Dakota
Voter
Senate & House – District 23
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 | |||
| Mark Lapka | R | Candidate has a strong voting record on life (4/4) HB1274 – 2026, HB1313 -2026, HB1257 – 2026, HB1044 – 2025 | |
| House | ||
| Spencer Gosch | R | Candidate has a strong voting record on life (3/4) HB1182 – 2026, HB1274 – 2026, HB1257 – 2026, HB1044 – 2025 |
| Dick Werner | R | Candidate has not responded yet |
| Amber Werdel | R | Candidate indicated support for bills protecting life and commented: As a Catholic and being adopted myself – I strongly support protecting life at all stages. |
| 2) EDUCATION OPTIONS – Do the candidates support expanded options for education? (Ex: Private school opportunities, homeschooling, etc.) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | |||
| Mark Lapka | R | Candidate has a strong voting record on education choice (1/1) SB84 – 2026 | |
| House | ||
| Spencer Gosch | R | Candidate has a mixed or moderate voting record on education choice (2/3) SB71 – 2022, SB177 – 2021, SB94 – 2018 |
| Dick Werner | R | Candidate has not responded yet |
| Amber Werdel | R | Candidate indicated support for bills that provide greater educational options and commented:Parents are the ultimate guide to raising their children and should have a say with how their children are educated. |
| 3) PARENTAL RIGHTS – Do the candidates support clear protections for parental rights? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | |||
| Mark Lapka | R | Candidate has a strong voting record on parental rights (2/2) SB190 – 2026, SB113 – 2025 | |
| House | ||
| Spencer Gosch | R | Candidate has a strong voting record on parental rights (6/6) SB190 – 2026, HB1061 – 2025, SB113 – 2025, HB1246 – 2022, HB1223 – 2022, HB1167 – 2020 |
| Dick Werner | R | Candidate has not responded yet |
| Amber Werdel | R | Candidate indicated support for bills that protect parental rights and commented: Parents are the ultimate authority over their children. |
| 4) MARIJUANA REGULATIONS – Do the candidates support reasonable regulations on marijuana? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | |||
| Mark Lapka | R | Candidate has a strong voting record on marijuana regulations (100%, PSDK Score) | |
| House | ||
| Spencer Gosch | R | Candidate has a strong voting record on marijuana regulations (75%, PSDK Score) |
| Dick Werner | R | Candidate has not responded yet |
| Amber Werdel | R | Candidate indicated support for bills that provide reasonable marijuana regulations and commented: If medical marijuana is to be used as medicine, it should be regulated just like any other pharmaceutical. |
| 5) GAMBLING – Do the candidates support additional expansions of gambling? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | |||
| Mark Lapka | R | Candidate has a weak voting record resisting gambling expansion (1/2) SJR504 – 2026, SB205 – 2025 | |
| House | ||
| Spencer Gosch | R | Candidate has a strong voting record resisting gambling expansion (3/4) SJR504 – 2026, SJR502 – 2022, HB1148 – 2022, SJR2 – 2019 |
| Dick Werner | R | Candidate has not responded yet |
| Amber Werdel | R | Candidate indicated support for bills that would expand gambling and commented: As long as there are guardrails – it is ultimately a person’s choice to make good choices for themselves and their family. |