more Christian women and more regular people in office who believe and follow The Golden Rule. There are too many wealthy people and mainly lawyers who are senators, and they do not truly represent the majority of people.

John Chiang: Dock pay of legislators unless they balance budget

On June 22, Chiang announced that he was following through with his promise. Legislators did pass a budget, but according to Chiang, the budget they passed had a $1.85 billion deficit, and was therefore not a legal budget under the state's requirement that its budget must be balanced. Therefore, Chiang said, there was functionally no budget and by the terms of Proposition 25, he was required to stop paying the state's legislators. The impact to individual members of the California State Legislature was about $400/day

Maggie Toulouse Oliver: Supports same day voter registration & early voting

Maggie supports strengthening access to the polls with same day voter registration, expansion of early voting hours and properly training poll workers to ensure no registered voter is ever turned away from the polls.

Mike Pompeo: Russian hacking impact 2016 election & not the first time

Sen. Feinstein also asked Pompeo for his views on the report, to which he responded, "It's pretty clear what took place here, with Russian involvement in efforts to hack information and to have an impact on American democracy. I'm very clear-eyed about what that intelligence report says. This is very real. It is growing. It is not new, in that sense. This was an aggressive action taken by the senior leadership inside of Russia and America has an obligation, and the CIA is part of that obligation, to protect that information."

Ryan Zinke: Work with states and rebuild national parks

Zinke described his three broad goals if he is confirmed: "The first is to restore trust by working with rather than against local communities and states. I fully recognize that there is distrust, anger, and even hatred against some federal management policies. Being a listening advocate rather than a deaf adversary is a good start. Second, is to prioritize the estimated $12.5 billion in backlog of maintenance and repair in our National Parks. The President elect is committed to a jobs and infrastructure bill, and I am going to need your help in making sure that bill includes shoring up our Nation's treasures. And third, to ensure the professionals on the front line, our rangers and field managers, have the right tools, right resources, and flexibility to make the right decisions that give a voice to the people they serve."

Tom Steyer: Electoral College votes should reflect popular vote

Report on Steyer's stance and spending on ballot initiatives:
• California Presidential Electoral College Reform Initiative (2008):
• Steyer Opposed; Steyer spent $111,475; outcome: Not on Ballot
• The California Presidential Electoral College Reform Initiative, also known as CERI, or the Presidential Election Reform Act-- PERA--was a proposed ballot measure that would have appeared on the June 2008 California ballot.
• The measure would have changed the way that California allocates its presidential Electoral College votes. Currently, the presidential candidate who wins the popular vote in the state gets all 55 of California's electoral college votes. The winner-take-all system would be replaced with one that awards 53 of the state's 55 electoral votes individually to whichever presidential candidate gets the most votes in each congressional district.
• The effort did not make the deadline for the June ballot, however, and was ultimately abandoned.

Zak Ringelstein: Protect democracy from corrupting influence of big money

Jeff Jackson: Need independent redistricting; current method is corrupt

A: Strong personal relationships with other legislators are indispensable. Debate all you want on the senate floor, but you better be able to walk over at the end and have a conversation.

Q: What process do you favor for redistricting?

A: We absolutely must implement independent redistricting. The current method - which my party used for far too long - is openly corrupt and to the extreme detriment of the state.

Marc Molinaro: Two-term limit for governors; end pay-to-play donations

Valerie Foushee: Supports independent redistricting commission

A: The creation of an Independent Redistricting Commission

Q: What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

A: Desire to serve others Compassion Integrity Character