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34 days until Election Day. 14 races in Michigan for seats in the U.S. Congress.

With just more than a month until Nov. 3, races span across the state as far north as the Upper Peninsula and several in the southeast Michigan and Detroit areas.

Here is a roundup of the races, including the 28 major-party candidates and the handful of third-party ones.

Candidates filled out answers for previews on where they stand on several issues, according to questionnaires compiled by a partnership between MLive and the League of Women Voters. Access the full guide and search for candidates in your area at vote411.org.

U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, (left) is running for a third term against Democratic challenger Dana Alan Ferguson (right). Both photos are courtesy of the candidates' campaigns.Courtesy Photo

U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman looks to keep northern Michigans 1st District red amid challenge from Democrat Dana Ferguson

Northern Michigans representative in Washington has been a Republican for more than a decade.

Incumbent Rep. Jack Bergman wants to keep it that way. Dana Alan Ferguson is his Democratic challenger in the 1st Congressional District.

Ferguson topped church leader Linda ODell in the Aug. 4 Democratic primary, earning about 45,000 votes, 64% of the electorate. Bergman, R-Watersmeet, ran unopposed for the Republican nomination.

Related: Ferguson wins nomination to face Jack Bergman in Michigans 1st Congressional District

Northern Michigan is one of the stronger Republican strongholds in the state, but Ferguson, a former production manager at lumber company Bell Forest, is vying for a chance to turn it blue for the first time since Rep. Bart Stupak won in 2008.

I think too many (Democrats) look at the 1st District and look at Northern Michigan and theyve written it off, Ferguson said. This is a huge mistake, because I can say with certainty after traveling to all 32 counties multiple times over the last year, it is far from a waste of my time. This is a very, very winnable district, and there are so many people who have more progressive principles that are going to be voting.

According to the Cook Political Report Partisan Voting Index, the 1st Congressional District is strongly Republican, trending +9 points red.

Bergman, a retired Marine lieutenant general, topped 2018 Democratic challenger Matt Morgan by more than 42,000 votes, winning the seat by more than 12 percentage points. The Republican initially won the seat in 2016 by 53,000 votes over Lon Johnson, former Michigan Democratic Party chair.

He sees his role as Northern Michigans congressman as working to allow people from either political persuasion to live the American dream, with more freedom from federal control.

Get a good K-12 education, then allow them to have options like college or tech school or military or into the workforce... whatever it happens to be, Bergman said.

Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, left, faces a challenge in the November 2020 general election from Democrat Bryan Berghoef, a Holland pastor.

Huizenga faces Democratic pastor in quest to keep 2nd Congressional seat

West Michigans representative in the U.S. House of Representatives is facing a Democratic challenge from a pastor and political newcomer.

Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, is seeking a sixth term representing Michigans 2nd Congressional District.

Challenging him for the two-year term is Democrat Bryan Berghoef, pastor of the Holland United Church of Christ.

Also appearing on the ballot are three third-party candidates: Jean-Michael Creviere, representing the Green Party; Max Riekse, representing the Libertarian Party; and Gerald T. VanSickle, representing the US Taxpayers Party of Michigan.

Michigans 2nd Congressional District includes all of Lake, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, and Ottawa counties and areas of Allegan, Kent, and Mason counties.

Democrat Hillary Scholten and Republican Peter Meijer

Republican Peter Meijer, Democrat Hillary Scholten seek to replace Justin Amash in Congress in 3rd District

The race to replace U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, L-Cascade Township, in Congress features two political newcomers: Republican Peter Meijer and Democrat Hillary Scholten.

Neither Miejer, a 32-year-old Army veteran and former analyst, nor Scholten, a 38-year-old attorney, have held public office. But both candidates say they have what it takes to effectively represent Michigans 3rd Congressional District.

Heres a look at the candidates:

The 3rd Congressional District includes the city of Grand Rapids, a large portion of Kent County, part of Montcalm County, as well as Ionia County, Barry County and Calhoun County, which is home to Battle Creek.

Republican Incumbent John Moolenaar, far left, will be facing off against three contenders during the Nov. 3 election, pictured from left to right - Democrat Jerry Hilliard David Canny of the Libertarian party, Amy Slepr of the Green party. Courtesy of the Women League of Voters, Vote411.

U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar faces 3 contenders for central Michigans 4th Congressional District

Republican U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar faces three contenders in the November general election for the right to represent mid-Michigan in Congress.

Moolenaar, of Midland, is seeking reelection on Nov. 3. He faces Democrat Jerry Hilliard, David Canny of the Libertarian Party and Amy Slepr of the Green Party for the 4th District seat.

Moolenaar previously served on the Midland City Council as well as in the Michigan House of Representatives and in the State Senate. Prior to his governmental experience, Moolenaar worked as a chemist, small business administrator and a school administrator. He holds a bachelors from Hope College and a Masters of Public Administration from Harvard University.

Hilliard has served as the former chair and vice chair of Isabella County Democratic Party and has been a precinct delegate, poll worker, and poll watcher. Currently, Hilliard is an adjunct faculty member at Lansing Community College in economics. He holds a bachelors from Central Michigan University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan - Flint.

Canny is a retail seafood executive, who handles tasks such as operations, global procurement, marketing, and product development while Slepr is a retired nurses aide who holds a bachelors in psychology from Central Michigan University.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Daniel Kildee is facing Republican Tim Kelly, Libertarian James Harris and Working Class Party candidate Kathy Goodwin in the Nov. 3 election for the 5th district seat.(Photos supplied to MLive)

U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee faces former state representative Tim Kelly, 2 others for 5th District House seat

Democratic U.S. Rep. Daniel Kildee, who represents the 5th Congressional District in mid-Michigan, faces three challengers in the Nov. 3 general election.

Tim Kelly is the Republican candidate opposing Kildee and a former Michigan state representative from Saginaw County. Also on the ballot are Libertarian James Harris and Working Class Party candidate Kathy Goodwin.

The 5th Congressional District includes Genesee, Bay, Arenac and Iosco counties and parts of Tuscola and Saginaw counties.

Democrat Jon Hoadley is challenging Republican Fred Upton for the U.S. House District 6 seat on Nov. 3.

State Rep. Jon Hoadley among a trio challenging Congressman Fred Upton for the 6th District seat

State Rep. Jon Hoadley, D-Kalamazoo, is considered the front-runner among those seeking to unseat U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, to represent Michigans 6th Congressional District.

The district has long been a Republican stronghold. Upton is seeking his 18th consecutive term in the November general election.

In addition to the Democratic Party, the other challengers appearing on the Nov. 3 ballot are members of the Libertarian and Green parties.

Libertarian Jeff Depoy, 35, is a machinist and veteran from Berrien Center. For more about his experience and campaign, visit facebook.com/jefffor6th

Green Party candidate John Lawrence, 31, is a medical dispatcher and logistics and courier transporter from Kalamazoo. For more about his experience and campaign, visit facebook.com/RapsRantsRamblings

Upton, 67, was first elected in 1986. In the August primary he secured 62.66% of the votes to defeat GOP challenger Elena Oelke.

The 6th Congressional District covers much of Southwest Michigan, including the counties of Kalamazoo, Van Buren, Cass, St. Joseph, Berrien and Allegan.

Gretchen Driskell, D-Saline, hopes to unseat incumbent Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, to represent Michigan's 7th Congressional District. (Photos provided to MLive)

Walberg, Driskell face off for third time for 7th Congressional District seat

Gretchen Driskell hopes a third times the charm to unseating Republican U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg in November.

The former Saline mayor and Democrat is running for Michigans 7th Congressional District against incumbent Walberg, of Tipton, now in his sixth term.

Walberg beat Driskell in 2018 with 54% of the vote in the Republican-leaning district. The 7th Congressional District also supported President Donald Trump in the 2016 election when Walberg beat Driskell with 55% of the vote.

The district includes Monroe, Lenawee, Hillsdale, Branch, Jackson and Eaton counties, along with western Washtenaw.

Voters in Michigan's 8th Congressional District will choose between Paul Junge, left, and U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, on Nov. 3, 2020. (MLive File Photos)

U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin faces challenge from Paul Junge in Michigans 8th Congressional District

U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, is seeking a second term after flipping Michigans 8th congressional district, while GOP challenger Paul Junge is vying to reclaim the seat for Republicans.

Slotkin is a former CIA analyst elected in 2018 to represent a district that supported President Donald Trump two years earlier. Junge, a former prosecutor and television anchor, argues he can better represent the politically-mixed district, though Slotkin touts a bipartisan record in her first term.

Junge earned the Republican Partys nomination by winning a four-way primary with 35% of the vote. Slotkin ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Libertarian candidate Joe Hartman is also on the Nov. 3 ballot. Hartman, a tax accountant and former math teacher, is not taking campaign donations and said hes running to bring more awareness to libertarian issues.

The 8th District covers the traditionally Republican-leaning Livingston County, Democratic-leaning Ingham County and portions of Oakland County that have begun to trend blue in recent elections. However, Trump won the 8th District by 7 percentage points in 2016 and will be on the ballot with Junge on Nov. 3.

Slotkin won by a narrow 3.5 points in 2018. She lost Oakland and Livingston counties but won Ingham County by a wide margin, giving her enough votes to become the first Democrat to represent the 8th District since 2001.

U.S. Rep. Andy Levin, D-Bloomfield Twp., left, and Republican challenger Charles Langworthy will face off in November for Michigan's 9th District congressional seat.

Levin, Langworthy offer very contrasting visions in 9th District congressional race

U.S. Rep. Andy Levin, D-Bloomfield Twp., is looking to keep his congressional seat in the family for a 20th term as he faces Republican challenger Charles Langworthy in the Nov. 3 election.

Levin won the seat in 2018, replacing his father Sandy Levin, who represented the district for 18 terms before retiring.

Langworthy, briefly a U.S. Navy sailor and now a realtor with Liberty Way in Lake Orion, earned 57% of the vote to defeat Gabi Grossbard in the Republican primary on Aug. 4. He received more than 32,000 votes to win the nomination.

Read more: Langworthy wins primary, will challenge Congressman Andy Levin in November

The 9th Congressional District spans portions of northern Oakland and Macomb counties. The Cook Political Report rates the district as trending +4 points Democratic.

Langworthy calls himself a constitutional patriot and a proud American that loves this nation and its people. He has appeared with other Michigan Republican candidates alongside the Trump Unity Bridge.

I am a man of conviction with a good moral compass that wants nothing more than to live in a free and prosperous nation, he says on his campaign website.

Before being elected to Congress, Levin was a business owner, a director of the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth under former Gov. Jennifer Granholm, and a staff attorney for former President Bill Clintons labor law reform commission.

LEFT: Republican 10th Congressional District candidate Lisa McClain. RIGHT: Democratic 10th Congressional candidate Kimberly Bizon. (Courtesy photos)

Lisa McClain, Kimberly Bizon face off in Michigans 10th Congressional District

Voters in Michigans 10th Congressional district will be picking a new person to represent them in Congress this fall, choosing between Republican businesswoman Lisa McClain and second-time Democratic candidate Kimberly Bizon.

McClain, the senior vice president of the Michigan-based financial services company Hantz Group, came out the victor in a competitive three-way primary with state Rep. Shane Hernandez and retired brigadier general Doug Slocum.

She said she initially thought about running when former U.S. Rep. Candice Miller left office, but ultimately put it on the back burner because her youngest child was still in middle school at the time. This year, she said, her family was discussing politics at dinner one night when her daughter suggested she try running for office.

She looked across the table at me and said, 'Mom, if you dont like the situation, why dont you change it? McClain said. And that really started me thinking again...I think with my leadership ability, my experience, my logicalness in my ability to bring people together, I think the timing is perfect.

Bizon, an environmental activist and the web and interactive director at Sussman Agency, defeated Kelly Noland, a U.S. Army veteran and longtime nurse. In 2018, she ran an unsuccessful challenge against current U.S. Rep. Paul Mitchell, and said she decided to run again because I still wasnt pleased with the representation that we were getting in Congress, and also, you dont quit on things that matter.

The 10th is traditionally considered a safely Republican seat Republican candidates have won the district since 2003, and President Donald Trump carried the region by 32 points in 2016.

Voters in Michigan's 11th District will choose between U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Rochester Hills, and Republican Erik Esshaki in the Nov. 3, 2020 election. (MLive File Photos)

U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens faces Eric Esshaki in Michigans 11th Congressional District

U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Rochester Hills, is running for reelection against Republican attorney Eric Esshaki in Michigans 11th Congressional District.

Stevens, who previously served as chief of staff on an auto industry task force convened by former President Barack Obama, was first elected in 2018 and replaced a retiring Republican. Esshaki, a Birmingham attorney and former nurse, is running to flip the district back into Republican hands in his first bid for public office.

Esshaki earned the Republican Partys nomination in August, winning a five-way primary with 31% of the vote. Stevens ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Libertarian candidate Leonard Schwartz, a retired professor of business law and economics, is also on the Nov. 3 ballot.

The 11th District covers portions of northwestern Wayne County and southwestern Oakland County. The district has been represented by Republicans for most of its existence.

Stevens is the first Democrat to represent the district since David Curson was elected to serve a partial term in 2012. If she wins reelection, Stevens would be the first Democrat to serve a second term in the districts modern form.

Stevens was elected in 2018 by a 7 point margin. Two years earlier, President Donald Trump won the district by 4 points.

In an interview, Esshaki said he is running to ensure the economy recovers after the COVID-19 pandemic. He also supports traditional Republican policies like banning abortions, protecting the second amendment and keeping taxes at the current level.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, speaks during a "Where do we go from here?" rally on the University of Michigan Diag on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020.

Dingell faces 2 repeat challengers in Michigans 12th Congressional District race

As U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell looks to keep her seat in Congress another two years, she faces two repeat opponents in the Nov. 3 election.

Republican Jeff Jones and Working Class Party candidate Gary Walkowicz are both taking another shot at unseating the Dearborn Democrat in Michigans 12th Congressional District.

The last time they faced off in 2018, Dingell won by a wide margin, netting over 80% of the vote in Washtenaw County precincts and nearly 60% in Wayne County precincts.

They also faced off in 2016.

This is Jones' third time running against Dingell, and Walkowiczs fourth time.

The district includes the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti areas, Dearborn and Downriver communities.

Go here to read the rest:
Here are Michigans candidates for U.S. Congress in the 2020 General Election - MLive.com

All seven of Idahos current general-election presidential candidates have met the criteria to be on the ballot, although West faces a legal challenge.

BOISE, Idaho Beyond the marquee matchup of Biden vs. Trump, there are five more names on Idahos presidential ballot, from Kanye West to Rocky De La Fuente.

Rap star Wests ballot status is under legal challenge, but ballots already are being printed. And Idaho is notorious for having an easy process to get on its ballot; back in 2008, a Texas prison inmate, Keith Russell Judd, appeared on the ballot for the states Democratic presidential primary simply by sending a $1,000 check from his prison account.

Idaho was the only state where Judd made the ballot; at the time, then-Secretary of State Ben Ysursa said, We got conned. But the Democratic primary that year was of no legal significance anyway, as the party was using caucuses to select its presidential electors.

For the general election, there are two ways candidates can qualify for the Idahos presidential ballot: Either be the certified nominee of a recognized political party, or, when filing as an independent, submit at least 1,000 verified signatures of registered Idaho voters. All seven of Idahos current general-election presidential candidates have met one or the other of those criteria.

The four recognized political parties in Idaho with ballot status are Republican, Democratic, Libertarian and Constitution Party. The chair of the party does that certification, said Jason Hancock, deputy Idaho secretary of state.

So here are the candidates those four parties have certified:

Republican: Incumbent President Donald Trump and incumbent Vice President Mike Pence. Trumps campaign website is donaldjtrump.com, where he touts his America First platform, promising to lower taxes, repeal and replace Obamacare, end stifling regulations, protect our borders, keep jobs in our country, take care of our veterans, strengthen our military and law enforcement, and renegotiate bad trade deals. Pence is the former governor of Indiana and served in Congress for 12 years.

Democrat: Former Vice President Joe Biden and vice presidential running mate Kamala Harris of California. Bidens campaign website is joebiden.com, where he promotes his Build Back Better platform, promising to rebuild the backbone of the country: The middle class, while also offering detailed proposals issues ranging from jobs to racial equity to energy. Harris is the former California attorney general and currently serves in the U.S. Senate.

Constitution Party: Presidential nominee Don Blankenship of Henderson, Nevada; and running mate William Mohr of Michigan. Blankenships campaign website is donblankenship.com, where he touts his Third Way for America, based on equality, ethics and exactness. The former CEO of Massey Energy served a year in federal prison and a halfway house on misdemeanor charges of conspiring to violate federal mine safety laws related to a 2010 West Virginia coal mine explosion in which 29 workers died. Mohr is a former truck driver who chairs the Michigan affiliate of the Constitution Party.

Libertarian Party: Presidential nominee Jo Jorgensen of Greenville, South Carolina, and running mate Jeremy Spike Cohen of Boston. Jorgensens campaign website is jo20.com, where she advocates U.S. withdrawal from the United Nations and NATO; free-market economic policies; and decriminalizing drug use. Jorgensen, who was the Libertarian Partys nominee for vice president in 1996, is a psychology instructor at Clemson University with advanced degrees and a background in high-tech; Cohen is a retired web designer and podcast host.

Jorgensens campaign bus tour is bringing her to Idaho this week, with stops planned Wednesday in Boise and Thursday in Idaho Falls.

The three independent candidates who are currently scheduled to appear on the Idaho presidential ballot assuming the court challenge doesnt remove West are:

Roque Rocky De La Fuente of San Diego, who on his candidacy papers asked that he be listed on the ballot as Rocky Rocky De La Fuente, and running mate Darcy Richardson of Jacksonville, Florida. De La Fuentes campaign website is rocky101.com. A businessman and perennial candidate, De La Fuente has run multiple times for president and Congress, and has run as a Democrat, Republican, third-party candidate and independent. Richardson is a former Democrat and founder of the Florida Peace and Freedom Party.

In this years presidential primary, De La Fuente paid the $1,000 filing fee and ran as a Republican in Idaho, garnering 637 votes. At the same time, his son, also named Roque De La Fuente, ran in Idahos Democratic primary; he collected just 22 votes.

Brock Pierce of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and running mate Karla Ballard of Jacksonville, Florida. Pierce is a cryptocurrency entrepreneur and former child actor originally from Minnesota; his campaign website is brock.vote, where he lists his campaign principles as liberty, sustainability, wellness, humanity and truth. Ballard is a businesswoman and founder and CEO of YING, a peer-to-peer skill sharing platform.

Kanye West and running mate Michelle Tidball, both of Cody, Wyoming. Tidball is a self-described biblical life coach. Wests minimal campaign website is kanye2020.country; on it, he quotes from the Bible and supports school prayer, reforming policing; and avoiding foreign quagmires, among other aims.

West, a famed rap star who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, is a former supporter of President Trump who filed to run as an independent in Idaho, certifying that he wasnt a member of any political party, but hes actually a registered Republican in Wyoming, which he listed as his state of residence. West also noted on a Federal Election Commission filing an affiliation with the BDY party, an apparent reference to the Birthday Party, which West has cited in public statements but which isnt a recognized political party in Idaho.

West told Forbes in July he picked that party name Because when we win, its everybodys birthday. Hes qualified for the ballot in 10 states, including such battleground states as Colorado, Iowa and Minnesota. Hes made rambling statements about his reasons for running; in several states, Trump campaign backers have worked to help him qualify for the ballot, according to national news reports on CNN, Forbes and Politico.

The Idaho Democratic Party and two Idaho voters filed suit to have West removed from the ballot, contending in court documents that as a registered Republican, hes ineligible to run as an independent, and that votes for an ineligible candidate will dilute the voting power of Democratic voters, which will result in votes being effectively wasted, effectively disenfranchising voters.

Idaho Secretary of State Lawerence Denney, when asked about the West candidacy and the legal challenge, said, Im not surprised by anything any more.

West qualified for the Idaho ballot by collecting 1,000 verified signatures of Idaho registered voters between Aug. 17 and Aug. 24, all in Ada County. Those signing included registered Republicans, Democrats, third-party members and unaffiliated voters.

You know, I didnt even know Id signed that, said retired Boise real estate broker Randy Hickox, a registered Republican, when asked why hed signed. Mustve been something that popped up on my computer or something. I think he has the right to be on the ballot, but I didnt sign up for him. Hes not my guy.

Molly OShea, a registered Democrat and retired educator, said she was approached by a gentleman in the parking lot at Albertsons on Broadway and said shed not at that point heard about Wests support for Trump. The intention was not to take votes away from the Democratic Party, but rather to give voice to independents as I feel we need to be more inclusive in our ballot process, OShea said. I am so taken aback.

If you enjoy reading articles like this one from our partners at the Idaho Press, please considersubscribing to them for newspaper delivery or digital accessto help ensure stories like this are told.

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Read more:
Idaho has 7 candidates on its presidential ballot, including Kanye West - KTVB.com

There are many ways you can vote in Indiana, including voting on Election Day or voting early by mail or by in-person absentee voting. Here is what you need to know. Wochit

The 5th Congressional District election to replace retiring Republican Congresswoman Susan Brooks is among the most-watched races in the country for Democrats, Republicans and political pundits alike, and is likely the Democrats'best shot of flipping a Congressional seat in Indiana.

Democrat Christina Hale, Republican Victoria Spartz and Libertarian Ken Tucker will face off in the Republican-leaning district thatstretches from Marion County to the city of Marionand includes theHamilton County suburbs.

IndyStar asked all three candidates where they stand on issues that matter to voters. Here's whatTucker said:

Christina Hale:Where the Democratic candidate for the 5th District stands on the issues

Victoria Spartz:Where the Republican candidate for the 5th District stands on the issues

24,000, and counting: Hamilton County begins mailing out absentee ballots for Nov. 3 general election

The responses havebeen edited for clarity.

How would you attempt to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus?

Personally, I have worn a mask, followed social distancing requirementsand utilized common sense. Politically speaking, I believe in science and the information provided by medical professionals. I will follow their guidelines moving forward. As a government official, I would have not denied science, been pragmaticand, at the very leastlistened, to the medical professionals. At no point would I have appointed (Vice President) Mike Pence to any position as it pertains to public health.

How would you address the economic impact of coronavirus?

I admit it has had a huge impact on our society. I believe a rent/mortgage freeze would have been a better use of government strength as opposed to just printing money and increasing our national debt.

Libertarian 5th Congressional District candidate Ken Tucker(Photo: Provided by Ken Tucker)

Do you believe systemic racism existsand, if so, what steps should be taken to address it?

Yes, I do believe those in power have and will do anything they can to maintain power including but not limited to instituting race and economic warfare to keep the general public in preordained boxes/classes. As far as addressing racism, I believe it begins at home. You cant legislate your way out of hatred and bigotry, but you can vote people into office that have a moral compass as opposed to those that have the most money.

How would you balance the need to ensure people can protest while protecting people and property from violence?

This pandemic has been testing the limits of social order and governmental control. I believe in and have participated in many peaceful protests. The people of America have preordained rights to the freedom of speech and assembly. However, spontaneous protests are different than planned and permitted ones. Either way, those that break the law and turn peaceful protests into violent confrontations against any human being(s) or personal property should be arrested.

Should any funding for police be redirected to other social services?

No.

Indiana's 5th congressional district.(Photo: Stephen J. Beard)

Should all K-12 schools be open for full-time, in-person learning despite coronavirus fears?

Yes, but not at 100% capacity. I believe the majority of school districts have done as good a job as could have been imagined going back to last March 14. As a former teacher, I know how difficult it is to teach online. Nothing can compare to in-person education. However, at this time, having schools at 100% capacity is not the best option for school safety. But, let's face it, schools function as child care for working class families. I believe all students have a right to a free public education. During this pandemic,I believe virtual learning should and is playing a major role in education.

Would you do anything to address college affordability and student debt?

Yes.

Do you support increasing the national minimum wage?

Yes.

Would you rescind any of President Trumps 2017 tax changes, or increase taxes for those who are wealthier?

I would not go to Washington to rescind any of the current administration's tax changes from 2017. I am in favor of taxing the wealthiest more than the poor and working class families of America.

Were Trumps tariffs an effective tool against China and other countries?

Yes.

What, if anything, would you do to lower health care costs?

If elected to office, I would work tirelessly to reign in prescription drug and health care costs across the board.

Do you support a Medicare for All system, a public health insurance option or the expansion of Medicare and Medicaid?

I believe all Americans need access to affordable and equitable health insurance.

Republican Victoria Spartz and Democrat Christina Hale, candidates for the 5th Congressional District.(Photo: IndyStar)

What would you change when it comes to the United States immigration policy?

Im a dreamer not a wall builder. I believe in a path to citizenship for all law-abiding people be they legal or illegal. Illegal immigration is a national security risk. Undocumented workers provide many industries with a cheap workforce. But, many times those workers live in fear and it ismodern-day slavery. This should be an issue to all of us in terms of general working conditions, as well as taking jobs away from those looking for honest work, and taking money away from local, state and the federal governments in terms of income tax collection.

Would you continue construction on the U.S.-Mexico border wall?

No. I think building a wall along our southern border is a stunt that has cost taxpayers way too much money. I feel a digital fortress, along with current and more innovative border patrol tactics, would be a more beneficial and cost effective way to tighten up our southern, northern, easternand western borders. Anyway people enter this country illegally be it by foot, on an ATV, by boat, through tunnels, hidden in container ships and vehicles, or low flying airplanes should be monitored and stopped. I believe technology is the answer.

In what cases, if any, should abortions be permitted?

All. I believe in parental rights.

Which gun control policies, if any, would you support?

I support the Jake Laird Act, (otherwise known as the Red Flag Law). I believe in the second amendment. But, it is past time to admit that America has a gun problem. Moving forward I support universal background checks for all gun sales. I also support ending gun shows and internet loopholes as well as demanding some type of gun care, useand training class to obtain any type of carry permit.

Is climate change a primarily man-made problem and if so, should anything be done to stop it?

Climate change and the climate crisis pose one of the greatest existential threats to our planet. Whether it is primarily man-made isnt the point any more. Continuing to ignore this problem is not an option. We as a world leader should be at the forefront of any and all practices and legislation to combat this threat to ensure our overall existence and quality of life on this planet.

Call IndyStar reporter Kaitlin Lange at 317-432-9270. Follow her on Twitter: @kaitlin_lange.

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Where 5th District candidate Ken Tucker stands on coronavirus, racism and other issues - IndyStar

Two months ago, I started a three-article series about the liberals ideas on immigration. I first reviewed the Biden plan. Then, I spoke with representatives of several immigrant rights organizations about their own expectations for reform. (Since then, the Biden campaign has received a unified 10-point immigration reform blueprint endorsed by no fewer than 173 immigrant rights organizations.)

It is now time for the last part of the series: an examination of the perspectives of the radicals who are not satisfied with amnesty for undocumented immigrants and higher immigration quotas, but rather push for a wholesale reconsideration of borders, citizenship and capitalism.

It is remarkably hard to get most liberal activists to discuss the subject of open borders, most likely because they dont want to play into the hands of Trump/Fox News with that kind of discourse, or because they themselves are uncomfortable with the idea of eliminating borders and letting everyone in. No surprise, then, that my first interview on the subject was with an open-borders libertarian, whose beliefs have never been shared by most people around him and who is therefore a lot less afraid now of intellectual ostracism.

Unlike many fair-weather, pick-and-choose libertarians, economist Nathan Smith is consistent in his beliefs that the market is the best mechanism for allocating resources in a society and that every individuals freedom should be maximized, as long as it doesnt impinge on someone elses freedom.

Crucially, when he invokes the utilitarian principle the most good for the greatest number of people, he does not exclusively define people as American citizens; he is concerned with the welfare of all people, everywhere.

Smith points out two dilemmas at the heart of the liberal program of immigration reform:

1) The more permissive the immigration policy (fewer deportations, amnesty, etc.), the more incentives for people to cross the border illegally. This problem cannot be wished away, and conservatives will never tire highlighting it. What happens if, a week after Biden gets inaugurated, a wave of caravans (real ones, this time, not imagined) from Central America start toward the U.S. border?

2) Theres a whole lot of very poor people in the world, Smith says. And a very large portion of them could improve their lot by coming to a country like the United States. And they might make their lives better by doing so, better than they were in their country of origin. But their lives would still not be as good as what we take for granted for even the poorest Americans. If we provide a social safety net to get people up to a certain level, lots of people in the world would love to come here just to get that. But thats not fiscally sustainable. And so, ultimately, theres this conflict between a welfare state on the one hand and open borders on the other.

For the libertarian, the calculus is simple: If a restrictive immigration policy is inhuman and extended welfare benefits are unmanageable, allow in as many immigrants as possible but dont give them access to the social safety net. Yes, such a policy would create even more inequality within the U.S., but globally it would be a net gain.

There are some immigrant rights organizations (not many) who share Smiths vision of open borders thus side-stepping the question of how to choose which immigrants to let in and how many. Nisha Toomey, of No One Is Illegal Toronto, points out that the logic of states with borders and citizenship rights was brought to North America by European settlers, and that an alternative vision of belonging could come from Indigenous peoples, who have other governance mechanisms for allowing people in.

But she takes exception to Smiths assumption that an influx of immigrants, however big, would make a universal safety net impossible.

I think theres a way to govern where we can share, where we can have equity. The planet has enough for all of the people on it, Toomey says. Its the way we are managing what we have that is the problem. Part of the mismanagement is this idea that there always needs to be competition between us because theres not enough resources. What I would advocate would be to tax the rich heavily. We can no longer have these elite classes of people who are just living with billions of dollars.

For a more practical perspective on radical politics, I went to Jana Douglass, a former UMass student of mine from whom Ive learned a lot about a brand of progressivism that does not primarily look to friendly members of Congress for help. She agrees with Toomey that an anti-state approach to achieving justice for migrants would require discarding the capitalist-settler logic of perpetual competition. The alternative she offers is known as prefigurative politics.

What we put into practice now will grow into the tools that we need to fight for tomorrow, Douglass says. Radicals do not know exactly what a future without borders would look like, anymore than the rest of us do. What they are trying to do is build communities right now whose priorities and governing practices can become viable models for what is now just a utopia. Such practices include consensus decision-making, mutual aid initiatives, housing co-ops, alternatives to imprisonment, and, most importantly, the centering of people who have historically been marginalized.

We dont know if the Democrats will win the elections. If they do, we dont know whether theyll listen to the moderates or to the radicals. As far as Im concerned, Im happy both of these wings exist. One can do what they other cant, and they keep each other real.

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Columnist Razvan Sibii: What's the progressive endgame on immigration? Part 3: The radicals' vision - GazetteNET

The Libertarian party nominated two respected former state governors for president and vice-president in 2016, and enjoyed its most successful election performance ever, winning nearly 4.5m votes.

To many, it seemed that the Libertarians were a genuinely relevant third party in US politics, which is overwhelmingly dominated by Republicans and Democrats. But in 2020, the party, which advocates for small government and civil liberties, has gone in a wildly different direction.

The Libertarian vice-presidential candidate this November is an internet talkshow host who ran for office alongside a man wearing a boot on his head, and who has promised the electorate free ponies, zombie power and the killing of baby Hitler.

Spike Cohen, who narrowly won the nomination at the partys virtual convention in May, will team up with Jo Jorgensen, a university lecturer and lifelong Libertarian who has spent years as a loyal party advocate and who is said to have expressed a preference for a more traditional running mate.

The partys method of choosing candidates each is voted for independently by party delegates allowed for the seeming extreme mismatch.

The candidates have seemingly got on with the job, holding separate bus tours around the country, but their stated goals in office could hardly be more different.

Cohen originally ran for the Libertarian vice-president post alongside the presidential candidate Vermin Supreme, a longtime political activist best known for turning up at protests or presidential primaries while wearing a rubber boot on his head.

During the campaign Cohens promises to the electorate were unusual. His 14-point platform included a Waffle House on every corner, legalizing recreational plutonium and developing bullets that instead of harming you do helpful things like clearing up headaches and relieving nasal congestion.

Impeaching every member of the supreme court and replacing them with a janitor, his name is Reginald, and he will be our king, Cohen said in a YouTube broadcast in December.

Youre probably thinking: What do you need a king for if we have a president and vice-president? But the thing is were gonna be time-traveling a lot and you know were not gonna be here all the time.

You know, were gonna be out killing lots of babies that eventually become tyrants. We go back in time and make right what once went wrong. Were not gonna have time to be here doing a bunch of stuff.

After winning the nomination at a virtual convention in May, Cohen said his campaign with Supreme had been fun satire to bring people in, which contradicts what he told ABC15News in January.

The Jorgensen-Cohen campaign did not respond to requests for an interview.

Jorgensen, a Libertarian party member for more than two decades who was the partys vice-presidential nominee in 1996 and who reportedly said she would vote for Cohens rival John Monds for vice-president, ran a more traditional campaign.

If elected president, Jorgensen said at the South Carolina Libertarian party convention in November: I would turn America into one giant Switzerland, armed and neutral, but enough forces to protect and defend American soil.

The Jorgensen-Cohen ticket comes after the Libertarian party won 3.3% of the vote in 2016, the partys best ever performance.

Gary Johnson, a former Republican governor of New Mexico, who was also the Libertarian candidate in 2012, was the presidential candidate in 2016. His running mate was William Weld, a former Republican governor of Massachusetts who this year challenged Donald Trump for the Republican nomination.

Despite the promising electoral performance, Weld, in particular, was criticized by some party members as being Republican lite, which could have prompted the change of strategy this year.

While Cohen may have distanced himself from his promises of ponies, time travel and kings, however, some of his and Jorgensens choices as Libertarian candidates could still serve as a turn-off to voters.

In July the Guardian reported that Jorgensen had appeared on a podcast associated with the anti-government boogaloo movement. One of the interviewers runs a Facebook page laden with memes that appear to invoke white nationalism.

This month, the party involved itself once again with the boogaloo movement, when Cohen spoke at a gun rights rally co-hosted by a self-described boogaloo boy in Richmond, Virginia. Cohen used his speech to argue relaxing gun laws could end police violence.

If you want to have your gun rights defended, if you want to have an end to police brutality because people have more guns, Cohen said at the rally.

In a country dominated by Republicans and Democrats, there is evidence that Americans want a third option.

A 2018 Gallup poll found 57% of Americans believe a third major political party is needed a belief that has more or less held steady for the past 10 years.

Whether Cohens promises of ponies and zombies and time travel fill that need remains to be seen.

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The Libertarian party was up and coming in 2016. What happened? - The Guardian