Category: 2016 Candidate Questionnaire

Republican Dwight Young Gets Personal in Response to #PwDsVote Senate Campaign Questionnaire

Dwight Young standing on a stage with a large American flag in the background

Republican Dwight Young Gets Personal in Response to #PwDsVote Senate Campaign Questionnaire

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on August 29, 2016

Dwight Young

Washington, Aug. 29 – As voters in Florida head to the polls for their state’s primary day for U.S. Senate tomorrow, RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization working to empower people with disabilities to achieve the American dream, asked all candidates for Florida’s senate seat on both sides of the aisle to complete questionnaire on disability issues. While none of the primary candidates submitted answers to the questions, Republican hopeful Dwight Young shared a letter about his personal experience in connection to disability.

RespectAbility is nonpartisan and does not endorse candidates. The questionnaire is purely for educational purposes.

Following the conclusion of the primaries, RespectAbility will continue to seek responses from the victorious candidates and publish those responses when they are received.

We are presenting Young’s response in full below.

Calling All Disability Activists – Engage Your State’s Candidates to Complete #PwDsVote Questionnaire!

Image shows people in line waiting to vote. Majority are physically-able-bodied individuals standing in line. One man is in a power wheelchair.

Calling All Disability Activists – Engage Your State’s Candidates to Complete #PwDsVote Questionnaire!

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on August 29, 2016

Image saying VOTE with O being an image of a person in a wheelchair — America has 56 million people with disabilities, comprising the largest minority group in America, and the only one that, due to an accident or illness, anyone can join at any time.

Washington, Aug. 29 – We’re calling all disability activists to join us in engaging candidates in open and competitive senate and gubernatorial races to complete the #PwDsVote Senate & Gubernatorial Disability Questionnaire!

New Hampshire’s Derek Dextraze on the #PwDsVote Gubernatorial Campaign Questionnaire

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on August 28, 2016

Derek Dextraze

Washington, August 28 – The 2016 New Hampshire gubernatorial election will take place on November 8, 2016. The primaries will be held on September 13.

RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization working to empower people with disabilities to achieve the American dream, has asked candidates for New Hampshire’s governorship on both sides of the aisle to fill out a questionnaire on disability issues. Democrat Derek Dextraze is the first candidate from this race to respond to the #PwDsVote Disability Campaign Questionnaire for Senate and Gubernatorial Candidates for people with disabilities.

RespectAbility is nonpartisan and does not endorse candidates. The questionnaire is purely for educational purposes.

“This is my first time running for any office of government and I don’t know all the things wrong or even good things,” Dextraze wrote to RespectAbility. “I believe if I do win, that working with the people and the people at RespectAbility, that we together can come up with something that works for us all. I feel bad I don’t know all the issues but I am willing to learn them and help all that I can. My goal as Governor is to HELP as many people as I can.”

While he did not respond to all of the questions, he added that he is “fighting for the rights of people with disabilities” to his issues page.

RespectAbility is seeking responses from the remainder of the candidates in the race and will publish those responses when they are received.

Dextraze did not respond to all of the questions. We are presenting his answers in full below.

Delaware’s Colin Bonini First to Complete #PwDsVote Gubernatorial Campaign Questionnaire

Image of Colin Bonini smiling while being outside with a horse in the background

Delaware’s Colin Bonini First to Complete #PwDsVote Gubernatorial Campaign Questionnaire

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on August 28, 2016

State Sen. Colin Bonini standing, wearing a suit with a red tie, talking to a constituent — State Sen. Colin Bonini

Washington, Aug. 28 – RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization working to empower people with disabilities to achieve the American dream, has asked gubernatorial candidates on both sides of the aisle to fill out a questionnaire on disability issues. Colin Bonini, a Republican candidate seeking the governorship in Delaware, is the first to respond to the #PwDsVote Disability Campaign Questionnaire for Senate and Gubernatorial Candidates for people with disabilities.

RespectAbility is nonpartisan and does not endorse candidates. The questionnaire is purely for educational purposes.

The State Senator sought out input from RespectAbility in completing his responses and spent more than an hour on a conference call with members of RespectAbility’s staff. This assistance is available to all candidates who are completing the questionnaire.

RespectAbility is seeking answers from the campaign of Democrat John Carney, former Lieutenant Governor of Delaware, and Republican Lacey Lafferty, retired state trooper, who also are seeking the governorship in Delaware.

We are presenting Bonini’s answers in full below.

RespectAbility Unveils #PwDsVote Disability Questionnaire for Senate and Gubernatorial Candidates

Young girl holding small block letters: Vote

RespectAbility Unveils #PwDsVote Disability Questionnaire for Senate and Gubernatorial Candidates

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on August 7, 2016

Questions Focus on Issues Relating to Employment and Stigma

Image of two people voting - one blind and one in a wheelchair — America has 56 million people with disabilities, comprising the largest minority group in America, and the only one that, due to an accident or illness, anyone can join at any time.

Washington, Aug. 7 – Last winter, RespectAbility sent the #PwDsVote Presidential Campaign Questionnaire to all of the presidential candidates. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton responded in full. While several Republican primary candidates did, Republican nominee Donald Trump’s campaign has yet to return any answers to the questionnaire.

Now RespectAbility has adapted the questionnaire for down-ballot races, focusing on open and competitive senate and gubernatorial races. This gives the disability community an opportunity to make a difference by contacting these candidates and urging them to complete the questionnaire. RespectAbility has provided the candidates’ email addresses and Twitter handles for people to do so. They are below.

Jeb Bush Updates #PwDsVote 2016 Campaign Questionnaire

Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush speaks to reporters at the state Capitol on Thursday where he joined Gov. Phil Bryant at a bill-signing ceremony for the Equal Opportunity for Students with Special Needs Act passed by the Legislature this year. Joe Ellis/The Clarion-Ledger

Jeb Bush Updates #PwDsVote 2016 Campaign Questionnaire

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on February 7, 2016

Concord, Feb. 7 – RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization working to empower people with disabilities to achieve the American dream, has asked all of the presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle to fill out a questionnaire on disability issues. As he has sought out and learned more about the various issues,…

John Kasich Responds to #PwDsVote 2016 Campaign Questionnaire

CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 06: Republican presidential candidate Ohio Gov. John Kasich fields a question during the first Republican presidential debate hosted by Fox News and Facebook at the Quicken Loans Arena on August 6, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. The top ten GOP candidates were selected to participate in the debate based on their rank in an average of the five most recent political polls. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

John Kasich Responds to #PwDsVote 2016 Campaign Questionnaire

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on February 5, 2016

Washington, Feb. 5 – RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization working to empower people with disabilities to achieve the American dream, has asked all of the presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle to fill out a questionnaire on disability issues affecting people with disabilities (PwDs). While Gov. John Kasich is still finishing all of…

#PwDsVote Questionnaire Released: Jeb Bush, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders Complete Questionnaires

Text in Image: #PwDsVote 2016 Presidential Questionnaire: Voter Guide, with headshots of presidential candidates

#PwDsVote Questionnaire Released: Jeb Bush, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders Complete Questionnaires

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on January 30, 2016

Washington, Jan. 30 – RespectAbility has released its first #PwDsVote 2016 Campaign Questionnaire for people with disabilities (PwDs). “Fully one-out-of-five voters have a disability, and 52 percent of likely voters have a loved one with a disability. There are 56 million Americans with disabilities, and we have the ability to…

Hillary Clinton Completes #PwDsVote 2016 Campaign Questionnaire

Saturday, June 13, 2015: Hillary Clinton, on Roosevelt Island, speaking at her formal presidential campaign launch, New York, N.Y. (AP)

Hillary Clinton Completes #PwDsVote 2016 Campaign Questionnaire

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on January 30, 2016

Washington, Jan. 30 – RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization working to empower people with disabilities to achieve the American dream, has asked all of the presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle to fill out a questionnaire on disability issues. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has completed the #PwDsVote 2016 Campaign…

Jeb Bush Completes #PwDsVote 2016 Campaign Questionnaire

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush waves as he takes the stage as he formally announced he is joining the race for president with a speech, Monday, June 15, 2015, at Miami Dade College in Miami. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Jeb Bush Completes #PwDsVote 2016 Campaign Questionnaire

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on January 29, 2016

NOTE: As Gov. Bush has sought out and learned more about the various issues, he updated his answers. Please see here: Jeb Bush Updates #PwDsVote 2016 Campaign Questionnaire Washington, Jan. 29 – RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization working to empower people with disabilities to achieve the American dream, has asked all of the…

Carson Addresses Education & Healthcare in #PwDsVote 2016 Questionnaire

Carson Addresses Education & Healthcare in #PwDsVote 2016 Questionnaire

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on January 29, 2016

Washington, Jan. 29 – RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization working to empower people with disabilities to achieve the American dream, has asked all of the presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle to fill out a questionnaire on disability issues affecting people with disabilities (PwDs). Dr. Ben Carson’s campaign responded to our…

Chris Christie Responds to #PwDsVote 2016 Campaign Questionnaire

Chris Christie Responds to #PwDsVote 2016 Campaign Questionnaire

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on January 29, 2016

Washington, Jan. 29 – RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization working to empower people with disabilities to achieve the American dream, has asked all of the presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle to fill out a questionnaire on disability issues. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is the first Republican to respond.…

Sanders Campaign First to Fill Out #PwDsVote 2016 Campaign Questionnaire

Senator Bernie Sanders arrives for a town hall meeting in Davenport, Iowa, on May 28, 2015.

Sanders Campaign First to Fill Out #PwDsVote 2016 Campaign Questionnaire

Published by Lauren Appelbaum on January 25, 2016

Washington, Jan. 25 – RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization working to empower people with disabilities to achieve the American dream, has asked all of the presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle to fill out a questionnaire on disability issues. While many campaigns responded positively that they are working on…