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Candidate Surveys
Surveys
REPACCMO 2026 Candidate Questionnaire
Thank you for taking the time to complete our values questionnaire. Voters who rely on party affiliation deserve to know a Republican candidate's values align with their own, which is the purpose of this document. You will be presented with a series of statements. For each statement, choose either "Agree" or "Disagree". There is a comment box below the statement where you can add comments. Each statement is scored based on Republican Platform values, including the Amendments passed last year at the state convention. Comments can provide clarification, but will not affect your score. There are nine pages to this questionnaire with varying numbers of questions, plus a candidate statement at the end. Please allot approximately half an hour to forty-five minutes of time to complete the questionnaire. Also, if you are running for office at a local or county level, be sure to check with your central committee to see if they are doing any additional vetting. Obtaining a REPACCMO vetted logo does not guarantee the Central Committee's endorsement if they have an additional evaluation process.
Begin by providing the personal information requested below. Do not leave any information blank. All statements require a response, and the questionnaire cannot be submitted if there are ommissions. Only Comments and the last page of Candidate Statement declarations are optional.
First Name* Philip J.
Last Name Sherman
Address* 29065 Highway 50
Street Address
Street Address Line 2
CityState / Province Sedalia Missouri
Postal / Zip Code 65301
County* Pettis
How long have you lived in this county? * 37 years
Phone Number* (660) 287-5717
Please enter a valid phone number.
Enter the year of your birth - not the day or month* 1980
Please select one of the following options*
If you are or will be a candidate for elected office, please enter the office you are seeking or type "none" if you are not seeking elected office. *
Answer: State Representative for District 52
A1. Obamacare should be repealed, and we should move to a free market solution without government interference.*
Agree
Obamacare and it's 900 plus pages was only partially about healthcare to begin with.
A2. Abortion should be banned in Missouri with no exceptions.*
Answer: Agree
Absolutely, just like slavery used to exist, and the Democrat party was founded to keep it flourishing. Yesterday’s slavery is today’s abortion.
A3. Abortion should be banned in Missouri except for rape, incest, and the life of the mother.*
Answer: Disagree
No, ALL human life is valuable. All babies are valuable ALIVE outside of the womb.
A4. Individuals who aid in abortion should be criminally prosecuted, including the mother.*
Answer: Agree
This is just another version of murder and it should regarded as such under the law.
A5. Informed consent should be the cornerstone of all medical care choices, but may be suspended in cases of national or state emergencies.*
Answer: Disagree
Informed consent is never to be “suspended”.
A6. Informed consent should be the cornerstone of all medical care choices.*
Answer: Agree
The patient must understand what kind of medical care is taking place. It’s their body after all.
A7. Vaccine mandates are a necessary evil to minimize and lessen the chance of pandemics, but should also include exemptions for religious reasons.*
Answer: Disagree
Vaccine mandates are never the correct, especially if we believe in Freedom in this great country.
SECOND AMENDMENT
I support the following statements:
B1. All citizens should be able to own and carry firearms with no restrictions.*
Answer: Agree
“Shall not be infringed” is what the second amendment itself says.
That is the very definition of what this question as a statement would mean.
B2. It is government's role to place restrictions on some types of weapons and accessories for the safety of all.*
Answer: Disagree
This goes against the actual language of the Second Amendment.
B3. It is necessary for government to implement licensing and restrictions to protect against crimes such as mass shootings and to control firearms sales.*
Answer: Disagree
“Shall not infringe” is pretty straightforward.
B4. Restrictions on magazine capacity is a reasonable approach to dangerous situations like mass shootings or confrontations with law enforcement.*
Answer: Disagree
“Shall not infringe” means don’t create any legislation that reduces this.
B5. I support all aspects of Missouri's SAPA law.*
Answer: Agree
100%
B6. Elected officials have the right to make and change gun laws as society's needs change.*
Answer: Disagree
“Shall not infringe”
B7. Red flag laws are a necessary evil to protect Missouri citizens.*
Answer: Disagree
This is how a slippery slope is started.
TAXATION & PROPERTY RIGHTS
I support the following statements:
National
C1. Any Change to the federal tax system should include a requirement for a balanced budget with caps on debt.*
Answer: Agree 100%
Debt is not a good thing.
The Bible says owe no man anything, but love.
That is my stance. I will go with what God says every single time.
C2. The IRS should be eliminated and taxation should be based on a national sales tax.*
Answer: Agree
I like this idea. I am very much opposed to the IRS, which was formed in 1913 at the same time as the Federal Reserve and that we changed how we get our U.S. Senators.
In Article I, section 9, the Constitution says:
“No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken.”
C3. Any change to the federal tax system must include a repeal of the 16th Amendment that established the federal income tax.*
Answer: Agree
We don’t need to leave any reasoning for something like the idea of the IRS any where in the Constitution.
C4. EPA regulations are necessary to protect our natural resources.*
Answer: Disagree
Nowhere in the Constitution will you find the idea for the EPA.
We should be able to protect our natural resources on an individual basis.
C5. To run the government, a progressive tax more fairly shares the burden of taxing the people.*
Answer: Disagree
Everyone should pay the same percentage on any and every tax.
Taxes need not discriminate against anyone.
State
C6. Only US citizens should be allowed to own property in Missouri.*
Answer: Disagree
Some people live here legally and are not yet citizens. They also deserve the same chance to own property, if they have the money.
But we don’t have to let people who don’t live here own property here.
And definitely say no to illegal immigrants trying to buy land.
People should have to be vetted.
C7. Eminent Domain is necessary to improve the community as a whole.*
Answer: Disagree
Eminent Domain is seldom necessary and is a last ditch effort to get land that the government infrastructure believes is necessary.
The government can always pay a premium price, as long as the property owner is willing to sell. This goes to the heart of personal property rights, which are key to our rights in America.
C8. The Missouri budget is out of control. Real cuts have to be made, and we need more federal contributions to make up any shortfalls.*
Answer: Disagree
Yes, the Missouri budget is out of control, but no, we don’t need to have a bigger reliance on federal tax dollars in order to feed our budget.
C9. It is necessary for government to grow as our population and its needs expand.*
Answer: Disagree
Government infrastructure should remain small and should be much smaller than those it represents.
C10. Real Estate and personal property taxes are necessary to fund government needs.*
Answer: Disagree
Personal property taxes are not necessary and is equivalent to paying annual rent on your vehicles.
C11. Real estate and personal property taxes should be eliminated and replaced with a consumption (sales) tax.*
Answer: Agree
This way, the more you buy, the more you pay.
C12. The elimination of state income tax is on the right track if it is coupled with spending cuts.*
Answer: Agree
Another tax we don’t need. There’s a school of thought that less is more.
C13. Missouri should have a state version of DOGE, with authority to recommend or eliminate state funded agencies, budget items, positions within government, and other wasteful spending items in the budget.*
Answer: Agree
We need to discover, expose, and expel any and all forms of fraud, waste, and abuse that we have here in the State of Missouri.
C14. Any elimination of tax burdens should prioritize real estate and personal property taxes before state income tax.*
Answer: Disagree
No, we just need to put an axe to all of these tax burdens at the same time.
GLOBAL ISSUES
I support the following statements:
D1. Organizations such as the UN and NATO are good because they provide a platform for global discussions.*
Answer: Disagree
We are a Sovereign nation.
D2. The EPA is necessary to control bad actors and safeguard an acceptable environment for everyone.*
Answer: Disagree
This is government overreach.
D3. Government regulations are an impediment to the development and growth of an economy.*
Answer: Agree
We need very limited regulations.
D4. Chemical spraying of our atmosphere must be completely eliminated.*
Answer: Agree
Absolutely, there is no need to poison people.
D5. Missouri should declare its sovereign rights over any global organization attempting control.*
Answer: Agree
Absolutely, we are a sovereign state.
D6. Missouri should work with global organizations for better economic and environmental outcomes.*
Answer: Disagree
No, Missouri should spread its wings as a Sovereign state.
EDUCATION & FAMILY
I support the following statements:
E1. School Choice & SSA accounts should be an option for education of our children.*
Answer: Agree
We should allow people to freely choose where their children are educated by allowing them to use the education tax dollars they pay to put their children in the best learning environment possible.
E2. School's must develop and publish policy on social issues and those are the rules that are to be followed for that school. Such rules must take into account students' unique backgrounds and individual needs to ensure all students feel safe and acknowledged.*
Answer: Disagree
Schools are there to teach the core subjects and facts so that the kids will become smart, responsible adults who contribute to the world around them.
E3. DESE should be eliminated. Curriculum should be determined locally.*
Answer: Agree
I absolutely 100% agree.
This is why we have school boards, which are elected by the people.
E4. To protect the privacy of the child, school counselors cannot always share information with the child's parents.*
Answer: The children belong to the parents, not the school. The children should not have any privacy from their parents, while they are minors and are entrusted to their parents.
E5. Whether a child receives vaccinations is the right of the parents alone to decide.*
Answer: Agree
In America, we believe in freedom and liberty.
The children belong to their parents.
E6. The Missouri Constitution should be amended to allow marriage between two consenting adults.*
Answer: Disagree
Our creator created us male and female.
This is stated both in Genesis 1:27 and Matthew 19:4.
E7. The Department of Education must be eliminated and national curriculum rejected.*
Answer: Agree
We the People have duly elected school boards representing each school district.
That is where the responsibility is supposed to be for everything our schools teach.
IMMIGRATION & CRIME
I support the following statements:
F1. Missouri should work with ICE as needed to remove all illegals from our state.*
Answer: Agree
Missouri shouldn’t start there. Missouri needs to go ahead and take the first steps to get rid of any illegal immigrants who are in the state of Missouri.
That could also be the first step to discovering any fraud that’s going on in the state of Missouri.
F2. Children born in this country are US citizens even if their parents are not.*
Answer: Disagree
The whole idea of “Birthright citizenship” came from a footnote in a U.S. Supreme Court case. Someone born here whose parents are not citizens has no legal standing in America; just like with any other country.
F3. Immigration amnesty should include people here illegally if they have not broken any laws.*
Answer: Disagree
The mere fact that they are here illegally means they have broken the law.
F4. Missouri voter roles must be purged so that only US Citizens can vote on any issue in Missouri*
Answer: Agree
Absolutely. There’s enough fraud without making sure their all citizens.
F5. Employers who hire illegal aliens should face stiff penalties.*
Answer: Agree
All employees have to go through the I9 process in order to be hired.
F6. Missouri should welcome and protect all non-citizens regardless of how they entered the country, if they want to be part of the American Dream of freedom and opportunity.*
Answer: Disagree
No, America has the final say over whether people are allowed in this country or not.
F7. Cashless bail should be eliminated from our judicial and law enforcement process.*
Answer: Agree
Cashless bail is not constitutional.
ELECTION INTEGRITY
I support the following statements:
G1. All forms of electronic voting equipment must be eliminated.*
Answer: Agree
All electronic machines are able to access the internet and thereby can include fraud.
G2. All election results should be tabulated through hand counting by bi-partisan teams.*
Answer: Agree
This would help ensure fraud does not gain a foothold in our elections.
G3. Hand counting does nothing to ensure election integrity as people can cheat. Electronic is more secure.*
Answer: Disagree
Hand counting does not have access to the internet, which is absolutely necessary to the process and integrity of voting.
G4. Any hand counting of ballots must also be backed up by tabulator scans to confirm/audit totals and should be done by a separate team.*
Answer: Disagree
Tabulators have been used to add votes as well.
G5. Mail-in voting should be expanded to six weeks to ensure all who wish to vote have a chance to do so.*
Answer: Disagree
There are currently state statutes in place to ensure that nobody can be kept from voting by their employer.
G6. Voter rolls should be totally purged after each presidential election cycle and people required to re-register.*
Answer: While the voter rolls certainly need to be regularly cleaned, you should never have to be removed as long as you're still living at the same place.
G7. Primary ballots should be available only to voters whose registered party affiliation matches the ballot they have chosen (closed primaries).*
Answer: Agree
We have primaries to ensure there aren’t an obnoxious number of candidates in the general election. You should have to pick which party you are with, but of course, you should be able to later change parties.
G8. Mail-in voting should be eliminated except for overseas military.*
Answer: Agree
The only group of people I can see an exception being made for are the physical handicapped.
Answer: Agree
Otherwise, fraud always comes into play.
STATE SOVEREIGNTY
I support the following statements:
H1. The 10th Amendment to the US Constitution only applies where Congress has not passed laws to the contrary.*
Answer: Disagree
The U.S. Constitution disagrees with this statement.
H2. Missouri's tax funded agencies perform valuable services to our citizens and should receive priority funding when the annual budget is prepared.*
Answer: Disagree
The state statutes and the state Constitution should be followed when constructing the annual state budget.
H3. Missouri's governor and attorney general have a duty to push back on federal overreach, especially when state sovereignty is threatened.*
Answer: Agree
Yes, they must work to represent Missouri First.
H4. We should legally challenge the federal government when mandates are issued that affect Missourians.*
Answer: Agree
We should not be in support of dollars from the federal government being tied to actions we must take in order to get the money.
H5. Federal and/or state mandates must be enforced to ensure the safety of all Missouri residents.*
Answer: Disagree
In America, we believe in freedom, which is contrary to mandates.
MISCELLANEOUS
I support the following statements:
Legislative & Judiciary
I1. The Missouri Plan for selection of judges for the MO Supreme and Appellate courts ensures quality candidates are considered for these two courts.*
Answer: Disagree
The Missouri Plan does not the governor to freely pick the best person for the job.
I2. Bills that are filed and final legislation that is perfected and passed must adhere to the single subject rule of the MO Constitution.*
Answer: Agree
This is in the Missouri State Constitution for a reason.
Party Values
I3. Candidates should only be allowed to file for office under a political party's name if the majority of the candidate's values align with the party's current platform that is in effect when the candidate filed for office.*
Answer: Agree
This is a must in order to make sure you don’t have people falsely claiming to be of a particular political party.
I4. If the majority of an elected official's voting record does not reflect the party's stated platform values, the party should refuse to allow that individual to file with their party in the future.*
Answer: Agree
Parties are privately controlled.
They should have full freedom over who can represent their party.
I5. If elected, I pledge that I will abstain from accepting monetary donations or gifts from lobbyists.*
Answer: Agree
I don’t even see a reason to take a meeting with most lobbyists.
CANDIDATE STATEMENT
You have indicated your desire to run for elected office as a member of the Missouri Republican Party (“Party”). By signing this Statement, you are attesting that the majority of your values are in alignment with the Party’s, as enumerated by the Party Platform, together with the Amendments passed at last year's state convention (“Platform”). The affixing of your signature on this Statement is an affirmation to both Missouri voters and Party committee men and women that your actions, bills, and votes (collectively “Performance”) as an elected official will honor the Platform values you are indicating align with your own.
You also understand numerous court rulings have indicated if a candidate files with a party whose values (s)he does not share, said candidate is committing a fraud and deceit upon the voting public. (See SCOTUS Justice Antonin Scalia delivering majority opinion in California Democratic Party v. Jones, 530 U.S. 567 (2000)) The oral delivery of the opinion can be heard at this link: https://www.oyez.org/cases/1999/99-401.) Candidates wishing to represent the Republican Party through elected office are expected to check the boxes below that you agree with, and you must sign this Statement as part of REPACCMO's vetting process. If your Central Committe is doing mandatory vetting, they may have adopted a policy of rejecting the filing fee of those county candidates who do not successfully complete the REPACCMO vetting process. If your filing fee is rejected, that also serves as the Party's rejection of your ability to file as a Republican candidate at the county level. Therefore, you should check with your central committee chair to determine their policy. You can find your county's chair and contact information at this link: https://www.repaccmo.com/cc REPACCMO makes the results of your Candidate Questionnaire available to central committees.
If you are an incumbent with a voting record, as part of the REPACCMO evaluation, we will check that record. We utilize three independent scoring services, Freedom Principle of MO, Freedom Index, and CPAC. If you have at least a C- from two of the three services, at least a C- on this questionnaire, and no felony convictions in the State of Missouri, you will earn a REPACCMO VETTED logo which can be used on marketing materials. Your completed questionnaire will be placed on our REPACCMO website, and voters will be able to view your positions on the statements you have answered.
We thank you for your committment to being open and honest with voters about your values and positions. Good luck in your campaign for office, and thank you for participating in REPACCMO vetting. Together, we are building a Republican Party whose members and representatives support the values expressed by the Party's platform. Republican voters deserve no less.
Please check each statement below that you agree with.
I have read completely the current Platform, including Amendments, and affirm the majority of my values align with it. (The platform and amendments passed by the 2024 Missouri State Convention delegates can be found at this link: https://www.repaccmo.com/mo-republican-platform)
If elected or re-elected, I will adhere to the Platform tenets in my capacity as an elected official. I understand I am expected to support the principles of the Platform, and if my elected position casts votes, the Platform will be a guide for my voting decisions. My Performance will reflect my belief in the Party’s values as enumerated in the Platform.
I understand being a Republican elected official means I am a representative of the Party’s values. I will listen to my Party’s input, and my Performance will reflect my support of Republican values over those of special interest groups, lobbyists, and/or my own desires for career advancement in politics or otherwise. I will ensure my Performance brings honor to my office and does not compromise any aspect of the duties required by my elected office. “Party interest” does not mean nor would it include compromising my legal responsibilities.
In my capacity as an elected official, I understand I am expected to honor the Platform by performing my duties in an impartial manner, without regard to race, ethnicity, or religion. I will favor equality over equity. If my elected office is judicial, I shall not legislate from the bench or use my authority to favor one party over another, but rather be guided by established judicial principles. This principle of equality under the law is in compliance with the Party’s Platform.
I expect the Party will carefully watch my voting record (if my elected position casts votes) to monitor adherence to the Platform. If my Performance deviates from the Platform, I understand I may be contacted by members of the Party for an explanation. If my Performance continues to reflect my disregard for the tenets of the Platform I have said I support, I further understand the Party has the right to refuse to allow me to file as a Republican for any future elected office, regardless of the office sought.
I understand this Questionnaire is only one part of a multipart process the Party’s vetting committee may utilize in determining my eligibility to run for elected office as a Republican. Signing this Statement offers no guarantee of acceptance of my filing fee for county level office. If my filing fee is rejected, I understand it is also the official Party rejection of my ability to register as a Republican candidate for the political office being sought. (I know I would still be able to file with another party or as an Independent.) Additionally, I understand there may be central committees who elect to offer speaking engagements for community events only to candidates who have gone through their vetting process.
Revised Statutes of Missouri (RSMo) 115.357 stipulates you cannot appear on any ballot using the Party’s name until the appropriate Committee Treasurer has accepted your filing fee. Giving your fee to any other individual does NOT mean your fee has been accepted by the Party. Fees paid to any other individual, such as directly to the election authority, can be returned uncashed, and the Party can reject your candidacy which prevents you from filing as a Republican. For county offices, contact the central committee chair to determine their process which may include paying the filing fee ONLY to the committee treasurer. (See MO case law 24VE-CV00185)
By typing your full name below, you are acknowledging your agreement with the statements checked above.*
Philip John Sherman
Young Americans for Liberty
OFFICIAL LIBERTY CANDIDATE SURVEY
Please fill out the candidate survey below to be considered for membership in Liberty
Action’s Hazlitt Coalition of liberty legislators. Feel free to write an explanation and use the
margins as needed. Any blank answers will be marked in the negative. After completion,
please scan and email to SURVEY@YALIBERTY.ORG.
1. How would you decrease the overall tax burden in your state?
Answer: Get rid of the State Income tax and the Personal Property Tax.
2. Would you ever vote for a state budget that increased spending over the prior year?
Why?
❒ Yes
x❒ No
Answer: No, the State Government infrastructure must learn to live within it's means. There's a new trend that more is less. Minimalistic
3. Check the left box if you support funding or the right box if you oppose funding using
state taxpayer dollars for your community:
❒ ❒x A new school for at-risk youth ❒ ❒x Charging stations for electric cars
❒ ❒x Park for recreational youth sports ❒ ❒x Scenic bike trails
❒ ❒x Sports stadium for a professional team ❒ ❒x Astroturf field for the high school
❒ ❒x Senior Center ❒ ❒x Community Center
4. Below is a list of various tax policies. Check the left box if you support raising or creating
this tax, check the box in the middle if you support keeping it at the current rate, or check
the right box if you oppose this tax and will fight to lower and/or eliminate it.
❒ ❒ ❒Oppose Personal Property Tax
❒ ❒ ❒ Stay the same “Sin” Tax
❒ ❒ ❒ Stay the same Capital Gains Tax❒ ❒ ❒ Oppose Income Tax
❒ ❒ ❒ Stay the same Hotel Occupancy Tax
❒ ❒ ❒ Stay the same License Fees
❒ ❒ ❒ Stay the same Sales Tax
❒ ❒ ❒ Stay the same Consumption Tax
❒ ❒ ❒ Stay the same Impact Fees
❒ ❒ ❒ Oppose Value Added Tax
❒ ❒ ❒ Stay the same Payroll Tax
❒ ❒ ❒ Oppose Estate Tax
Liberty Action is a special project of Young Americans for Liberty, Inc., a not for profit social welfare program formed
under Section 501(c) (4) of the Internal Revenue Code. 1
Initials _______
5. Would you support a “tax swap” as a trade-off between cutting one tax and
raising another? Why?
❒ Yes
x❒ No
Answer: This defeats the purpose in why your getting rid of the tax. Uncomfortable as it may be the government needs to learn to live off of less and do to only the necessities.
6. Currently, 26 states have passed Right to Work laws guaranteeing that no person can be
compelled, as a condition of employment, to join or pay dues or “fees” to a labor union.
Would you support Right to Work in your state?
❒ Yes, I will work to pass Right to Work. ❒ No, I oppose Right to Work.
x❒ My state already passed Right to Work and I will fight to keep it that way.
7. Occupational licensure is a requirement affecting one in four workers in the United
States. Which of the following professions should require a license to operate? Check all
that apply.
❒ Auctioneer ❒ Painter ❒ Landscaper ❒ Upholsterer
❒ Barber ❒ Travel Agent ❒ Cosmetologist ❒ Hair Braider
❒ Sports Coach ❒ Florist ❒ Interior Designer ❒x None of These
8. A Fortune 500 company is proposing to bring a new factory and 20,000 new jobs to your
district. In exchange, they are asking for a 5-year property tax abatement, a lifetime 1%
corporate income tax credit for every 10,000 jobs created and a 70% discount on a plot of
government land on the proposed build site. Would you vote in favor of this deal? Explain.
❒ Yes
x❒ No
Answer: All Missouri businesses should have the same equal opportunity to achieve success.
9. Which of the following health care and welfare policies would you support?
Check the left box if you support or the right box if you oppose:
❒ ❒ xExpand Medicaid Access
❒ ❒x Create Universal Basic Income
❒ ❒ xExpand Medicare Access
❒ ❒x Fund FHA Loans
❒ ❒ xExpand Food Stamps
❒ ❒ xFund FAFSA
x❒ ❒ Privatize Social Security
x❒ ❒ Enforce Fair Housing Act
❒ ❒x Increase State Minimum Wage
x ❒ ❒ Repeal Certificate of Need Regulation
x❒ ❒ Allow Healthcare Across State Lines
x❒ ❒ Pass Healthcare Price Transparency
Liberty Action is a special project of Young Americans for Liberty, Inc., a not for profit social welfare program formed
under Section 501(c) (4) of the Internal Revenue Code. 2
Initials PJS_____
10. Do you support universal school vouchers or Educational Savings Accounts to enable
parents to opt out of public schools in favor of alternative education such as for-profit
online curriculum, private schools, or homeschooling? Explain.
x❒ Yes
❒ No
Answer: We have to allow moms and dads full control over the education of their children.
11. If yes above... even if this significantly reduces funding to public schools?
x❒ Yes ❒ No ❒ N/A, answered “No” above.
12. Do you support reforms to qualified immunity which shield government officials from
being held liable for misconduct? For example, a police officer makes an arrest, using
excessive force, and permanently injures a suspect in violation of police ordinance and
relevant jurisdictional laws. Should the officer be held criminally or civilly liable? Explain.
❒ Criminally
❒ Civilly
x❒ Both
❒ No, police officers should not be liable for their actions in the line of duty.
Answer: We have to ensure that the actions of the Government infrastructure have a reckoning just like everyone else. Actions can always have consequences.
13. Which of the following reforms would you vote for as a legislator? Check the left box if
you support or the right box if you oppose:
❒ ❒ Ban No Knock Warrants - Ban the practice of unannounced raids on private
property, which violate due process law and put lives at risk.
❒ ❒ Police Demilitarization - Establish limits on military equipment transferred to
police, i.e. a town of 2,000 people receiving a tactical assault vehicle.
❒ ❒ Body Cameras - Mandate police wear body cameras to ensure accountability.
❒ ❒ Repeal Mandatory Minimums - Repeal mandatory minimums for non-violent
offenses and allow local judges to take external factors into account.
❒ ❒ Expungement - Erase arrest records of those found not guilty or who have a case
against them dismissed. Simple drug possession charges should be expunged so a
criminal record doesn’t keep a person from education, employment, or housing.
❒ ❒ Restore Felon Gun Rights - Allow non-violent felons to regain their 2nd
Amendment rights after serving their sentence.
❒ ❒ End Government Use of Facial Recognition - Ban the government use of facial
recognition technology which presents an inherent threat to our privacy, free
expression, information security, and essential civil liberties.
❒ ❒ Never Again! - Never again should the government shut down our economy,
compel vaccination, or institute mask mandates.
Answer: I support reform all of these on question 13.
Liberty Action is a special project of Young Americans for Liberty, Inc., a not for profit social welfare program formed
under Section 501(c) (4) of the Internal Revenue Code. 3
Initials PJS___
14. Do you support Constitutional Carry legislation to prevent state governments from
imposing any fees, licenses, permits, or other legal impediments restricting the right to
concealed carry or open carry of a firearm for any legal adult 18 or older?
❒ Prime Sponsor ❒ Co-Sponsor ❒ Vote in Favor ❒ Vote Against
x❒ My state already passed Constitutional Carry and I will fight to keep it that way.
15. Many public universities have unconstitutional policies that restrict free speech on
campus that include measures such as "free speech zones" designed to contain speech
within a specified area on campus. Will you champion legislation to protect free speech on
college campuses? Check all that apply.
x❒ Prime Sponsor ❒ Co-Sponsor ❒ Vote in Favor ❒ Vote Against
16. Legal adult citizens should be able to do the following without interference from the
state government. Check all that apply.
x❒ Purchase liquor on Sundays
x❒ Live off the power, water, and sewer grid
x❒ Register a vehicle without a safety
and/or emissions inspection
x❒ Smoke tobacco on permissible, private
property
❒ Participate in or facilitate gambling
x❒ 3-D print a firearm without a license
x❒ Drive a car w/o insurance and
assume the appropriate liabilities
x❒ Purchase/consume alcohol and tobacco
products at 18
x❒ Brew and sell beer without a
license
x❒ Buy goods and services with cryptocurrency
x❒ Hold a garage sale without a permit
x❒ Carry a concealed weapon in public buildings
x❒ Opt out of DUI checkpoints if no
unsafe driving has been observed
x❒ Buy liquor at convenience stores and grocery
stores
x❒ Opt out of national service
programs, including the draft
x❒ Try experimental treatments not approved by
the FDA
x❒ Rent their residentially-zoned
property on vacation sites like Airbnb
x❒ Shoot off fireworks on privately owned
property
x❒ Use tobacco vaping products,
regardless of flavor
❒ None of these
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17. Check the left box if you support or the right box if you oppose the following stances on
marijuana:
❒ ❒ Legalize Medical Marijuana
❒ ❒ Legalize Marijuana for Adult use
❒ ❒ Decriminalize Marijuana
❒ ❒ Reduce Penalties for Marijuana Possession
Answer: I Oppose all four.
18. Which of the following reforms to strengthen privacy and due process would you vote
for? Check the left box if you support or the right box if you oppose:
x❒ ❒ Require Warrant for Electronic Data
x❒ ❒ Repeal Real ID
x❒ ❒ End Civil Asset Forfeiture
❒ ❒x End the Death Penalty
x❒ ❒ Require Warrant for Biometric Data
x ❒ ❒ End Home Equity Theft
x❒ ❒ Ban Red Light / Speed Cameras
x ❒ ❒ xEnd Eminent Domain
x❒ ❒ Ban License Plate Readers
x❒ ❒ Protect Donor Privacy and Disclosure
x❒ ❒ Stop Red Flag Gun Confiscation
x ❒ ❒ End Taxpayer Funded Lobbying
19. Do you support an Article V Convention for the sole purpose of placing term limits on
Congress?
❒ Yes ❒ No ❒ xMaybe
20. When do you support military intervention? Check the left box if you support or the
right box if you oppose. Answer even though you are running for state office.
❒ ❒x Nation-Building/Police the World
x❒ ❒x Remove / Install Leaders
x❒ ❒ Humanitarian Crisis
x❒ ❒ USA is Attacked (Imminent Threat)
21. The Defend the Guard Act simply prohibits a state’s National Guard service members
from being deployed into active combat without a formal declaration of war by Congress,
as provided by the U.S. Constitution. Would you support the Defend the Guard Act in your
state?
❒ Prime Sponsor ❒ Co-Sponsor ❒ xVote in Favor ❒ Vote Against
22. Which candidates who have run for President of the United States in the past several
cycles do you feel most closely align with your philosophy and worldview? List your top
three picks in order.
#1: Donald J. Trump
#2: Ron Paul
#3: Rand Paul
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under Section 501(c) (4) of the Internal Revenue Code. 5
Initials PJS___
23. What current or former U.S. House or Senate member best represents your future
voting record and/or ideology? How about State Representative or State Senator?
US: Senator/Congressman Josh Hawley
State: State Representative/General Assemblyman Bryant Wolfin
24. List your opponents:
x❒ Primary ❒ General Ephrain "Little" Israel Baza Cruz
❒ Primary ❒ General
❒ Primary ❒ General
❒ Primary ❒ General
❒ Primary ❒ General
25. Would you be interested in attending upcoming Hazlitt Policy Summits, hosted by
Young Americans for Liberty Foundation, to train liberty legislators on how to be effective?
x❒ Yes, I am interested in attending upcoming Hazlitt Policy Summits.
❒ No, I am not interested in attending upcoming Hazlitt Policy Summits.
Candidate Name: Philip J. Sherman
Primary Mailing Address: 29065 Highway 50
Cell Phone Number: 660-287-5717
Email Address: PhilipJShermanSpeaking@gmail.com
State: Office Sought: State Representative
District: Who referred you to us: Rep. Bryant Wolfin and Freedom Principle
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under Section 501(c) (4) of the Internal Revenue Code. 6
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Primary Election Date: August 4th, 2026
Votes You Need to Win Primary: 6,601
General Election Date: Novemeber 3rd, 2026
Votes You Need to Win General: 11,251
$$ Raised to Date: $3,100
$$ Goal to Raise for Primary: $20,000
$$ Additional Needed for the General: $2,000
By signing this survey, I verify that I filled out this survey to the best of my ability and with
accuracy in regards to my positions:
Signature: Philip J. Sherman
Date: 19th of January, the Year of our Lord 2026
After completion, please scan and email to survey@yaliberty.org,
or mail to 3267 Bee Cave Rd Ste 107-65, Austin, TX 78746.
Privacy and Disclosure Notice: Liberty Action does not intend to share these survey results
with the public. However, if you are elected to office and vote against the positions you
described or otherwise act against the policy positions you represent in this survey, YAL
will make it known.
Liberty Action is a special project of Young Americans for Liberty, Inc., a not for profit social welfare program formed under Section 501(c) (4) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Americans for Prosperity: 2026 Missouri Candidate Policy Survey
AFP-Missouri breaks barriers that stand in the way of people realizing their potential. This moves our society toward one of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping others improve their lives. In furtherance of this vision, we believe Government should protect people's equal rights, including the rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness.
PLEASE NOTE: Responses are not saved if you close the form before submitting.When you submit this form, it will not automatically collect your details like name and email address unless you provide it yourself.
General Information
Just getting to know you.
Philip J. Sherman
2.Phone Contact Number
660-287-5717
3.Campaign Website
https://shermanformissouri.com/
4.What district are you a candidate for?
State Representative, District 52
5.If you have enlisted the services of a campaign or political consultant, could you please share the name of the consultant or firm you are working with?
None.6.What specific issues would you like to work on, or policy areas that interest you?
Reducing the size of government, Transparency in the government infrastructure with it's bosses (the government), reducing spending, moral issues like abortion (murder of children) and smut in the public school libraries, and Election Integrity across the board.
Economic Progress: Fiscal Policy
AFP's vision in the Economic Progress is to“ Empower people to earn success, contribute to their communities and
live meaningful lives." Please answer the below questions focused on economic freedom, fiscal policy, regulation,
employment, and cronyism.7.Do you believe we should cut spending, raise taxes, or a combination of both to fund current priorities?
(For the purposes of this question, “raise taxes” means any combination of policies which result in a net increase in revenue collections above what would have otherwise been collected under the current tax code.)
We should cut spending.
8.Tax reform will continue to be a widely debated topic in the future. What do you think is the most appropriate method of taxation and what ideas do you have to reform our current structure?
The appropriate method of taxation is one that adheres to how the U.S. Constitution addresses taxation. I'm currently researching the ways to bring about an end to personal property tax and the state income tax. I'm going to say we should go with the methods Bill Eigel was championing every year he was in the General assembly.9.Do you believe we should cut spending? If so, what are some specific areas where cuts could be made?
Yes, we need to cut spending. We have to cut back on all the federal dollars were currently addicted to. We have to look at all the departments and cut from the places the government was never intended to be. As Abraham Lincoln once said, "The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves--in their separate, and individual capacities." We have to fund the Public safety, public works, and education. The government must cut from the things that would be considered wants by the state government.10.Are you comfortable with use of all tax dollars for lobbying purposes? How would you approach this issue? Are there certain sectors or industries where this practice should be encouraged or fully banned?
I don't think I understand the question, because tax dollars are not allowed to be used for lobbying purposes.This practice should never be allowed.
11.Missouri often relies heavily on federal funding for programs like Medicaid, FEMA emergency response, transportation infrastructure, and more. With the national debt and federal spending under greater scrutiny than ever before, if federal support to these programs is cut, how would you balance the state’s own fiscal responsibility and budget constraints with continuing to provide support to Missouri’s most vulnerable?
This is a key example of why we need to get quickly unaddicted to federal dollars. We have to cut back on nonessential wants and fund more of our out right needs instead of living off of "not so free" federal dollars.
Economic Progress: Regulations
AFP’s regulatory reform strategy is focused on reforming/removing existing regulations and preventing future regulations with the greatest negative impact on economic opportunity.
12.Do you support REINS Act legislation that would require legislative approval of all agency rules with a significant economic or regulatory impact?
Yes, I agree with this concept.
The unelected bureaucrats should be very limited in regulations that they are to develop.
13.Do you think all agency rules should have a sunset?Yes, these rules com about from people that are NOT elected.
14.Is there an example of a regulation you would work to eliminate?
Old regulations that no longer make sense.
Education
We believe the purpose of education is to help students discover, develop, and apply their unique abilities. Each and
every student must have access to an education that unleashes their extraordinary potential - regardless of their family
income or ZIP code. Please answer the below questions focused on K-12 Education.15.Do you support public school open enrollment which would allow students to attend a public school outside of their assigned district?
Yes, competition will only allow schools to get better as they get more competitive.
16.Do you believe homeschool families should be free of intrusive government oversight?
Absolutely. Government should only complement our individuals and families, not take away from or become intrusive.
17.Under our state’s per-student spending formula, a certain amount of taxpayer money is set aside every year to pay for the education of each child in the state. Would you support legislation creating universal education savings accounts (ESAs), allowing parents to receive a portion of that per-student funding to pay for educational alternatives to the child’s assigned public school?Yes. Absolutely, the parents are in charge of the education of their children, not the schools; in the end.
It wouldn’t be a bad idea for the state to just go ahead and give them a check for the amount that the state has to fund, per child; for the year.
18.Would you be in favor of reforms to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) that reduce the administrative bloat and give local school districts more freedom to innovate in teaching and learning?
Yes, absolutely. Local school districts are elected by the people.
DESE is part of the unelected bureaucracy that does not answer directly to the people.
Health Care
19.Do you believe that the law requiring a Certificate of Need for medical facilities to build and expand should be repealed? Why?
Yes, because health care facilities are businesses just like any other business. If you don't require that from a different type of business, why would you require that of a health care facility? It sounds like a type of discrimination on the open market to me.20.Given the ongoing shortage of physicians and nursing staff, do you believe scope of practice for APRNs and other measures should be expanded to provide greater access in rural areas?
Unsure
Free Speech
By protecting First Amendment rights of speech, association, petition, and assembly, AFP’s current policy agenda is working to combat cancel culture by making sure people are able to speak freely, gather, and associate in groups of like-minded people.
21.The issue of non-profit organizations and donor disclosure has been a topic of debate in the political arena for some time. Currently, political action committees and candidates are required to disclose their donors, but non-profit organizations are not subject to the same regulations. Proponents of donor disclosure argue that it promotes transparency and accountability, while opponents claim that it infringes on donor privacy and could deter donations. Given this context, what is your perspective on requiring non-profit organizations to disclose their donors in the same manner as political action committees and candidates?
It appears to me to be yet another unnecessary regulation.
Judicial Selection
In Missouri, judges are chosen through "assisted appointment," where the governor selects a nominee from a list provided by a nominating commission. After serving a 12-month term, judges face a "retention" vote via a simple majority "Yes-No" vote. If retained, they serve a 12-year term and then face another retention vote. This process raises questions about politics and meritocracy in the judiciary, and concerns about biased nominations, a lack of nuanced evaluation in retention votes, and insufficient accountability for underperforming judges.
22.Do you support the current model of judicial selection for the Supreme Court in Missouri where a private commission makes recommendations for the Supreme Court to the Governor and the legislature plays no role? If yes, why? If no, why and what would you prefer to replace it?
This is a hard no. Instead of the Missouri Plan, we should allow the Governor to pick the nominee just like the President of the United States does. The State Senate should then have to confirm the judicial nominee in the same manner as the U.S. Senate does with the U.S. Supreme Court nominees.Economic Development
AFP strives to create an economy that works for all—empowering people to earn success and realize their potential. Businesses, entrepreneurs, innovators, and individuals should be rewarded for the value their goods and services create for their customers. Cronyism and corporate welfare create barriers for some businesses and entrepreneurs when politicians and government bureaucrats tilt the playing field by providing special benefits to specific industries, companies, activities, products, or services.
23.What is the appropriate role government should play in promoting business and job growth?
Keep the regulations to a minimum and allow the open marketplace to decide which companies should stay in business.No one should need any tax incentives to come to a certain geographic area.
24.What is the best way to attract more jobs to our state?Provide the best possible business friendly environment for the businesses and their employees by: 1) remove the state income tax, remove the personal property tax, and 3)remove any other unnecessary regulations for businesses to thrive in our state while not damaging the environment.
Occupational Licensure
25.Do you believe occupational training standards are best developed and administered by the private sector or by government? Why?
By the private sector as they the best practices for their industry.
26.What are your thoughts on occupational licensing requirements in Missouri? Do you think that there are too many jobs that require a license, and that these requirements could potentially create barriers for individuals seeking to enter licensed job fields?
There are too many jobs that require a license. For example, I’m really good at providing massages, but I don’t want to have to go and fulfill a few years of requirements in order to do said work. Therefore, I have not attempted to offer said services. This is keeping people from doing side hustles when some of these industries really have no reason (like a massage therapist to require any kind of license. Let people decide who they want to get said services from.
27.Would you support legislation recognizing work experience in other states as sufficient to operate in our state?
Yes
28.What professions do you think should be licensed? How should state government decide which professions should be licensed?
Any occupation in which a college degree is something someone would assume you have in order to practice that profession (doctor, lawyer, engineer, etc.
Criminal Justice Reform
An effective criminal justice system protects people and preserves public safety, respects human dignity, restores victims, removes barriers to opportunity for people with criminal records, and ensures equal justice for all under the law. Please
answer the below questions focused on overcriminalization, policing practices, due process, and second chances.29.What are some areas of our criminal justice system that need to be reformed, and in what way?
We should focus more on making sure the party being charged is not an innocent party and ensuring that these criminals don't come out of prison or jail just to commit another crime. They need to learn from the errors of their ways.
Economic Progress: Labor and Employment
AFP is advancing employment policy that empowers people to earn success, contribute to their communities, and live meaningful lives. The dignity of work, choice to pursue the profession of one’s choice, and voluntary association are key to a free and thriving labor market.
30.There has been a push to allow Missouri government employees to engage in collective bargaining. Do you support this effort? Why or why not?
No, there is no reason that any government employees should be allowed to unionize. Their employer is literally all of us. It just doesn't make any sense.
31.Do you think employers should be allowed to fire workers who do not join a union? For public sector workers? Private sector workers?
No, in all cases.
32.Do you believe Missouri should become a Right-to-Work state?Yes
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