Bill Weld
The original source was the Flickr Page of Gary Johnson (https://flickr.com/photos/48065674@N06/27564189200). This image has not been edited.Bio | Bill Weld is a previous governor, attorney and businessman who has worked in various government legal positions over his career. |
Status and Position | Former Governor of Massachusetts |
Political Party and Jurisdiction | Republican, Massachusetts |
Elections | Election Jurisdiction | Started Campaign | Campaign Status | Poll Rankings (of the vote) |
| 2020 Presidential Election United States | United States | Yes | Dropped Out | N/A |
Campaign Financing | Weld accepts donations from both individuals and PACs. He has not vocally advocated for any changes to campaign finance laws. |
Voting Rights | Weld has not released any public statements on plans to expand access to voting rights. |
Opinions on Issues
Issues | Stance | Summary |
| Universal Healthcare | Against | Weld is supportive of increasing access to Medicaid, but would be unlikely to support the abolition of private healthcare. Weld has been critical of current healthcare regulations under the ACA, claiming that it does too much to limit consumer choice. He would abolish restrictions that prohibit the sale of insurance policies across state lines and the sale of pharmaceutical drugs across international borders. |
| Socialized Healthcare | Nuance | Has been critical of some elements of Obamacare, but has said he would opt to reform it rather than repeal it. |
| Private Healthcare | For | Would not eliminate private healthcare. |
| LGBT Rights | For | Is an advocate for LGBT rights. Weld believes that marriage equality is an essential right. |
| Taxes | Against | Supportive of tax cuts. Weld is extremely fiscally conservative, and has said that he has “never met a tax cut [he] didn't like.” He has suggested numerous changes to the current tax code, including a shift to a 19% flat tax rate on income and a significant reduction of the capital gains tax rate. He would also support a simplification of IRS processes, including a “postcard tax return.” |
| Flat Tax Rate | For | Has advocated for a 19% flat tax rate on income. Weld is extremely fiscally conservative, and has said that he has “never met a tax cut [he] didn't like.” He has suggested numerous changes to the current tax code, including a shift to a 19% flat tax rate on income and a significant reduction of the capital gains tax rate. He would also support a simplification of IRS processes, including a “postcard tax return.” |
| Abortion | For | Has fought for abortion rights since the 1990s. Weld is generally supportive of limited government intervention, and has identified himself as a pro-choice Republican. He supports the precedent of Roe v Wade, and has been critical of state policies to limit access to abortion. He has stated that he is not supportive of abortions in the third-trimester, but has not proposed any government restrictions to prevent them. |
| Gun Control | Against | Has opposed gun control measures as a Libertarian. Weld is an advocate for the Second Amendment, but does believe that steps ought to be taken to keep guns out of the wrong hands. As governor of Massachusetts, he advocated for gun control measures such as an assault weapons ban, waiting periods, and increased age requirements, but has said that as president, he would focus on efforts to increase gun safety, rather than to reduce gun ownership. |
| Assisted Suicide | Unknown | Has not made a public statement. Weld is an advocate for the Second Amendment, but does believe that steps ought to be taken to keep guns out of the wrong hands. As governor of Massachusetts, he advocated for gun control measures such as an assault weapons ban, waiting periods, and increased age requirements, but has said that as president, he would focus on efforts to increase gun safety, rather than to reduce gun ownership. |
| Government Interference | Against | Generally believes that government should have little interference in private matters. |
| Planned Parenthood | For | Does not believe in government interference into reproductive healthcare as a Libertarian. |
| Welfare | Against | Does not believe welfare programs should be expanded. Weld has advocated for cutbacks on welfare programs, and believes that private entities such as charities should assume higher responsibility for social welfare instead of the government. |
| Welfare | Unknown | Has not made any public statements on the issue. |
| Death Penalty | For | Weld believes capital punishment should remain an option in extreme circumstances. As Governor of Massachusetts, Weld advocated for the death penalty in extreme circumstances. |
| Mandatory Prison Sentence | Nuance | As Governor of Massachusetts, Weld was supportive of mandatory minimums, but has recently shifted his position to be more encouraging of criminal justice reform. |
| Military Spending | Unknown | Has not specifically outlined what military spending would look like under his Administration, but has been critical of the Trump Administration's general spending. He has indicated that he would be more conservative with military action. |
| War on Terrorism | Unknown | Has not been vocal about the War on Terror, but is generally more supportive of limited intervention. |
| Foreign Policy International Interaction | For | Weld is generally a non-interventionist, although he has been critical of the Trump Administration's extreme isolationism. Weld considers himself to be a non-interventionist, and does not condone the use of military force to prompt regime change or intervene in conflicts abroad. Weld strongly disagreed with the current administration's decision to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. |
| United Nations power | For | Voiced support in 2016 for the US being a UN member. |
| Nationalism | Against | Has stated that nationalism is rooted in hatred and is not the same thing as patriotism. |
| Free Markets | For | Has supported libertarian free market policies. Weld is a strong supporter of free-trade, and has been critical of the Trump Administration’s unrestricted use of tariffs, especially against allies. It should be noted, however, that he did support the administration’s use of protectionist measures against China. |
| Brexit | Unknown | Has not been vocal on the issue. |
| Affirmative Action | For | As Governor of Massachusetts, condemned efforts to eliminate affirmative action programs. |
| Government Spending | Against | Is a strong advocate for reducing government spending, in large part because he sees much it to be inefficient. |
| Charter Schools | For | As Governor of Massachusetts, supported the establishment of the state's first charter schools. |
| Common Core | Against | Does not believe that education standards should be determined by a national standard. Weld is critical of the regulation of education by the federal government. He thus would support completely abolishing the Department of Education and transferring oversight of education standards to the states. |
| Clean Energy | For | Believes that the US should increase use of sustainable energy sources. Weld is supportive of efforts to combat climate change. He believes that the US should commit to goals to significantly reduce emissions within the upcoming decades, and would rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement if elected president. He would support a gradual national shift to renewable energy, especially in the forms of wind and solar power. He has also expressed considerable interest in nuclear power as an alternative source of energy. |
| Religious Freedom | For | Strong advocate for separation of church and state, does not believe that religious freedom includes the right to discriminate. Weld believes in a clear separation of church and state, and has cited strict abortion laws as a violation of this premise. He does not believe that religious freedom should ever be used as a justification for discrimination. |
| Separation of Church and State | For | Believes there should be separation between church and state. |
| Slavery Reparations | Unknown | Has not made any public comments. |
| Border Control | Nuance | Weld opposes proposals to build a wall along the Southern border wall, but would increase funding to allow for more border control agents. Immigration is one of the arenas in which Republican primary challenger Weld strongly opposes President Trump. He has been vocal in speaking out against the current administration’s immigration policies, and has even gone as far to liken them to those of Nazi Germany. He has expressed concerns about current GOP proposals for a border wall, and has said he would instead support improving border security by increasing numbers of border patrol agents. In the past, Weld has supported expanding legal immigration intake into the United States by issuing more H-1B visas. He has said that he would support comprehensive immigration reform, but has not specified exactly what these reforms would be. |
| Passenger Profiling | Nuance | Is an advocate for racial equality, but has not been outspoken on this particular issue. |
| DACA | For | Supports DACA. |
| Sanctuary Cities | Unknown | Is generally more liberal on the topic of immigration, but has not made sanctuary cities a focus of his immigration policy. |
| Legalizing Marijuana | For | Weld believes marijuana is a states’ rights issue, and should not be illegal on a federal level. |
The original source was the Flickr Page of Gary Johnson (https://flickr.com/photos/48065674@N06/27564189200). This image has not been edited.