Matthew Cartwright
Bio | Cartwright practices law at Munley, Munley & Cartwright for 25 years working to better the lives of working families. He also served on the board of Governors of the American Association of Justice. |
Status and Position | Current US House of Representatives of Pennsylvania |
Political Party and Jurisdiction | Democrat, Pennsylvania |
Elections | Election Jurisdiction | Started Campaign | Campaign Status | Poll Rankings (of the vote) |
| 2020 House of Representatives Election PA-08 | PA-08 | Yes | Running | 54.6% |
Campaign Financing | Cartwright's campaign is mostly funded by individuals. He also voted in favor of the For the People Act which limits the potential of big money's impact on elections and officials. |
Voting Rights | Cartwright believes that every American has the right to vote. That is why he voted for H.R. 4 which helped more Americans vote. |
Opinions on Issues
Issues | Stance | Summary |
| Universal Healthcare | For | Supports a right for every American to have healthcare Cartwright does not believe in repealing the Affordable Care Act. The congressman has worked to expand coverage into rural areas and has faith in the potential of telehealth. |
| Socialized Healthcare | For | Supports socialized healthcare |
| Private Healthcare | For | Cartwright has worked to uplift private healthcare in places such as rural areas. |
| LGBT Rights | For | Supports LGBT rights Cartwright is an advocate for same-sex marriage. He does not see any reason why LGBT people should be treated worse for their sexual orientation. |
| Taxes | For | Supports taxes The congressman believes in cleaning up the tax system. Cartwright voted in favor of H.R. 3557 which helped remove tax caps and increased the top marginal income tax bracket. |
| Flat Tax Rate | Against | Cartwright opposes a flat tax rate. The congressman believes in cleaning up the tax system. Cartwright voted in favor of H.R. 3557 which helped remove tax caps and increased the top marginal income tax bracket. |
| Abortion | For | He is pro-choice. Cartwright had been apprehensive about the current administration's possible impact on women's ability to get an abortion. He has signed letters to the president about the importance of upholding Roe v. Wade. |
| Gun Control | For | Supports regulations on guns Cartwright is an advocate of enacting gun control legislation. He voted in favor of H.R. 1112, the Enhanced Background Checks Act, which requires comprehensive background checks for gun owners. |
| Assisted Suicide | Against | Cartwright believes that permitting assisted suicide puts the most vulnerable of the population at risk. Cartwright is an advocate of enacting gun control legislation. He voted in favor of H.R. 1112, the Enhanced Background Checks Act, which requires comprehensive background checks for gun owners. |
| Government Interference | For | Advocates for government interference in general |
| Planned Parenthood | For | Cartwright has voted against bills that seek to cut funding to Planned Parenthood. |
| Welfare | For | Supports welfare Cartwright seeks to uphold the welfare programs that we have in place. He has been endorsed by the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. |
| Welfare | Unknown | He has not taken a stance on stem cell research. |
| Death Penalty | For | Cartwright supports the death penalty. Cartwright supports the death penalty when it is used in the right circumstance. He voted in favor of the Thin Blue Line Act which authorizes the use of the death penalty when an individual kills a police officer. |
| Mandatory Prison Sentence | For | Cartwright advocates for mandatory prison sentences in some cases. |
| Military Spending | Against | Generally opposes increases in defense spending |
| War on Terrorism | Against | Cartwright has advocated for keeping Americans safe by pulling them out of our efforts in the Middle East. |
| Foreign Policy International Interaction | For | Supports international interaction Cartwright believes that his district especially benefits from foreign policy. He mentions the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement as benefitting Pennsylvania. |
| United Nations power | Unknown | Cartwright does not have an explicit position on the United Nations. |
| Nationalism | Unknown | Cartwright has not expressed an explicit opinion on nationalism. |
| Free Markets | For | Cartwright supports free markets. Cartwright supports legislation that seeks to clean up the market. The congressman has been in favor of preserving the integrity of a free market while patching up loopholes and other legislative shortcomings that might interfere with the market. |
| Brexit | Unknown | Cartwright has not taken a stance on Brexit. |
| Affirmative Action | Unknown | Cartwright has not taken a stance on affirmative action. |
| Government Spending | For | Cartwright advocates for government spending. |
| Charter Schools | Unknown | Cartwright does not have a position on charter schools. |
| Common Core | Unknown | Cartwright's position on Common Core is unknown. N/A |
| Clean Energy | For | Cartwright advocates for clean energy. Cartwright has established his approach to climate change as addressing "all of the above." He wants to invest in renewable energy and create jobs in a new green economy. |
| Religious Freedom | Against | Cartwright does not necessarily advocate for religious freedom. By empowering the LGBT community, Cartwright supports limiting business' right to refuse service to individuals based on their religious beliefs. As such, Cartwright holds other issues as a higher priority. |
| Separation of Church and State | For | Cartwright supports the separation of church and state. |
| Slavery Reparations | Unknown | Cartwright has not made an explicit statement on this point and he is not a co-sponsor of H.R. 40, an act to create a commission to study reparations. |
| Border Control | Against | Does not advocate for increased border security Cartwright views the border crisis as a humanitarian crisis. He wishes to help immigrants with a path to citizenship. As such, does not think a physical wall is an efficient use of resources. |
| Passenger Profiling | Against | Cartwright was a co-sponsor of the End Racial Profiling Act. |
| DACA | For | Cartwright has made a statement to legally defend DACA with the litigation attacks that it is undergoing. |
| Sanctuary Cities | For | Cartwright has voted in favor of legislation that does not hold sanctuary cities accountable. |
| Legalizing Marijuana | For | Cartwright supports the legalization of marijuana. |