Ron Curtis
Bio | Ron Curtis worked as a systems engineer for federal government contractors for 35 years. He is retired and ran for Congress in the 2020 election. |
Status and Position | Former Candidate of N/A |
Political Party and Jurisdiction | Republican, N/A |
Elections | Election Jurisdiction | Started Campaign | Campaign Status | Poll Rankings (of the vote) |
| 2020 House of Representatives Election HI-01 | HI-01 | Yes | Running | N/A |
Campaign Financing | Curits's campaign was 70% self-funded and 30% funded by individual contributions. Source: https://www.opensecrets.org/races/candidates?cycle=2020&id=HI01&spec=N |
Voting Rights | No clear stance on issue. |
Opinions on Issues
Issues | Stance | Summary |
| Universal Healthcare | For | Curtis supports affordable and accessible healthcare for all and the expansion of Medicare and Medicaid, however he believes this system should be implemented gradually. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/comprehensive-health-care-reform/ Curtis does not support the Affordable Care Act, viewing it as rushed and implemented too quickly to be effective. Instead, he supports a transition to universal healthcare involving many gradual stages of healthcare expansion and reform, ultimately working towards a universal healthcare system. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/comprehensive-health-care-reform/ |
| Socialized Healthcare | For | Curtis supports a government-sponsored healthcare system and the expansion of Medicare and Medicaid to ensure all citizens can access affordable and quality care. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/comprehensive-health-care-reform/ |
| Private Healthcare | Nuance | While Curtis does not see private healthcare as being the best accessible and affordable care option long-term, he does believe that the transition to universal healthcare should be gradual, thus private healthcare can still play a role in the beginning and intermediate stages of the transition towards universal care. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/comprehensive-health-care-reform/ |
| LGBT Rights | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Taxes | Nuance | Curtis seeks to make individual income tax cuts included in the December 2017 tax reform bill permanent, as they are set to expire in 2025. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/tax-reform-revisions/ Curtis acknowledges that Hawaii has the highest price per square foot and the average cost per square foot when compared to average income is the worst in the country. He sees permanent individual income tax cuts, as well as taking the cost per square foot to income ratio for each state into account when calculating income tax morgan deduction caps, as a solution to address Hawaii's unaffordability. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/tax-reform-revisions/ |
| Flat Tax Rate | Against | Curtis supports a tax system based upon income as well as one that takes the cost of living compared to income into account for each state. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/tax-reform-revisions/ Curtis acknowledges that Hawaii has the highest price per square foot and the average cost per square foot when compared to average income is the worst in the country. He sees permanent individual income tax cuts, as well as taking the cost per square foot to income ratio for each state into account when calculating income tax morgan deduction caps, as a solution to address Hawaii's unaffordability. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/tax-reform-revisions/ |
| Abortion | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Gun Control | Nuance | Curtis supports certain gun control measures such as mandatory background checks, however he sees the age requirement for purchasing set at 21 as arbitrary and unnecessary. Source: https://www.civilbeat.org/2018/09/candidate-qa-u-s-senate-ron-curtis/ Curtis believes mandatory background checks are a reasonable gun control measure, however he sees the age limit at 21 as hypocritical, given that 18-year-olds can serve in the military, and believes gun laws should mirror this age requirement. Source: https://www.civilbeat.org/2018/09/candidate-qa-u-s-senate-ron-curtis/ |
| Assisted Suicide | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. Curtis believes mandatory background checks are a reasonable gun control measure, however he sees the age limit at 21 as hypocritical, given that 18-year-olds can serve in the military, and believes gun laws should mirror this age requirement. Source: https://www.civilbeat.org/2018/09/candidate-qa-u-s-senate-ron-curtis/ |
| Government Interference | Nuance | Curtis believes that the government has certain duties to protect individual liberty, opportunity, and equality, and can intervene to protect these commitments, however he supports limited government which support individual freedoms and does not overregulate the free-market. Source: https://www.civilbeat.org/2018/09/candidate-qa-u-s-senate-ron-curtis/, https://roncurtis808.com/campaign-focus/ |
| Planned Parenthood | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Welfare | Nuance | Curtis supports welfare measures that address individuals' basic needs and rights, such as healthcare, education, and housing. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/campaign-focus/ Curtis seeks to gradually shift towards a universal healthcare system that offers affordable and accessible healthcare for all, seeks to create a more affordable education system, strengthen social security, and decrease the cost of living. He also supports a need-based immigration system which essentially allows immigrants to apply for citizenship based on the job market/demand for workers. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/campaign-focus/, https://roncurtis808.com/immigration-reform/ |
| Welfare | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Death Penalty | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Mandatory Prison Sentence | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Military Spending | For | Curtis supports military spending and the presence of the military in Hawaii, seeing it as a healthy way to support the troops and contribute to the economy of the state. Source: https://www.civilbeat.org/2018/09/candidate-qa-u-s-senate-ron-curtis/ |
| War on Terrorism | Nuance | Curtis believes that "America should go to war as a last resort, but it should also be prepared for war at any given moment." He supports the ideology of "peace through strength" and advocates for peaceful means to handle conflict, only resorting to war when necessary. Source: https://www.civilbeat.org/2018/09/candidate-qa-u-s-senate-ron-curtis/ |
| Foreign Policy International Interaction | Nuance | Curtis has not disclosed much on his foreign policy views, however he does advocate for the U.S. to resolve all conflicts peacefully and civilly rather than to strive to have no conflicts at all. Source: https://www.civilbeat.org/2018/09/candidate-qa-u-s-senate-ron-curtis/ Curtis only advocates for war when absolutely necessary, and in all other cases supports addressing international conflicts with a peaceful and cooperative approach rather than a violent and divisive one. Source: https://www.civilbeat.org/2018/09/candidate-qa-u-s-senate-ron-curtis/ |
| United Nations power | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Nationalism | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Free Markets | For | Curtis supports a free-market economic system, believing that the government should not have a greater role than the private sector. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/campaign-focus/, https://www.civilbeat.org/2018/09/candidate-qa-u-s-senate-ron-curtis/ Curtis believes that the government's role is to create and enforce laws that protect the free-market rather than interfere with it and that the government should not have more sway on the market than private individuals. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/campaign-focus/, https://www.civilbeat.org/2018/09/candidate-qa-u-s-senate-ron-curtis/ |
| Brexit | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Affirmative Action | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Government Spending | Against | Curtis opposes excessive government spending and argues that too often the federal government raises taxes to make up for increased spending. He advocates for the passage of the Federal Balanced Budget Amendment and believes the government needs to be more fiscally responsible with its management of the debt. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/campaign-platform/, https://www.civilbeat.org/2018/09/candidate-qa-u-s-senate-ron-curtis/ |
| Charter Schools | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Common Core | Against | Curtis believes common core is more geared towards standardized testing than it is for real-world applications, and therefore advocates for a different curriculum framework that prepares students for life after high school. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/more-effective-and-more-affordable-education/ Curtis believes that teaching students the "how" of learning, reasoning, and problem-solving is much more effective long-term than a curriculum revolved around testing. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/more-effective-and-more-affordable-education/ |
| Clean Energy | For | Curtis believes Hawaii needs to diversify its energy grid and invest in sustainable, renewable energy sources to protect the environment. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/renewable-energy/ Curtis supports "small neighborhood or community renewable energy farms" as a practical solution to environmental crises and also advocates for renewable production methods, such as a recent innovation which makes clean drinkable water from the air. He advocates for the slow and gradual implementation of renewable technologies versus a fast, rushed transition. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/renewable-energy/,https://www.civilbeat.org/2018/09/candidate-qa-u-s-senate-ron-curtis/ |
| Religious Freedom | Nuance | Curis has not directly addressed religious freedom, however on his campaign site has stated that he "believe[s] in tolerance and that we should all be able to live our lives as we choose unless it causes harm to someone else." Source: https://roncurtis808.com/ideology/ From this quote, it would make sense that Curtis would be tolerant and accepting of any religions he sees as non-violent and non-threatening, however he has not disclosed specific views on religious freedom. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/ideology/ |
| Separation of Church and State | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Slavery Reparations | Nuance | Curtis has not addressed reparations when it comes to slavery, however he has advocated for reparations for native Hawaiians through investing in native communities and expanding opportunities for housing, jobs, education, and healthcare. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/kingdom-of-hawaii/ |
| Border Control | Nuance | Curtis supports a needs-based immigration policy and capacity-based humanitarian policy which takes into account the demand of the labor market and immigrant groups that are underrepresented. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/immigration-reform/, https://www.civilbeat.org/2018/09/candidate-qa-u-s-senate-ron-curtis/ Curtis believes that immigrants should be able to come to the U.S. to fill gaps in the labor market and as a result, earn citizenship, and also supports a capacity-based policy for refugees and asylum seekers which sets a limit as to how many of these individuals can come into the country. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/immigration-reform/, https://www.civilbeat.org/2018/09/candidate-qa-u-s-senate-ron-curtis/ |
| Passenger Profiling | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| DACA | For | Curtis has stated that he supports DACA, although he also stated that he disagreed with the government shutdown used to force a decision to be made on the program. Source: https://roncurtis808.com/prepared-and-ready-to-do-the-right-thing-for-the-people-of-hawaii/ |
| Sanctuary Cities | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Legalizing Marijuana | For | Curtis supports the legalization or marijuana, but he does believe it still needs to be controlled and taxed, and advocates for using the taxes on marijuana to fund drug addiction awareness programs. Source: https://www.ontheissues.org/Domestic/Ron_Curtis_Drugs.htm |