Does Heritage support a candidate?

Many Heritage Foundation members have written in asking our position on the presidential election.

We don’t have one—save that candidates and citizens alike should keep conservative principles in mind as the election season continues. No matter who secures the Democratic and Republican Party nominations, we will work with them to explain our positions and promote our shared values.

Fundamentally, Heritage is an idea factory, not a political organization. Our goal is not short-term electoral gain (or electoral defeat) for one party or candidate. Instead, our challenge is more profound. We seek to reshape the entire national debate along conservative lines, to advance the core principles of the Founding Fathers: free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values and a strong national defense.

If we are to accomplish this mission, we have to be an honest broker of ideas and present our proposals to all who will listen—regardless of whether they have a D, an R or an I after their name. To that end, our policy experts offer briefings on today’s most important issues to candidates of all parties, and we work with members of Congress from both sides of the aisle to spread our message. This strategy has paid dividends: many of our greatest successes—from welfare reform to tax cuts—have come from work with allies across the ideological spectrum.

In addition, we’re limited in our activity by law. If we’re to retain our status as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization—which allows you to deduct your membership dues from your taxes, for example—we cannot involve ourselves with partisan politics or electioneering.

Nathaniel Ward is the Editor of MyHeritage.org—a website for members and supporters of The Heritage Foundation.