Card image cap

Kevin Gaither's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Key

Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.
Additional Information: Click on this icon to reveal more information about this candidate's position, from their answers or Vote Smart's research.
Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.

Kevin Gaither did not provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2024 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.

What is the Political Courage Test?

Issue Positions

For Presidential and Congressional candidates who refuse to provide voters with their positions, Vote Smart has researched their public records to determine their likely responses. These issue positions are from 2024.

  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? "Yes" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)? "Yes" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? "No" (justfacts.votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
This candidate has responded to a Political Courage Test in a previous election. As a continued effort to provide the American public with factual information on candidates running for public office, these archived responses are made available here.
Pro-choice Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
This has been used as a wedge issue by Republicans to divide Americans for decades, and they've not produced results for the pro-life movement. What they have accomplished is limiting access for pre-natal care for women, limiting access for healthcare for children and adolescents, and have limited options for both men and women in avoiding unwanted pregnancies. Instead of focusing on the goal, which is to support life, the pro-life movement has been focused on efforts that increase abortions.
Yes In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
Yes In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?
Tax breaks for workers and small businesses are great for boosting the economy. We also need a strong defense, but the Department of Defense has many times asked for cuts in certain appropriations. It's difficult for some members of Congress to vote against workers that are employed by defense contractors. An option would be to give these workers more, better paying options.
Yes Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
The Citizens United ruling setback campaign finance reform a generation. It has allowed billions of dark money into our elections, which has further disenfranchised voters. We must have increased transparency of whom is contributing to which campaigns and candidacies.
Yes Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
No Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
Infrastructure and other spending actually produces economic growth in the form of jobs, paychecks, and spending. If we were to lower corporate taxes, it must be tied to guarantees for increased wages, for keeping American jobs in America, bringing jobs back to America, and repatriating money back to the US. We should target any corporate tax breaks to small businesses who pay substantially higher percentages of their income than large corporations.
No Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
The failure of No Child Left Behind and the obsession with test scores has led to a decrease in critical thinking skills in our graduates from high school. This has led to a decline in employment opportunities. We need to allow local jurisdictions to have more control over their curriculums to give students the skills and training for the jobs in their communities. There of course should be some guidelines, but giving students more choices will give them more ownership over their educational goals.
Yes Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
Yes Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
One out of every 50 jobs created in America in 2016 were solar jobs. We should also be leveling the playing field for individual investors with regard to buyback and net metering contracts. New growth sectors like hemp biofuels are also great opportunities for creating jobs and reducing emissions. We also must level the playing field for small oil and gas companies. Methane-recapture technology is expensive, fee and regulation scheme is squashing them out of the market as it supports big energy companies. These small local companies care about land and water where there wells pump.
No Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
Since the expiration of the 2004 Assault Weapons Ban, there has been no meaningful gun reform passed by the Congress. We should have bi-partisan, common sense gun reform legislation in the form of background checks, mandated reporting from local, state, military, and federal law enforcement, and increase accountability and responsibility mechanisms for owners whose firearms are used in violence, increased penalties for bulk gun purchasers.
No Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
The ACA was a good first effort, but it was never supposed to be a perfect fix. Any major reform must have legislative and administrative fixes in order to correct mistakes. It was not a government takeover of healthcare, but a private insurance takeover. By limiting options for Americans in the marketplace, prices began to skyrocket yet again. That's unacceptable. We also should begin tackling the drivers of the high cost of healthcare: prescription drugs, fee for service, lack of access, and lack of choice.
No Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
No Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
National security is vital. Spending billions of taxpayer dollars on a wall that people can dig under, climb over, and tear down isn't an effective use of our money. We should streamline our immigration systems and pass a bipartisan immigration bill similar to what was near passage in 2013. Deporting tens of millions of people is not only unfeasible, it would increase our deficit and debt tremendously. There is a consensus on DACA, and we should give them certainty now.
Yes Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
The War on Weed is another one of the blunders of the American War on Drugs. It should have never been classified as a Schedule I drug. States that have legalized it have seen a drop in opioid and heroin overdoses. And, it's less dangerous than both alcohol and tobacco, both of which are legal and regulated.
Yes Should the United States use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a nuclear weapon?
Yes Do you support increased American intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts beyond air support?
These are difficult questions. After the blunder into Iraq, trust in both military interventions and intelligence is understandably rocky. Any intervention must be as a last resort. We have to be reach out and be working with our allies and with regional support. We can't be engaging in extended nation building. We have to have achievable military objectives. We have to have both a robust diplomatic presence and activities.
Increasing economic opportunities in the 15th District has to be the top priority. We do this with an infrastructure investment that puts people back to work. These jobs will last for years, leading to other jobs that feed, clothe, shelter, and give choices for relaxation for workers. We also expand our agriculture and manufacturing base by investing in the industrialization of hemp, becoming an export hub to the country and the globe. Increasing access for healthcare is also right along this growth strategy while simultaneously tackling the drivers of the high costs.

Vote Smart does not permit the use of its name or programs in any campaign activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches.

arrow_upward