Candidate Survey: Jaclyn Sackstein for Montgomery County Republican Central Committee, District 17
TheDuckpin.com Candidate Survey
Name *
Jaclyn Sackstein
Age *
24
County *
Montgomery County
District
17
Education *
Bachelor's in Business Administration (George Washington University, 2019) Master's in Project Management (Georgetown University, 2022)
Career/Occupation *
Creative Operations for a large healthcare company
Political Experience *
President (Montgomery County Young Republicans) Executive Director (Montgomery County Republican Club) Member of Montgomery County Public Election Fund Committee Co-Founder (Maryland Republican Jewish Council Former National Committeewoman (Maryland Young Republicans)
Website *
Mocoyrs.org. I don't have a website for my campaign, but I want to promote the amazing work my YR chapter is doing!
Social Media Accounts *
Instagram: @jackiesackstein
Why are you running for office? *
I'm running for office because we need a central committee that has the energy and fresh ideas to get candidates elected in Montgomery County. We need to put more effort into candidate recruitment and support, grassroots days of action, and fundraising efforts so that we can continue to find and support local candidates. Additionally, we need to increase our social media and online presence with quality, shareable content that lets voters know who we are and what our local elected officials are really up to. Montgomery County is no-so-slowly becoming a socialist county, and the Republican Central Committee should be the first line of defense against that.
Who do you consider your political role model, and why? *
My political role model is Florida Congresswoman Kat Cammack. She is a whirlwind of energy and ideas and has a truly compelling story about how her family lost their farm and their livelihood during the Obama era but she went from living in her car to being one of the youngest members of Congress! I had the opportunity to meet her last summer, and she is truly an inspiration to young Republican women looking to get into politics to make a difference.
What is your favorite book about politics and policy, and why? *
I can't say that I have a favorite, but I do like to read about great Republican leaders of our history (i.e. Ronald Reagan) and about where we are as a party today (Bob Ehrlich has a new book out called Original, Unconventional, and Inconvenient that I look forward to reading).
What do you see as the role of the Central Committee? *
The role of the Central Committee is to recruit Republican candidates for county elections, support those candidates via grassroots activities, and communicate information about political events and decisions that impact residents of our county.
What are the three biggest issues facing your county party? *
1. In-fighting. Much like at the state party level, the county party is facing the same struggle, and it is leading to the same result. There is an overall lack of effectiveness for our current Central Committee because there is more focus on petty drama than there is on candidate recruitment. 2. Candidate Recruitment. In a year that is anticipated to be a red wave with maps that could potentially make areas of Moco competitive, we have disappointingly few Republican candidates filed for county council and state legislature races. Our current county council has pissed off business owners and residents on every end of the political spectrum, and our county party has not been able to capitalize on that in terms of candidate recruitment. If ever there was a year that I believe we could get some Republicans elected to county offices, this would be the year...especially with the looming vaccine passport vote. 3. Resource Allocation and Enthusiasm. The MCGOP is blessed and cursed with a large central committee. We have so many people on our Central Committee, that if everyone was given an area of focus and ran with that focus well, we would be an unbeatable force. Unfortunately, the large size has instead led to an "i'll let someone else handle it" attitude with a select few members doing a vast majority of the work. Of course, a large group of people all with diverse opinions, ideas, and personalities also leads to more of the in-fighting described in issue 1.
What are the three biggest issues facing your state party? *
1. Messaging. I come from a marketing background. Our state party, and our party nationally, has a huge branding issue. Many moderate or weak dem voters view us as a party of old white men when that couldn't be further from the truth. They don't see our diversity or our commitment to family values, and that is purely a marketing issue. If we can reach Latino voters with our platform of family values, we could very easily capture that voter demographic. 2. In-fighting. A huge thing I noticed once I started getting involved with the state party is the massive amount of petty in-fighting and drama. From completely unnecessary lawsuits to petty feuds, this drama detracts from the fact that we are all here to accomplish the same thing...getting Republicans elected. If we spent the same amount of energy on grassroots and candidate recruitment that we do on drama, Maryland would be a red state. 3. Political division. Maryland, I feel more so that some other states, is facing the divide of the Trump faction of the Republican party vs the Hogan faction of the Republican party. I think this is ridiculous. I supported Trump in the last 2 elections, and I also think that Larry Hogan is a good Governor. I don't think it needs to be a one or the other, and we suffer as a state party the longer we continue to be at war with each other.
What is your position on life issues? (abortion, assisted suicide) *
For abortion, I am pro-life with the exception of very extreme and rare circumstances (i.e. the birth of the child likely killing the mother in the process). Abortion should not be tax-payer funded, it is not a form of birth control, and it should never be a mother's first choice. That being said, we have a responsibility as a party that values life to help to reform and enhance our foster care and adoption system so that the babies that are born that the birth mother chooses not to keep can be given a good life. There are way too many foster care horror stories out there right now. Assisted Suicide is a trickier issue. If someone is terminally ill and living in extreme pain, I believe that assisted suicide is a merciful option to give them. I do think that this should really only be offered in extreme circumstances like I described above.
What is your position on taxes, spending, and the federal deficit? *
Taxes are way too high. Hard working Americans of all classes of society shouldn't have to give significant chunks of their paychecks to the government. In Maryland in particular, it is nearly impossible for people to retire here comfortably. Congress needs to stop proposing spending bills that use our hard-earned money to push an agenda rather than actually help the constituents who got them elected.
What is your position on gun rights? *
I am pro 2A, but I also believe in making sure guns are only given to law-abiding citizens who have demonstrated proper gun safety. I think background checks and training courses are a great way to ensure that guns aren't getting into the hands of the mentally ill or those with criminal records.
Do you believe that Maryland primary elections should be open to independent voters? *
No
Do you believe that the state party and the county parties should be allowed to endorse in primary elections? *
No
Do you believe that Maryland Republican Party auxiliary organizations should have a vote on the Maryland Republican Party executive committee? *
Yes
Would you support limiting the terms of Maryland Republican Party officers to eight consecutive years in the same office? *
No
Was Joe Biden legitimately elected President of the United States in the November 2020 Election? *
Yes
Do you pledge to accept the results of your election? *
Yes