Dakota
Voter
Senate & House – District 12
VOTER GUIDE LEGEND
Green: Strong voting record or survey response
Grey: Mixed voting record or inconclusive survey response
Red: Weak voting record or survey response
“S” inside the circle: Survey results from a new candidate (no voting record)
Blank: No voting record or survey answer
For full details on scoring, click here.
| 1) LIFE – Do the candidates support the sanctity of life? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | |||
| Kari Shanard-Koenders | R | Candidate indicated support for bills protecting life | |
| Joe Zweifel | D | Candidate has not responded yet | |
| House | ||
| Amber Arlint | R | Candidate has a strong voting record on life (4/5) HB1182 – 2026, HB1274 – 2026, HB1313 -2026, HB1257 – 2026, HB1044 – 2025 |
| Kerry Loudenslager | R | Candidate indicated support for bills protecting life and commented: I am “Pro-Life,” our most fundamental right – from conception to natural death. As a Christian Conservative, I will defend our “God-Given” unalienable Rights of Life (word limit) |
| Stephanie Arne | D | Candidate has not responded yet |
| 2) EDUCATION OPTIONS – Do the candidates support expanded options for education? (Ex: Private school opportunities, homeschooling, etc.) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | |||
| Kari Shanard-Koenders | R | Candidate indicated support for bills that provide greater educational options | |
| Joe Zweifel | D | Candidate has not responded yet | |
| House | ||
| Amber Arlint | R | Candidate has a weak voting record on education choice (2/5) SB84 – 2026, HB1020 – 2025, SB72 – 2024, HB1250 – 2024, HB1233 – 2023 |
| Kerry Loudenslager | R | Candidate indicated support for bills that provide greater educational options and commented: Parents must be able to choose the education option that best meets the needs of their children – whether it be public, private or homeschool. We (word limit) |
| Stephanie Arne | D | Candidate has not responded yet |
| 3) PARENTAL RIGHTS – Do the candidates support clear protections for parental rights? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | |||
| Kari Shanard-Koenders | R | Candidate indicated support for bills that protect parental rights | |
| Joe Zweifel | D | Candidate has not responded yet | |
| House | ||
| Amber Arlint | R | Candidate has a weak voting record on parental rights (1/3) SB190 – 2026, HB1061 – 2025, SB113 – 2025 |
| Kerry Loudenslager | R | Candidate indicated support for bills that protect parental rights and commented: I believe parents, not bureaucrats, should guide the upbringing, education, and values of their children. |
| Stephanie Arne | D | Candidate has not responded yet |
| 4) MARIJUANA REGULATIONS – Do the candidates support reasonable regulations on marijuana? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | |||
| Kari Shanard-Koenders | R | Candidate indicated support for bills that provide reasonable marijuana regulations | |
| Joe Zweifel | D | Candidate has not responded yet | |
| House | ||
| Amber Arlint | R | Candidate has a weak voting record on marijuana regulations (25%, PSDK Score) |
| Kerry Loudenslager | R | Candidate indicated support for bills that provide reasonable marijuana regulations and commented: I will support any/all measures that mitigate medical marijuana abuse. |
| Stephanie Arne | D | Candidate has not responded yet |
| 5) GAMBLING – Do the candidates support additional expansions of gambling? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | |||
| Kari Shanard-Koenders | R | Candidate indicated opposition to bills that would expand gambling | |
| Joe Zweifel | D | Candidate has not responded yet | |
| House | ||
| Amber Arlint | R | Candidate has a weak voting record resisting gambling expansion (0/2) HJR5006 – 2023, HB1157 – 2023 |
| Kerry Loudenslager | R | Candidate indicated opposition to bills that would expand gambling and commented: I would oppose expanding gambling measures because I believe this would have harmful effects for the health and well-being of individuals, families, and society. |
| Stephanie Arne | D | Candidate has not responded yet |
Learn more about the candidates by visiting their webpages:
Kari Shanard-Koenders –
Joe Zweifel –
Amber Arlint – Website Link – Facebook Link
Kerry Loudenslager – Website Link – Facebook Link
Stephanie Arne – Website Link – Facebook Link