User:Dr. Hector Castillo 2020/sandbox

Hector Castillo
Hector Castillo (born: April 18, 1956) is running for election to the U.S. House to represent New Jersey's 5th Congressional District. Castillo declared candidacy for the Republican primary scheduled on June 2, 2020.

Early Life and Education
Hector Castillo immigrated to the United States at the age of 11 and is the son of Peruvian working-class parents. Castillo worked his way through high school and graduated with honors from John Paul VI High School in Clifton, New Jersey at the age of 16. He attended Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey and received a B.S in Biology and a B.S in Chemistry in order to pursue becoming a doctor. He later received a Master of Administrative Science from Farleigh Dickinson University. Castillo attended medical school and served his hospital residency at Harlem Hospital for Columbia University.

Career
Dr. Castillo opened his first medical office in Paterson, New Jersey. Regarding the opening of his first practice, Castillo said he "...hoped to serve the Spanish speaking communities of one of New Jersey’s largest cities". He later opened a second office located in Oakland, New Jersey. Castillo worked for over 30 years specializing in internal medicine and ophthalmology before retirement.

Elections
Castillo was a 2016 Republican candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 9th Congressional District of New Jersey.[1]  Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Democratic. Incumbent Bill Pascrell (D) defeated Hector Castillo (R), Diego Rivera (L), and Jeff Boss (NSA Did 911) in the general election on November 8, 2016. No candidate faced a primary opponent in June. Pascrell won re-election in the November 8 election.

Castillo was a 2013 Republican candidate for District 35 of the New Jersey State Senate.[2] He was defeated by Lynda Gallashaw in the June 4 Republican primary. The general election took place on November 5, 2013.

Castillo was a 2012 Republican candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 9th Congressional District of New Jersey. He lost to Shmuley Boteach in the June 5, 2012, Republican primary.

Castillo ran for Governor of New Jersey as an independent in 2005 but lost to Jon Corzine.

Castillo ran for Mayor of the city of Paterson, New Jersey in 2002.

Abortion
Castillo said, “During my rotations in becoming a doctor, I saw the horrors of abortion firsthand. I learned that every life counts and is sacred. Expectant mothers need the support necessary, so they feel safe carrying life into the world. These babies are our future doctors, lawyers, and teachers. Both the mother and child deserve our protection.”

Economy
Regarding the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic, Castillo commented, “Due to our current situation, many people are fearful for our country’s economy and are severely struggling financially. Economic dislocation due to the pandemic is temporary. We need to work with all the government agencies and financial institutions so we can reopen and make our economy even stronger.”

Education
Castillo said, “I’ve worked tirelessly alongside Gov. Corzine in support of legislation that allows students with disabilities and children from low-income families to use state funds for educational expenses that would better suit their needs—whether this is towards public school, private school, charter school, home school or any other learning environment, parents should be able to choose education for their children that best fits their needs.”

Environment
“It is imperative that our children have a world in which they may start and grow their own families. In order for that to be possible, we must make it a priority to assure that we continue in our efforts to preserve the world we all share. Emissions have fallen greatly since the 1980s and continue to do so under the Trump administration. Let’s continue in improving the environment for future generations,” – said Castillo

Government Aid
In response to the Coronavirus pandemic and government aid, Castillo said, “The climate of our world is always changing, and it is the responsibility of the government to respond well to crises. We need to properly appropriate our nation’s budget, so we have the resources necessary for foreign aid, humanitarian efforts and emergencies such as our current pandemic. At all times, it’s important that the American people are supported.”

Gun Control
"I fully support the 2nd Amendment, but understand that we need to close the loopholes on gun laws to ensure responsible ownership. We need to keep guns out of the hands of those who are unfit to carry by performing better background checks," – said Castillo.

Health Care
“As a licensed medical doctor, I have worked with insurance in the medical field all throughout my career. The ACA has failed to alleviate any of the problems that I have personally seen as a practicing doctor for over 30 years. If elected, I want to work on legislation that will allow for a more streamlined medical insurance program, which adopts on our national insurance model, Medicaid. Medicaid for all low-income families will help millions of working-class Americans, provide relief to small businesses, and give peace of mind to New Jersey families!” – said Castillo

Immigration
Regarding immigration reform, Castillo said, “We now have a globalized economy with immigration laws that haven’t been changed since 1964. Businesses should not have to resort to hiring illegal citizens and all workers deserve fair treatment and pay.”

Mandatory Vaccinations
Castillo believes that, “Vaccinations are a must,” when asked about mandatory vaccines for children for preventable diseases. On April 2, 2020, Castillo said, “Let's learn from this pandemic that the world has become ever smaller. Globalization will bring another pandemic in the future and we need to be ready. Once a vaccination is found for the Coronavirus, it’s important that everyone receives it for the sake of our public health and well-being.”

Marijuana
“Drug epidemics tend to begin with the use of marijuana and then escalate to the use of more dangerous drugs. These drugs are introduced to our communities by criminals who profit from the degradation of the sanctity of our youth. We must continue our fight against drugs, for their presence in our communities will be their downfall,” – said Castillo

President Trump
Castillo said, “Today, New Jersey is decidedly run by the Democratic Party. A party we’ve seen interfere in our Presidents initiatives, denying the American People a country that will stay Great for years to come. Working with our Senate and with President Trump will increase the viability of our state’s economy, just as the President has done for the nation.”

Term Limits in Congress
Castillo believes that “a person should hold their position in Congress for no more than 2 terms”. He said, “It’s important to have proper term limits for members in Congress. We need to allow other capable individuals in so we can best represent the American people.”

Terrorism and National Security
“Terrorists have to be dealt with caution in conjunction with our partners against terrorism to decide if a real and certain threat is upon us. If a true threat is identified, we must respond with extreme force, whether this is outside or inside of our borders. The security of the American people is a top priority. We have to be proactive towards terrorism. Identify the bad actors and deal with them before they can attack America.” – said Castillo

Personal Life
In 2009, Dr. Castillo was diagnosed with an MRSA infection in his spine and required emergency surgery to correct his vertebrae. He recovered after 6 months. Hector Castillo is married with 7 children and lives in Franklin Lakes, NJ.