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Will McBride (R)
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Why do you want to be United States Senator for Florida?
2006 Primary Election Special Report About this report Gubernatorial Candidates Charlie Crist Tom Gallagher Rod Smith Senatorial Candidates Katherine Harris Will McBride LeRoy Collins Editorial It’s our Christian duty to vote on Sept. 5 |
One of the major reasons that I’ve seen is that we have runaway spending. Our Congress is spending out of control. We are catering to special interests and someone has to do something about it.
My main goal is I want to be a deficit hawk with integrity. In that I want to make sure that I conduct my business in such a way that I don’t even come close to ethical violations or any kind of crossing the line. And another reason that I’m running is that senators confirm judges. And I have a very strong conviction. I am pro-life. I’m a former Baptist youth minister, a former Christian camp director and I want to confirm judges that the president would appoint that would interpret the Constitution and not legislate from the bench.
Why are you the best-qualified candidate?
At this point, according to the most public recent polls, it’s showing that we are electable, that we are the ones that are closest to beating Bill Nelson. Quinnipiac University Poll places us ahead of Katherine Harris against a match up between Bill Nelson. And I say this is about the team. This is about winning it for the team. This race isn’t about an individual candidate. It’s about championing our core Republican values of pro-life, traditional marriage between one man and one woman, defending our second amendment rights. There are so many issues that are at stake.
I believe the values that I would bring to this race are unique and none of the other candidates have this to know what it’s like to roll up your sleeves and work every day and I believe I bring the strongest values. And I also am of Hispanic descent, I can communicate this message in English and “e ta bien in Espanol” and I believe we can rally the Hispanic base.
What is your personal religious faith?
I am a Christian and I am a member of First Baptist of Windemere.
Are you involved in a local place of worship? If so, in what way?
We are involved in children’s ministry, my wife and I are involved. We have three young boys, too, and so we are involved with the children there. I have worked in my dad’s church. My dad is a Spanish minister and so my wife doesn’t speak Spanish, but we are involved in the church there, helping out. I use my legal services also, I do pro-bono work and I assist people in that manner also. Before that, when I was in college at Florida State, I was a youth minister and I worked in a youth camp for a number of years and I was a youth minister/music director for a number of years also. Immigration was one of the main reasons I got into the (legal work at dad’s church) and then we branched out into other areas. Mainly because people were being exploited and they couldn’t speak the language and they were trying to do the right thing and they were trying to petition members of their families to come in and—so that’s an area we have been working in. And we do charge, also, in certain instances, not all of the work is pro-bono, so I don’t want to mislead you in that way, but we don’t really make money… my goal is just to try to break even in that immigration.
Some day all of us have to give an account before God for what we have done. Are you certain in your own heart that when you come to that point of accounting that you’ll spend eternity with God in Heaven?
I am a hundred percent sure based on what the Bible says, “whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” My dad is a minister, as I’ve said, and as a young boy in Sunday School I would always go forward and pray the sinner’s prayer, however when I was 10 years old I wanted to make sure because I struggled with doubts of my salvation, and I acknowledged that I was a sinner, I believe that Christ died on the cross for my sins and in the best way that a 10-year-old boy could, I invited Him to be my Lord and Savior. I’m not perfect, but I believe that was the time I placed my faith in Christ. And based on Scripture, I am confident that I will stand before Christ and He will say, “welcome in.” I just want to hear, “well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
One day when you stand before God, if He says to you, “Why should I let you into my Heaven?” What you would say in response?
Based on many scriptural principles, I believe that Christ died on the cross, my sin was paid for and I accepted His free gift of salvation and I’m confident based on Scripture my faith has been placed in Christ and because of His blood shed on the cross my sins were paid for.
How does your faith impact the way you view your responsibilities as a public official?
I believe one of the major reasons I am in this race, Matthew 5:13 says “you are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor—-but therefore it shall be salt and it will be henceforth good for nothing and it shall be cast out …men” and then Matthew follows down, it says, “you are the light of the world.” Now here is the key right here, “let your light so shine before men that they might see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
I believe it is my role as an individual in this society is to preserve truth and righteousness. To be salt and light preserving truth and righteousness in every way that I can. And I believe the role of government, I believe God ordained the family, the church and the government. And the role of government is to protect life and liberty and that would be my number one goal across the board to protect life and liberty for our citizens and to be a restraining force of evil in the world and to promote good.
What role do you think people of faith should play in politics and government?
They should get involved. That is one thing that we shouldn’t run, that many people say—I was struggling whether to go to law school or seminary and I went to law school and shocked everyone and now I am in politics and it’s kind of like a boat. People don’t want to put the boat in the water because they are afraid it will sink, I say put the boat in the water, just make sure the water doesn’t get in the boat. And Christians need to be involved and exercise their faith. That’s the great opportunity that we have here in this country, to preserve truth and righteousness.
Do you support civil rights protections on the basis of sexual preference?
No, I do not. I believe in traditional marriage between one man and one woman and I believe that is foundational to our society.
Do you support a federal constitutional amendment to define marriage as being only between one man and one woman? Why or why not?
Yes, I do, because as I said earlier, because I believe marriage and the institution of marriage and the family, and especially marriage, is between one man and one woman.
Do you support the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment?
Yes, I do, for the same reasons. I believe marriage should be defined as between one man and one woman.
Setting aside for the moment the public policy questions related to abortion, is abortion a moral evil? Why or why not?
Oh, I believe so, because it’s taking a life. And I believe the role of government is to protect life and when the life is in the womb, it’s the most critical and we should protect life at all cost.
What public policy limits on abortion have you supported or will you support in order to decrease the number of abortions in our nation?
I believe a waiting period. I believe alternatives, crisis pregnancy centers, to give women the opportunity to make other choices than to seek an abortion.
What is your view of Gov. Bush’s efforts on behalf of Terri Schiavo?
I know that he issued a stay to prevent the removal of her feeding devices. I support that.
Is there something wrong with Florida and federal statutes when a severely brain-damaged woman who’s not in the process of dying can be starved and dehydrated to death by her husband with the assistance of the courts?
I believe there’s a huge problem. It’s the role of government to protect life. I believe it was a problem at that point.
Should food and water be defined as extraordinary care, thus permitting such care to be denied to persons like Terri Schiavo?
No. I didn’t see the medical charts at that time, but food and water are basic necessities. It’s not like they were being left on life support. And to deprive somebody of the basic needs of food and water is inhumane.
What is your view on government funding of embryonic stem cell research?
I believe life begins at conception and, therefore, if we were to terminate a life for research, I believe that is wrong.
Why should Florida Baptists care about this primary election?
Mainly because of the judicial nominations and senators confirm judges. We have four conservative judges in terms of the constitution. We may have two of these liberals, possibly Ginsburg stepping down. We need to have senators that are going to confirm judges who are going to interpret the constitution who are going to protect our religious liberties. The spending is an issue that I’m very concerned about and we need to get that under control. Another issue that I’m very concerned about is our immigration. We need to have an immigration reform that encourages legal immigration and I believe I bring a unique approach to that. I believe, number one, we should control our borders. That’s unquestionable because it poses a security risk. We’re a nation of laws, we must abide by those laws. Therefore, I’ll be opposed to an amnesty. However, once we have controlled our borders, we understand we are going to abide by the rule of law and not grant amnesty, then and only then should we adjust status and allow some type of a work temporary program and reform our immigration process. Because it’s so lengthy, so unpredictable, and it encourages people to break the law. I’m excited about championing this cause and doing what’s in the best interest of Americans, mainly for our national security. We saw what 19 individuals did on 9/11 who overstayed their visas or who were abusing the visa process. I’m excited about implementing a plan that’s fair, but yet protects our national interest or economic interests of the United States.