CA Recall Candidate Profile: Meet James G. Hanink

Your Name
James G. Hanink

Age (as of Election Day)
75

Town of Residence
Inglewood

Party Affiliation
American Solidarity Party

Family
My wife and I recently celebrated our 53rd anniversary. We have been blessed with six children.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?
No.

Education
Ph.D. in Philosophy, Michigan State University (1975)

Occupation
I taught philosophy, including social and political philosophy, for 40 years at Loyola Marymount University.

Campaign Website
Facebook: Dr. James G. Hanink for Governor of California (FB)

Previous or current elected or appointed office
President, American Maritain Association

Voters are being asked to unseat Gov. Gavin Newsom. Why do you think he should be recalled?
(1) In the pandemic's worst surge, he was both negligent in protecting at risk people in care facilities and overreaching in the restrictions he imposed on places of worship, (2) he fails to speak out clearly against human rights abuses in China, (3) he advocates for abortion and assisted suicide, (4) he fails to speak out against UC Berkeley's "guidance" of nuclear stockpiling and UC San Francisco's research using the body parts of aborted babies.

How does your experience — professional or political — make you the right candidate to replace Newsom?
I will serve as a governor committed to the common good seen in light of solidarity, subsidiarity, and economic democracy. I will work against the culture of death and in favor of policies that are prolife for the whole of life. As a professional philosopher, I will move from ad hoc and pop-up politics to a comprehensive approach to the good life.

What sets you apart from the other candidates for governor?
Vision; intellectual grounding.

Describe one of Newsom’s policies or actions that have not worked, and what would you have done differently in the same situation.
Instead of trying to shut down crisis pregnancy centers, only to be blocked by the courts, I would use my bully pulpit to highlight the vital services that they provide.

Are there any of Gov. Newsom’s policies that you approve of, and if so, why?
Yes; I support his efforts to address climate change.

How would you try to change or influence California’s political culture?
I would promote economic democracy, in the tradition of distributism, as a constructive alternative to both capitalism and socialism.

What is the single most important thing California must do to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic, and what would you do in your first year to bring that about?
Maintain masking and social distancing. I would, in consultation, mandate the former.

The best advice ever shared with me was:
Thank God for your gifts and use them wisely.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I am deeply influenced by the Catholic Worker movement and St. Teresa of Calcutta.