Erik David Hurt

[{"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>Erik Hurt 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 Hurt'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-217072-2024-01-23\" id=\"heading-bio-217072-2024-01-23\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-217072-2024-01-23\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-217072-2024-01-23\" 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-217072-2024-01-23\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-217072-2024-01-23\" 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 name is Erik Hurt and I am running for Congress in Indiana's 8th congressional district. I have spent my whole life trying to fight for the poor, the sick, and the marginalized, and I will continue that fight with this campaign.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-217072-2024-01-23\" id=\"heading-key-message-217072-2024-01-23\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-217072-2024-01-23\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-217072-2024-01-23\" 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-217072-2024-01-23\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-217072-2024-01-23\" 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 will fight to expand benefits and the quality of life for working class people with policies like guaranteed paid vacation, guaranteed paid parental leave, guaranteed child care, an increased minimum wage, while also fighting to bring the cost of housing and goods down with things like wealth taxes and windfall profit taxes.</li><li>I will fight to combat climate change not only by promoting investments into clean energy but rethinking the way our cities are structured so that they are built around people and not cars so that we can bring down the amount of energy we're using.</li><li>I want to drastically increase investments into our public education system. From pre-K through university. From trade school to liberal arts colleges. I want to raise teacher salaries, expand student resources, make sure no child is going hungry at school, and that no student will be forced into debt for wanting to get an education.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-217072-2024-01-23\" id=\"heading1-217072-2024-01-23\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-217072-2024-01-23\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-217072-2024-01-23\" 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=\"heading1-217072-2024-01-23\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-217072-2024-01-23\" 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 rights for the working class, protecting our environment, improving education, protecting the rights for POC and members of the LGBTQ+ community, about expanding public transportation, guaranteeing health care, reworking law enforcement so that it gets to the roots of problems and doesn't just throw cops and prisons at the problems. I want to combat gun violence, protect abortion rights, and protect our democracy from fascist threats. \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>", "answer_text": "See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection\n\nErik Hurt completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hurt's responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nWho are you? Tell us about yourself. My name is Erik Hurt and I am running for Congress in Indiana's 8th congressional district. I have spent my whole life trying to fight for the poor, the sick, and the marginalized, and I will continue that fight with this campaign. 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 will fight to expand benefits and the quality of life for working class people with policies like guaranteed paid vacation, guaranteed paid parental leave, guaranteed child care, an increased minimum wage, while also fighting to bring the cost of housing and goods down with things like wealth taxes and windfall profit taxes. I will fight to combat climate change not only by promoting investments into clean energy but rethinking the way our cities are structured so that they are built around people and not cars so that we can bring down the amount of energy we're using. I want to drastically increase investments into our public education system. From pre-K through university. From trade school to liberal arts colleges. I want to raise teacher salaries, expand student resources, make sure no child is going hungry at school, and that no student will be forced into debt for wanting to get an education. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? I am passionate about rights for the working class, protecting our environment, improving education, protecting the rights for POC and members of the LGBTQ+ community, about expanding public transportation, guaranteeing health care, reworking law enforcement so that it gets to the roots of problems and doesn't just throw cops and prisons at the problems. I want to combat gun violence, protect abortion rights, and protect our democracy from fascist threats.\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."}, {"question": "Campaign website", "answer_html": "<p>Hurt’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><big>Workers Rights and Benefits</big><br/>\nEvery single worker in this country, regardless of occupation, deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, get a paid a proper living wage that allows them to thrive, with time available to themselves and their loved ones.\n</p><p>I support a $20 minimum wage with provisions that it increases automatically to keep up with inflation.\n</p><p>I support 6 weeks guaranteed paid vacation, 16 weeks of guaranteed paid parental leave, as well as efforts to establish a 32 hour work week.\n</p><p>Labor laws that protect workers from bodily harm and that keep children from working long hours or in dangerous conditions should be maintained and enforced. \n</p><p><big>Environment and Infrastructure</big><br/>\nFighting against climate change should be a top priority for our country. We need to invest in renewable energy, and more importantly find ways to use less energy.\n</p><p>We need to put the weight of Americas might behind renewable energy sources.\n</p><p>We need to invest heavily in public transportation, and create a national rail service that rivals the best in the world.\n</p><p>We need more dense, walkable cities, that are designed around people and not cars. \n</p><p>We need to work towards more sustainability in all of our consumer goods which includes limiting our use of single use items, particularly single use plastics. \n</p><p><big>Taxing the Rich</big><br/>\n40 years of Reaganomics and tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy that were promised to trickle down to middle class Americans has proven to be a lie and a sham that has worked to destroy the middle class in this country. We need to take back the government from the rich and it make it work for us. The billionaire class has accrued their wealth by exploiting their workers, and it is money owed to you, that you deserve, that has been taken out of your pocket and your community. \n</p><p>I support a top marginal tax rate of 80% which would put it in line with what is was in the 1940s-1970s.\n</p><p>I support a progressive wealth tax on household worth over $100 million dollars because the ultra-wealthy shouldn’t be able to hide behind unrealized gains. \n</p><p>I support a windfall profits tax to fight against corporate greed and price gouging that has driven inflation in this country.\n</p><p><big>Education</big><br/>\nThe public school system is one of the most important institutions that we have in this country and should be supported, protected, and funded so that not only our nation’s youth can thrive and grow, but that any American who wants to further their education can do so easily an affordably.\n</p><p>I believe we need a drastic increase in funding for K-12 schools that provides higher pay for teachers, more support staff, better resources and infrastructure, and funding for additional school programs and clubs, as well as opportunities for alternative education opportunities that allow students to learn life skills, trades, or follow passions in an easily accessible environment. \n</p><p>I believe that all school meals should free across the board.\n</p><p>I support universal pre-k, universal community college, and debt free 4 years universities. \n</p><p>I support the immediate cancelation of student loan debt.\n</p><p>I believe that schools should be places where students can explore different ideas and learn and grow into themselves in a safe and constructive environment that is inclusive of LGBTQ+ perspectives.\n</p><p>I believe it is important that history is not compromised in the classroom and should not be whitewashed or manipulated to push an agenda. Providing more facts, more information, more context can never be indoctrination, that can only occur by omitting facts from being taught. \n</p><p><big>Corporate Regulation</big><br/>\nA democracy, a people’s government, is the tool we use to fight back against oppression and exploitation from billionaires and corporations. When we cut back on oversight and regulations, we are handing over our power to the very people the government should be protecting us from. We need to hold these companies accountable and ensure that our government is working for the benefit of all of us.\n</p><p>I believe we need to enforce antitrust laws , and make sure that mega-corporations and conglomerates are not able to continue to push out their competition and impose their will across every industry. \n</p><p>Enforcing safety, quality, and environmental standards is vitally important, and we cannot sacrifice these standards for promises of efficiency, which are really promises of lower quality goods. \n</p><p><big>Crime and Law Enforcement</big><br/>\nIn the United States we have the most cops, we have the most prisons, we have the most prisoners, we spend the most on law enforcement, and yet we have crime rates far higher than our peer nations. This signifies to me that we need serious changes in how we approach law enforcement in this country.\n</p><p>I believe that the focus of our approach to crime should be on tackling the root causes of crime like poverty. I support the divestment of funds from traditional policing into education, mental health care, substance abusing counseling, and other social services.\n</p><p>I support the federal legalization of marijuana.\n</p><p>I support a federal ban on for-profit prisons. \n</p><p>I support the decriminalization of sex work.\n</p><p><big>Abortion, IVF, and Contraception</big><br/>\nI believe that Americans should have the right to an abortion and that the Democratic Party should have enshrined that right into law a long time ago. For too long it has been dangled in front of citizens for votes. \n</p><p>I believe that the right and access to IVF should also be protected.\n</p><p>I believe that the right to contraceptives should be protected and that people should have easy access to contraception, and that comprehensive sexual education is important to teach young adults. \n</p><p><big>Democracy</big><br/>\nIt is certain that democracy is under threat in this country. A large portion of the Republican party is committed to undermining democracy at every turn, and would happily throw it under the bus in exchange for money and power. We need to take the words and actions of those threatening the people’s government seriously and hold them to account.\n</p><p>I believe that election day should be a federal holiday.\n</p><p>I believe we should institute compulsory voter registration.\n</p><p>I believe we need to get rid of the electoral college. \n</p><p>I believe we need to ban felony disenfranchisement.\n</p><p><big>Palestine</big><br/>\nThe Israeli government is committing a genocide in Gaza and the American government has aided and abetted it. The only stance we can take is for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and to work to end Israel’s oppression over the Palestinian people. \n</p><p><big>Healthcare</big><br/>\nThe United States spends more on healthcare than any other country, and yet we leave millions of Americans uninsured or under insured. Our life expectancy is lower than many of our peer nations. Americans often have no idea of the cost of procedures beforehand and many are drowning in large amounts of medical debt. It is beyond time we join the rest of the world in providing a single payer healthcare system to Americans.<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-quotedisclaimer_1-0\"><a href=\"#cite_note-quotedisclaimer-1\">[1]</a></sup>\n</p>\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;\">—Erik Hurt’s campaign website (2024)<sup class=\"reference\" id=\"cite_ref-2\"><a href=\"#cite_note-2\">[2]</a></sup></cite>\n</td></tr></tbody></table>\n</div>", "answer_text": "Hurt’s campaign website stated the following:\n“ Workers Rights and Benefits Every single worker in this country, regardless of occupation, deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, get a paid a proper living wage that allows them to thrive, with time available to themselves and their loved ones. I support a $20 minimum wage with provisions that it increases automatically to keep up with inflation. I support 6 weeks guaranteed paid vacation, 16 weeks of guaranteed paid parental leave, as well as efforts to establish a 32 hour work week. Labor laws that protect workers from bodily harm and that keep children from working long hours or in dangerous conditions should be maintained and enforced. Environment and Infrastructure Fighting against climate change should be a top priority for our country. We need to invest in renewable energy, and more importantly find ways to use less energy. We need to put the weight of Americas might behind renewable energy sources. We need to invest heavily in public transportation, and create a national rail service that rivals the best in the world. We need more dense, walkable cities, that are designed around people and not cars. We need to work towards more sustainability in all of our consumer goods which includes limiting our use of single use items, particularly single use plastics. Taxing the Rich 40 years of Reaganomics and tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy that were promised to trickle down to middle class Americans has proven to be a lie and a sham that has worked to destroy the middle class in this country. We need to take back the government from the rich and it make it work for us. The billionaire class has accrued their wealth by exploiting their workers, and it is money owed to you, that you deserve, that has been taken out of your pocket and your community. I support a top marginal tax rate of 80% which would put it in line with what is was in the 1940s-1970s. I support a progressive wealth tax on household worth over $100 million dollars because the ultra-wealthy shouldn’t be able to hide behind unrealized gains. I support a windfall profits tax to fight against corporate greed and price gouging that has driven inflation in this country. Education The public school system is one of the most important institutions that we have in this country and should be supported, protected, and funded so that not only our nation’s youth can thrive and grow, but that any American who wants to further their education can do so easily an affordably. I believe we need a drastic increase in funding for K-12 schools that provides higher pay for teachers, more support staff, better resources and infrastructure, and funding for additional school programs and clubs, as well as opportunities for alternative education opportunities that allow students to learn life skills, trades, or follow passions in an easily accessible environment. I believe that all school meals should free across the board. I support universal pre-k, universal community college, and debt free 4 years universities. I support the immediate cancelation of student loan debt. I believe that schools should be places where students can explore different ideas and learn and grow into themselves in a safe and constructive environment that is inclusive of LGBTQ+ perspectives. I believe it is important that history is not compromised in the classroom and should not be whitewashed or manipulated to push an agenda. Providing more facts, more information, more context can never be indoctrination, that can only occur by omitting facts from being taught. Corporate Regulation A democracy, a people’s government, is the tool we use to fight back against oppression and exploitation from billionaires and corporations. When we cut back on oversight and regulations, we are handing over our power to the very people the government should be protecting us from. We need to hold these companies accountable and ensure that our government is working for the benefit of all of us. I believe we need to enforce antitrust laws , and make sure that mega-corporations and conglomerates are not able to continue to push out their competition and impose their will across every industry. Enforcing safety, quality, and environmental standards is vitally important, and we cannot sacrifice these standards for promises of efficiency, which are really promises of lower quality goods. Crime and Law Enforcement In the United States we have the most cops, we have the most prisons, we have the most prisoners, we spend the most on law enforcement, and yet we have crime rates far higher than our peer nations. This signifies to me that we need serious changes in how we approach law enforcement in this country. I believe that the focus of our approach to crime should be on tackling the root causes of crime like poverty. I support the divestment of funds from traditional policing into education, mental health care, substance abusing counseling, and other social services. I support the federal legalization of marijuana. I support a federal ban on for-profit prisons. I support the decriminalization of sex work. Abortion, IVF, and Contraception I believe that Americans should have the right to an abortion and that the Democratic Party should have enshrined that right into law a long time ago. For too long it has been dangled in front of citizens for votes. I believe that the right and access to IVF should also be protected. I believe that the right to contraceptives should be protected and that people should have easy access to contraception, and that comprehensive sexual education is important to teach young adults. Democracy It is certain that democracy is under threat in this country. A large portion of the Republican party is committed to undermining democracy at every turn, and would happily throw it under the bus in exchange for money and power. We need to take the words and actions of those threatening the people’s government seriously and hold them to account. I believe that election day should be a federal holiday. I believe we should institute compulsory voter registration. I believe we need to get rid of the electoral college. I believe we need to ban felony disenfranchisement. Palestine The Israeli government is committing a genocide in Gaza and the American government has aided and abetted it. The only stance we can take is for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and to work to end Israel’s oppression over the Palestinian people. Healthcare The United States spends more on healthcare than any other country, and yet we leave millions of Americans uninsured or under insured. Our life expectancy is lower than many of our peer nations. Americans often have no idea of the cost of procedures beforehand and many are drowning in large amounts of medical debt. It is beyond time we join the rest of the world in providing a single payer healthcare system to Americans. [1] ” —Erik Hurt’s campaign website (2024) [2]"}]