Stan Caplan

[{"question": "Ballotpedia survey responses", "answer_html": "<p>See also: <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a></p>\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-xs-10 col-md-6 col-xs-offset-1 col-md-offset-3\"><p><a href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\"><img align=\"middle\" alt=\"Candidate Connection\" src=\"https://cdn.ballotpedia.org/images/8/88/Candidate_Connection_Logo.png\" width=\"90%\"/></a></p></div></div>\n<p>Stan Caplan completed <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a> survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Caplan's responses.</p>\n<p><span class=\"expand-all\">Expand all</span> | <span class=\"collapse-all\">Collapse all</span></p>\n<div aria-multiselectable=\"true\" class=\"panel-group\" id=\"accordion\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-424414-2026-03-28\" id=\"heading-bio-424414-2026-03-28\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-424414-2026-03-28\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-424414-2026-03-28\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho are you? Tell us about yourself.\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-bio-424414-2026-03-28\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-424414-2026-03-28\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI am Stan Caplan, a small-business owner, father, and lifelong San Diegan running for Congress in the 51st District. For nearly 40 years, I have owned Caplan Financial, helping families and businesses secure affordable insurance and financial solutions. I see every day how rising costs and government overreach are squeezing working people. I filed as a Democrat not because I support the current party direction, but because it is the only realistic way for moderates, conservatives, and independents to have a real voice in this district. I am your Trojan Horse for Common Sense — entering the arena to fight from within for fiscal sanity, safe communities, and families first.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-424414-2026-03-28\" id=\"heading-key-message-424414-2026-03-28\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-424414-2026-03-28\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-424414-2026-03-28\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tPlease list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-key-message-424414-2026-03-28\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-424414-2026-03-28\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>I am the Trojan Horse for Common Sense. In a district where the progressive establishment has lost touch with working families, I filed as a Democrat to breach the walls from the inside. I will carry the voice of moderates, conservatives, and No Party Preference voters into Washington and pull policy back toward practical results over ideology. The 51st needs a representative who answers to the people paying the bills, not party leadership.</li><li>Affordability is crushing San Diego families. SDG&amp;E bills up nearly 15%, soaring water and sewer rates, high gas prices, and proposed mileage taxes are not sustainable. As a small-business owner who helps families budget, I will use every tool in Congress — oversight, federal funding leverage, and regulatory pressure — to fight utility hikes, block regressive taxes, and deliver real relief so teachers, nurses, and working families can stay in the neighborhoods they built.</li><li>We must focus on the 80% of issues where most Americans agree: safe streets, strong families, and secure communities. I will fight for parental transparency in schools, protect fairness and safety in women’s sports for biological females, support law enforcement, and demand a secure border that prioritizes legal residents, hospitals, schools, and wages — all while remaining humane. These are common-sense positions that protect opportunity and stability, not politics.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-424414-2026-03-28\" id=\"heading1-424414-2026-03-28\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-424414-2026-03-28\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-424414-2026-03-28\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading1-424414-2026-03-28\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-424414-2026-03-28\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI am passionate about restoring affordability for working families, protecting parental rights and transparency in education, ensuring fairness in women’s sports, strengthening public safety, and fixing our broken border. After decades helping families navigate rising costs through my business, I refuse to watch ideology continue to drive up utility bills, strain local services, and erode basic fairness. Government should serve the 80% kitchen-table priorities that unite us — fiscal responsibility, safe neighborhoods, and putting families and citizens first — not the loud 20% that divide us.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-424414-2026-03-28\" id=\"heading2-424414-2026-03-28\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse2-424414-2026-03-28\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-424414-2026-03-28\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading2-424414-2026-03-28\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse2-424414-2026-03-28\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tMy campaign was officially certified by the California Secretary of State on March 26, 2026. Endorsements are actively being finalized. In the past, I have received support from tax-reduction organizations, police associations, and term-limits advocates for my consistent work on behalf of fiscal responsibility, public safety, and accountable government.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div></div>\n<div class=\"small\" data-nosnippet=\"\"><p><i><b>Note:</b> Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.</i></p></div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"></div>\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-xs-10 col-md-6 col-xs-offset-1 col-md-offset-3\"><p><a href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\"><img align=\"middle\" alt=\"Candidate Connection\" src=\"https://cdn.ballotpedia.org/images/8/88/Candidate_Connection_Logo.png\" width=\"90%\"/></a></p></div></div>\n<p>Stan Caplan completed <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a> survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Caplan's responses.</p>\n<p><span class=\"expand-all\">Expand all</span> | <span class=\"collapse-all\">Collapse all</span></p>\n<div aria-multiselectable=\"true\" class=\"panel-group\" id=\"accordion\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-178674-2024-01-27\" id=\"heading-bio-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-178674-2024-01-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho are you? Tell us about yourself.\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-bio-178674-2024-01-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tBecause of Democratic and Republican letdowns, I, Stan Caplan, AKA Caplan America, emerge as the hope for the 51st Congressional District. Your trust has been betrayed by representatives who prioritize personal gain. Your well-being deserves to be the top priority. \r\n<p>I will introduce groundbreaking bills. My Tax Relief Act ensures you pay no federal income tax on the first $50,000 of earned income. \r\nMy Immigration Act demands strict enforcement of existing laws, imposing severe penalties, including jail time for violators. I vehemently advocate for the eradication of drug cartels in the United States and Mexico.\r\nMy Welfare Act redirects welfare from illegal immigrants to struggling Americans and veterans. My Homeless Act boldly removes the homeless from the streets, placing them in treatment centers where an independent review board determines release times in the patient’s best interest.\r\nAs a small business owner, I champion fair competition between small businesses and corporate giants. I fight passionately for parental involvement in education, integrity in women's sports, a balanced approach to reproductive rights, accessible healthcare, and bipartisan solutions to bridge the gap between Democrat and Republican extremes.\r\n</p>\n</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-178674-2024-01-27\" id=\"heading-key-message-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-178674-2024-01-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tPlease list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-key-message-178674-2024-01-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>No Federal taxes on the first $50,000 of earned income.</li><li>Legal Immigration only. Deport all unvetted and incarcerated illegals. </li><li>Make all criminals accountable including corrupt politicians to smash and grabbers, and all others.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-178674-2024-01-27\" id=\"heading1-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-178674-2024-01-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading1-178674-2024-01-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI want to rid my district of mentally ill and drug addicted homeless, illegals and criminals.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-178674-2024-01-27\" id=\"heading2-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse2-178674-2024-01-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading2-178674-2024-01-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse2-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tRepresenting their voters best interests. Not going to Washington DC for the elected official's self interest.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-178674-2024-01-27\" id=\"heading3-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse3-178674-2024-01-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading3-178674-2024-01-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse3-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI will remember that I am working for the people who put me there. I will look at my job like a business and attempt to eliminate the waste, fraud and abuse so prevalent in government.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-178674-2024-01-27\" id=\"heading4-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse4-178674-2024-01-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat was your very first job? How long did you have it?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading4-178674-2024-01-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse4-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tA have been a small business owner my whole career. I appreciate the opportunities that the United States offers that allows anyone to be the best they can. I want to make sure that it continues and the government does not get in the way.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse5-178674-2024-01-27\" id=\"heading5-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse5-178674-2024-01-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse5-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tIf you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading5-178674-2024-01-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse5-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tCaptain America, because Stan Caplan is AKA Caplan America.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse6-178674-2024-01-27\" id=\"heading6-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse6-178674-2024-01-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse6-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tDo you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading6-178674-2024-01-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse6-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tNo. The system has been corrupted. We need a fresh start with representatives that wish to serve for the right reasons.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse7-178674-2024-01-27\" id=\"heading7-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse7-178674-2024-01-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse7-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading7-178674-2024-01-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse7-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tPreserving Constitutional freedoms while providing a safe, secure, healthy, and prosperous environment where American citizens can thrive without interference from the government.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse8-178674-2024-01-27\" id=\"heading8-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse8-178674-2024-01-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse8-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat are your thoughts on term limits?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading8-178674-2024-01-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse8-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tAbsolute. Two terms for Senate and three terms for the House.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse9-178674-2024-01-27\" id=\"heading9-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse9-178674-2024-01-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse9-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tBoth sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading9-178674-2024-01-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse9-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tResidents feel abandoned by both Democrat and Republican representatives. They have lost trust because the representatives look after their self interest and forget about why they are in Washington DC.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse10-178674-2024-01-27\" id=\"heading10-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse10-178674-2024-01-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse10-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tDo you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading10-178674-2024-01-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse10-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tYes.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse11-178674-2024-01-27\" id=\"heading11-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse11-178674-2024-01-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse11-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tHow should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading11-178674-2024-01-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse11-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tTo find out who is deliberately degrading the United States and lowering American citizen's standard of living and reducing personal freedom.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse12-178674-2024-01-27\" id=\"heading12-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse12-178674-2024-01-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse12-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading12-178674-2024-01-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse12-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tMy voters-the endorsement that counts.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse13-178674-2024-01-27\" id=\"heading13-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse13-178674-2024-01-27\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse13-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading13-178674-2024-01-27\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse13-178674-2024-01-27\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\t100% transparency. 100% accountability.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div></div>\n<div class=\"small\" data-nosnippet=\"\"><p><i><b>Note:</b> Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.</i></p></div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"></div>\n<p>Stan Caplan did not complete <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection</a> survey.\n</p>", "answer_text": "See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection\n\nStan Caplan completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Caplan's responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nWho are you? Tell us about yourself. I am Stan Caplan, a small-business owner, father, and lifelong San Diegan running for Congress in the 51st District. For nearly 40 years, I have owned Caplan Financial, helping families and businesses secure affordable insurance and financial solutions. I see every day how rising costs and government overreach are squeezing working people. I filed as a Democrat not because I support the current party direction, but because it is the only realistic way for moderates, conservatives, and independents to have a real voice in this district. I am your Trojan Horse for Common Sense — entering the arena to fight from within for fiscal sanity, safe communities, and families first. Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? I am the Trojan Horse for Common Sense. In a district where the progressive establishment has lost touch with working families, I filed as a Democrat to breach the walls from the inside. I will carry the voice of moderates, conservatives, and No Party Preference voters into Washington and pull policy back toward practical results over ideology. The 51st needs a representative who answers to the people paying the bills, not party leadership. Affordability is crushing San Diego families. SDG&E bills up nearly 15%, soaring water and sewer rates, high gas prices, and proposed mileage taxes are not sustainable. As a small-business owner who helps families budget, I will use every tool in Congress — oversight, federal funding leverage, and regulatory pressure — to fight utility hikes, block regressive taxes, and deliver real relief so teachers, nurses, and working families can stay in the neighborhoods they built. We must focus on the 80% of issues where most Americans agree: safe streets, strong families, and secure communities. I will fight for parental transparency in schools, protect fairness and safety in women’s sports for biological females, support law enforcement, and demand a secure border that prioritizes legal residents, hospitals, schools, and wages — all while remaining humane. These are common-sense positions that protect opportunity and stability, not politics. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? I am passionate about restoring affordability for working families, protecting parental rights and transparency in education, ensuring fairness in women’s sports, strengthening public safety, and fixing our broken border. After decades helping families navigate rising costs through my business, I refuse to watch ideology continue to drive up utility bills, strain local services, and erode basic fairness. Government should serve the 80% kitchen-table priorities that unite us — fiscal responsibility, safe neighborhoods, and putting families and citizens first — not the loud 20% that divide us. What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign? My campaign was officially certified by the California Secretary of State on March 26, 2026. Endorsements are actively being finalized. In the past, I have received support from tax-reduction organizations, police associations, and term-limits advocates for my consistent work on behalf of fiscal responsibility, public safety, and accountable government.\nNote: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.\n\n\nStan Caplan completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Caplan's responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nWho are you? Tell us about yourself. Because of Democratic and Republican letdowns, I, Stan Caplan, AKA Caplan America, emerge as the hope for the 51st Congressional District. Your trust has been betrayed by representatives who prioritize personal gain. Your well-being deserves to be the top priority. I will introduce groundbreaking bills. My Tax Relief Act ensures you pay no federal income tax on the first $50,000 of earned income. \r\nMy Immigration Act demands strict enforcement of existing laws, imposing severe penalties, including jail time for violators. I vehemently advocate for the eradication of drug cartels in the United States and Mexico.\r\nMy Welfare Act redirects welfare from illegal immigrants to struggling Americans and veterans. My Homeless Act boldly removes the homeless from the streets, placing them in treatment centers where an independent review board determines release times in the patient’s best interest.\r\nAs a small business owner, I champion fair competition between small businesses and corporate giants. I fight passionately for parental involvement in education, integrity in women's sports, a balanced approach to reproductive rights, accessible healthcare, and bipartisan solutions to bridge the gap between Democrat and Republican extremes. Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? No Federal taxes on the first $50,000 of earned income. Legal Immigration only. Deport all unvetted and incarcerated illegals. Make all criminals accountable including corrupt politicians to smash and grabbers, and all others. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? I want to rid my district of mentally ill and drug addicted homeless, illegals and criminals. What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official? Representing their voters best interests. Not going to Washington DC for the elected official's self interest. What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder? I will remember that I am working for the people who put me there. I will look at my job like a business and attempt to eliminate the waste, fraud and abuse so prevalent in government. What was your very first job? How long did you have it? A have been a small business owner my whole career. I appreciate the opportunities that the United States offers that allows anyone to be the best they can. I want to make sure that it continues and the government does not get in the way. If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be? Captain America, because Stan Caplan is AKA Caplan America. Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics? No. The system has been corrupted. We need a fresh start with representatives that wish to serve for the right reasons. What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade? Preserving Constitutional freedoms while providing a safe, secure, healthy, and prosperous environment where American citizens can thrive without interference from the government. What are your thoughts on term limits? Absolute. Two terms for Senate and three terms for the House. Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful? Residents feel abandoned by both Democrat and Republican representatives. They have lost trust because the representatives look after their self interest and forget about why they are in Washington DC. Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking? Yes. How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers? To find out who is deliberately degrading the United States and lowering American citizen's standard of living and reducing personal freedom. What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign? My voters-the endorsement that counts. What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability? 100% transparency. 100% accountability.\nNote: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.\n\nStan Caplan did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey."}, {"question": "Campaign website", "answer_html": "<p>Caplan's campaign website stated the following:\n</p>\n<div style=\"height:400px;overflow:scroll;border:1px solid gray;margin:20px;padding:10px;\">\n<table data-nosnippet=\"\" style=\"border-collapse: collapse; border: none;background-color: transparent; auto; ;\">\n<tbody><tr>\n<td style=\"border:none; color:#B2B7F2;font-size:35px;font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: left; padding: 10px 3px;\" valign=\"top\" width=\"20\">“\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; padding: 4px 10px;\" valign=\"top\">\n<p><b>✓ REDUCE GAS PRICES AND LOWER ENERGY COSTS:</b>\n</p>\n<ul><li>Stop tax and regulation policies that punish everyday Americans</li>\n<li>Produce more U.S. oil and natural gas</li>\n<li>Restore energy independence</li>\n<li>Increase reliable and affordable renewable resources</li></ul>\n<p><br/>\n<b>✓ EASE INFLATION AND LOWER FOOD PRICES:</b>\n</p>\n<ul><li>Shrink government and reduce spending</li>\n<li>Decrease taxes on low and middle wage earners</li>\n<li>Reduce supply chain regulations</li>\n<li>Use private enterprise, not government, to grow the economy</li></ul>\n<p><br/>\n<b>✓ HELP SMALL BUSINESSES:</b>\n</p>\n<ul><li>Incentivize small business creation</li>\n<li>Reduce taxes, regulation, and bureaucracy</li>\n<li>Ensure fair competition with big business</li></ul>\n<p><br/>\n<b>✓ EDUCATE CHILDREN:</b>\n</p>\n<ul><li>Stick to practical STEM learning</li>\n<li>Teach honest and constructive U.S. History and Civics</li>\n<li>Cultivate values of individual character, not divisive race-based constructs</li></ul>\n<p><br/>\n<b>✓ GIVE PARENTS SCHOOL CHOICE:</b>\n</p>\n<ul><li>Encourage educational competition between schools</li>\n<li>Reward innovative and effective teachers</li>\n<li>Provide wide range of learning opportunities</li>\n<li>Let parents tailor education to their children’s individual needs</li></ul>\n<p><br/>\n<b>✓ GIVE PARENTS A VOICE:</b>\n</p>\n<ul><li>Let parents decide curriculum</li>\n<li>Give parents authority over all sexuality teaching</li>\n<li>Protect parents from being characterized as terrorists</li></ul>\n<p><br/>\n<b>✓ ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY:</b>\n</p>\n<ul><li>Support rule of law</li>\n<li>Appoint federal officials who uphold and enforce law</li>\n<li>Punish unchecked criminal behavior</li>\n<li>Remove rogue prosecutors</li>\n<li>Staff, fund and improve law enforcement</li></ul>\n<p><br/>\n<b>✓ RAMPANT HOMELESSNESS:</b>\n</p>\n<ul><li>Encourage federal partnership with local officials</li>\n<li>Give addicts and the mentally ill appropriate care and treatment</li>\n<li>Provide career training and job opportunities</li></ul>\n<p><br/>\n<b>✓ RESTORE BORDER POLICY LAW &amp; ORDER:</b>\n</p>\n<ul><li>Protect the border!</li>\n<li>Encourage law abiding, legal immigration</li>\n<li>Expel violent criminal illegals immediately</li></ul>\n<p><br/>\n<b>✓ IMPROVE HEALTHCARE:</b>\n</p>\n<ul><li>Reduce interstate healthcare restrictions</li>\n<li>Ensure all Americans a choice of private healthcare solutions</li>\n<li>Develop cost effective healthcare options for self-employed and small businesses</li>\n<li>Decrease the price of prescription drugs</li>\n<li>Maintain social security and Medicare</li></ul>\n<p><br/>\n<b>✓ FOREIGN POLICY:</b>\n</p>\n<ul><li>Always fund and protect our military</li>\n<li>Never abandon our people and our military again</li>\n<li>Advance our defensive capabilities</li>\n<li>Develop win-win relationships with friendly nations</li>\n<li>No boots on the ground unless we are endangered</li>\n<li>Treat China and Russia as adversaries in all our policies</li>\n<li>Reject any proposed Iran nuclear agreement</li></ul>\n<p><br/>\n<b>✓ SUPPORT ISRAEL:</b>\n</p>\n<ul><li>Safeguard Jerusalem as the capital of Israel</li>\n<li>Maintain US embassy in Jerusalem</li>\n<li>Sustain Israel’s ability to defend itself<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_3-0\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-3\">[3]</a></sup></li></ul>\n</td>\n<td style=\"border: none; color: #B2B7F2; font-size: 35px; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: right; padding: 10px 1px;\" valign=\"bottom\" width=\"20\">”\n</td></tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"cquotecite\" colspan=\"3\" style=\"border: none; padding-right: 4%\"><cite style=\"font-style: normal;font-size: smaller; float: right;\">—Stan Caplan's campaign website (2022)<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-4\"><a href=\"#cite_note-4\">[4]</a></sup></cite>\n</td></tr></tbody></table>\n</div>", "answer_text": "Caplan's campaign website stated the following:\n“ ✓ REDUCE GAS PRICES AND LOWER ENERGY COSTS: Stop tax and regulation policies that punish everyday Americans Produce more U.S. oil and natural gas Restore energy independence Increase reliable and affordable renewable resources ✓ EASE INFLATION AND LOWER FOOD PRICES: Shrink government and reduce spending Decrease taxes on low and middle wage earners Reduce supply chain regulations Use private enterprise, not government, to grow the economy ✓ HELP SMALL BUSINESSES: Incentivize small business creation Reduce taxes, regulation, and bureaucracy Ensure fair competition with big business ✓ EDUCATE CHILDREN: Stick to practical STEM learning Teach honest and constructive U.S. History and Civics Cultivate values of individual character, not divisive race-based constructs ✓ GIVE PARENTS SCHOOL CHOICE: Encourage educational competition between schools Reward innovative and effective teachers Provide wide range of learning opportunities Let parents tailor education to their children’s individual needs ✓ GIVE PARENTS A VOICE: Let parents decide curriculum Give parents authority over all sexuality teaching Protect parents from being characterized as terrorists ✓ ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY: Support rule of law Appoint federal officials who uphold and enforce law Punish unchecked criminal behavior Remove rogue prosecutors Staff, fund and improve law enforcement ✓ RAMPANT HOMELESSNESS: Encourage federal partnership with local officials Give addicts and the mentally ill appropriate care and treatment Provide career training and job opportunities ✓ RESTORE BORDER POLICY LAW & ORDER: Protect the border! Encourage law abiding, legal immigration Expel violent criminal illegals immediately ✓ IMPROVE HEALTHCARE: Reduce interstate healthcare restrictions Ensure all Americans a choice of private healthcare solutions Develop cost effective healthcare options for self-employed and small businesses Decrease the price of prescription drugs Maintain social security and Medicare ✓ FOREIGN POLICY: Always fund and protect our military Never abandon our people and our military again Advance our defensive capabilities Develop win-win relationships with friendly nations No boots on the ground unless we are endangered Treat China and Russia as adversaries in all our policies Reject any proposed Iran nuclear agreement ✓ SUPPORT ISRAEL: Safeguard Jerusalem as the capital of Israel Maintain US embassy in Jerusalem Sustain Israel’s ability to defend itself [3] ” —Stan Caplan's campaign website (2022) [4]"}]