Are you looking for a nonpartisan voter guide to the Tom Udall vs. Allen Weh Senate race? One that will give you an unbiased, no-spin comparison of candidate positions on key issues? That's what our Campus Election Engagement Project guide will give you! We are a national nonpartisan initiative working with college and university administrators, faculty, and student leaders to increase student participation in America's elections. For the 2014 elections we have created and distributed voter guides to campuses in more than 20 states so they can provide their communities with accurate information for informed voting. Because these guides have been so well received and are useful for all voting citizens who want to be better informed, we are also posting them here.
We developed our guides by analyzing information from trusted resources such as Votesmart.org, Ontheissues.org, Ballotpedia.com, Politifact.com, Factcheck.org, Vote411.org and from candidate websites, public debates and interviews, and statements in major media outlets. We also showed them to groups like campus Young Republicans and Young Democrats at the schools we work with to verify their fairness and lack of bias.
So here are the issue-by-issue stands for Tom Udall and Allen Weh, with additional links at the bottom for each candidate if you'd like to dig deeper. (You can also find New Mexico's Governor guide here.)
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Budget: Did you support raising the Federal debt ceiling with no strings attached?
Udall: Yes
Weh: No
Budget: Do you support a Constitutional Balanced Budget Amendment?
Udall: No -- Eliminates necessary flexibility
Weh: Yes
Campaign Finance: Do you support the DISCLOSE Act, which would require key funders of political ads to put their names on those ads?
Udall: Yes
Weh: Unclear
Campaign Finance: Do you support the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, which allowed unlimited independent political expenditures by corporations and unions?
Udall: No--supports Constitutional amendment to reverse it
Weh: Yes. Considered decision victory for free speech, and opposed McCain-Feingold, which it overturned
Economy: Do you support raising the minimum wage?
Udall: Yes
Weh: Yes, but eliminate for workers under 26 (Follow the link for more information on Weh's position on the minimum wage)
Economy: Do you support extending unemployment benefits beyond 26 weeks?
Udall: Yes
Weh: Unknown
Economy: Do you support the Dodd-Frank Act, which established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and sought to increase regulation of Wall Street corporations and other financial institutions?
Udall: Yes
Weh: Unknown
Economy: Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
Udall: Yes
Weh: No
Education: Do you support refinancing of student loans at lower rates, paid for by increasing taxes on income over a million dollars?
Udall: Yes
Weh: Unknown
Environment: Do you believe that human activity is a major factor contributing to climate change?
Udall: Yes
Weh: Unclear (Weh's answer on how to respond to climate change "I strongly support clean air and clean water and will be an advocate for those policies in the U.S. Senate. And I fully support the development of alternative energy technologies and ways to economically reduce carbon emissions from the fossil fuel sources we depend on." )
Environment: Do you support government action to limit the levels of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere?
Udall: Yes
Weh: No
Environment: Do you support government mandates and/or subsidies for renewable energy?
Udall: Yes
Weh: No
Foreign Affairs: Should the US return troops to Iraq to counter the insurgency?
Udall: No
Weh: Ambiguous. Will not "vote to put our men and women in harm's way until it is absolutely necessary"
Gay Marriage: Do you support gay marriage?
Udall: Yes
Weh: No
Gun Control: Do you support enacting more restrictive gun control legislation?
Udall: Yes -- Supports universal background checks
Weh: No
Healthcare: Do you support repealing the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare?
Udall: No
Weh: Yes
Healthcare: Did you support shutting down the federal government in order to defund Obamacare in 2013?
Udall: No
Weh: Unknown
Immigration: Do you support the D.R.E.A.M. Act, which would allow children brought into the country illegally to achieve legal status if they've graduated from high school, have a clean legal record, and attend college or serve in the military?
Udall: Yes
Weh: Unknown -- likely no
Immigration: Do you support the comprehensive immigration plan passed by the Senate in 2013, which includes a pathway to citizenship and increased funding for border security?
Udall: Yes
Weh: No -- Secure the borders first
Marijuana: Do you support efforts to decriminalize and/or legalize marijuana?
Udall: Supports federal government respecting state marijuana laws
Weh: Supports medical marijuana but not further legalization
Social Issues: Should abortion be highly restricted?
Udall: No
Weh: Yes
Social Issues: Should for-profit employers be able to withhold contraceptive coverage from employees if they disagree with it morally?
Udall: No
Weh: Unknown
Social Issues: Should Planned Parenthood receive public funds for non-abortion health services?
Udall: Yes
Weh: Unknown
Social Security: Do you support partial privatization of Social Security?
Udall: No
Weh: Unknown
Taxes: Would you increase taxes on corporations and/or high-income individuals to pay for public services?
Udall: Yes
Weh: No -- his preference is for a flat tax
Learn more about the candidates:
Udall: VoteSmart pages, On the Issues
Weh: VoteSmart pages, On the Issues
Or see their Q&A and profiles in the Albuquerque Journal's voter guide
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