Candidates are listed in alphabetical order. Positions are categorized as Pro (Yes), Con (No), Not Clearly Pro or Con, or None Found.
Candidates who have withdrawn or who no longer meet our criteria are listed last.

Pro (Yes)

Con (No)

Clinton, Hillary (D) - Con Hillary Clinton, U.S. Senator (D-NY), stated at the Aug. 7, 2007 American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) Democratic Presidential Forum in Chicago, IL: "We've got to make sure that nobody ever tries to privatize Social Security, something that I fought tooth and nail, with many of you to prevent." Aug. 7, 2007 Hillary Clinton

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	Gravel, Mike (Lib) - Not Clearly Pro or Con
Mike Gravel, former U.S. Senator (D-AK), issued the following statement through his press secretary, Alex Colvin, in a Nov. 9, 2007 email to ProCon.org: "Congress needs to stop raiding social security." Nov. 9, 2007 Mike Gravel

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Keyes, Alan (Ind) - Pro Alan Keyes, former Assistant U.S. Secretary of State, stated in an article titled "Social Security Reform" on his official candidate website (accessed Apr. 4, 2008): "I strongly support a fundamentally new approach for younger workers, placing them in control of the investments made with their savings dollars. The elimination of the income tax will make tax-privileged 'retirement' accounts irrelevant ? all savings will be tax free. So while I favor the transitional policy of replacing Social Security with individually-controlled tax-free investment accounts, the ultimate solution to the problem of long-term and retirement savings is to return responsibility for this crucial function to the citizens of the country, along with the freedom necessary to accomplish it." Apr. 4, 2008 Alan Keyes

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McCain, John (R) - Pro John McCain, U.S. Senator (R-AZ), stated in a June 12, 2006 speech titled "Address to the Economic Club of New York" on his official candidate website: "I have long supported supplementing the current Social Security system with personal accounts but not as a substitute for addressing benefit promises that cannot be kept." June 12, 2006 John McCain

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	McKinney, Cynthia (Grn) - None Found
	ProCon.org emailed the McKinney campaign on Mar. 26, 2008 with this question. We had not received a reply or found a position as of Apr. 11, 2008.

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Nader, Ralph (Ind) - Con Ralph Nader, attorney, author, and political activist, stated in a Jan. 21, 1999 speech at the "Saving Social Security From the Privatization Threat" Conference held in the Rayburn House Office Building of the U.S. House of Representatives: "The various Social Security privatization schemes, full and partial, would cost both the 'social' -- that is the public, cooperative, societal -- element of the program and 'security' -- the rock-solid income guarantee afforded by the system. It should be rejected." Jan. 21, 1999 Ralph Nader

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Obama, Barack (D) - Con Barack Obama, U.S. Senator (D-IL), in the Sep. 26, 2007 Dartmouth Democratic Debate in Hanover, NH, stated: "...[W]e should be willing to do anything that will strengthen the system to make sure that we are being true to the sake of trust of those who are already retired as well as young people in the future. And we should reject things that will weaken the system, including privatization, which essentially is going to put people's retirement at the whim of the stock market." Sep. 26, 2007 Barack Obama

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Paul, Ron (R) - Not Clearly Pro or Con Ron Paul, U.S. Representative (R-TX), in a Jan. 24, 2005 article titled "Want to Reform Social Security? Stop Spending" on his U.S. Congressional website, stated: "The administration speaks of private accounts, but government-managed investment of Social Security funds is not privatization at all. True capitalism by definition operates without government interference, and we should oppose further government involvement in the financial markets. After all, which government officials will decide what stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or other investment vehicles are approved? Which politicians will you trust to decide what your portfolio may contain? Imagine the lobbyists fighting over which special interests will have their favored investments approved for Social Security accounts. Political favoritism, rather than market performance, will determine what investments are allowed, and Social Security in essence will become a huge source of taxpayer-provided investment capital. If the administration truly wants to give people more control over their retirement dollars, why not simply reduce payroll taxes and let them keep their own money to invest privately as they see fit? This is the true private solution." Jan. 24, 2005 Ron Paul

CANDIDATES WHO HAVE WITHDRAWN OR WHO NO LONGER MEET OUR CRITERIA     Biden, Joe (D) - Con Joe Biden, U.S. Senator (D-DE), stated in an article titled "A Secure Retirement: A Promise to Keep" on his official candidate website (accessed Nov. 16, 2007): "Protect Social Security, Not Privatize It: Social Security is the foundation of retirement security for millions of Americans. For a typical worker retiring at age 65, Social Security replaces 40 percent of pre-retirement income. Joe Biden opposes privatization of Social Security." Nov. 16, 2007 Joe Biden Top      Brownback, Sam (R) - None Found   Withdrew on Oct. 19, 2007; no position found as of that date Top    Dodd, Chris (D) - Con Chris Dodd, U.S. Senator (D-CT), stated at the July 23, 2007 CNN/YouTube Democratic Presidential Debate in Charleston, SC: "Obviously, I think it would be important to start to address the [Social Security] issue. Certainly, we have no ideas, and I would be totally opposed to the privatization of Social Security. That is a very bad idea and I am glad we rejected it." July 23, 2007 Chris Dodd Top    Edwards, John (D) - Con John Edwards, former U.S. Senator (D-NC), stated in a Feb. 24, 2004 Washington Post (Associated Press), article titled "Candidates on the Issues: Social Security": "Privatizing a portion of Social Security would cost the Social Security Trust Fund more than $1 trillion, making it even harder for us to meet our responsibilities to our seniors. This kind of step would also erode the most basic guarantee of Social Security, exposing millions of Americans to an impoverished retirement. But I do support efforts to increase retirement savings outside of Social Security." Feb. 24, 2004 John Edwards Top      Gilmore, Jim (R) - None Found   Withdrew on Aug. 14, 2007; no position found as of that date Top    Giuliani, Rudy (R) - Pro Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City, stated in the Oct. 21, 2007 Republican Presidential Debate in Orlando, FL: "I think the reality is that we have to deal with Social Security. The first thing we have to do is get a consensus behind private accounts if we're going to change it... And the fact is, Medicare and Medicaid and presently more expensive than Social Security... So I think in both cases, if you start to establish a private market, you're going to be able to figure out how to solve these things within costs that are sustainable." Oct. 21, 2007 Rudy Giuliani Top    Huckabee, Mike (R) - Pro Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas, stated at the Oct. 21, 2007 Republican Presidential Debate in Orlando, FL: "The president had the right idea, but he used the wrong word. When he used the word privatization, it scared the daylights out of a lot of people... The right word is personalization. Empower individuals to have a greater say over their money. And that's what it is. Keep the government from robbing the trust funds, which is something that, if it was done in the private sector, would get a guy in jail. One thing, when people reach retirement age, if they really have enough retirement benefits, they don't need Social Security for the long term, give them the option of one-time buyout, or the opportunity to purchase an annuity, with their funds, tax-free, that frees up the long-term obligation of the government." Oct. 21, 2007 Mike Huckabee Top    Hunter, Duncan (R) - Pro Duncan Hunter, U.S. Representative (R-CA), on Sep. 17, 2007, responded Yes to the following Republican Values Voter Presidential Debate question: "Would you revive President Bush's attempt to introduce personal retirement accounts as a way to reform Social Security, thus allowing all Americans, particularly low-wage workers & the self-employed, an investment in their future & ownership in the inheritance they pass on?" Sep. 17, 2007 Duncan Hunter Top    Imperato, Daniel (3rd/I) - Pro Daniel Imperato, an Independent candidate and business entrepreneur, issued the following statement through his press secretary, Joseph Oddo, in a Nov. 30, 2007 email to ProCon.org: "Partial privatization should be permitted. We need to implement a social security system that is self-sufficient with recurring investment." Nov. 30, 2007 Daniel Imperato Top    Kubby, Steve (3rd/I) - Pro Steve Kubby, a Libertarian candidate and founder of the American Medical Marijuana Association, stated in a Nov. 9, 2007 email to ProCon.org: "Yes. Unfortunately, we are running out of time. Our politicians have been avoiding the 'third rail' of Social Security reform for so long that it is fast approaching a point of catastrophic collapse. I cannot claim to have all the answers, but my commitment is to get America's younger workers off this runaway train, allow them to make their own retirement investment decisions, and try to phase out Social Security in the manner that least injures those who have been trapped in a failed system for their whole working lives." Nov. 9, 2007 Steve Kubby Top    Kucinich, Dennis (D) - Con Dennis Kucinich, U.S. Representative (D-OH), stated in a Feb. 8, 2006 press release titled "Kucinich: Bush Proposes Stealth Social Security Privatization Plan in Budget": "Despite a bipartisan rejection to the President's plan to privatize Social Security and shift the nation's retirement system from Main Street to Wall Street last year, the President is trying to bury his ill-advised and misguided plan in his new massive budget request sent to Congress Monday. The President's stealth Social Security privatization plan would take more than $700 billion, over seven years, in guaranteed retirement security from millions of Americans and gamble it in the stock market... Last year when the public learned about the issue they rejected the President's approach. Despite his attempt to sneak it past the public, I am confident once attention is brought to his stealth privatization plan the American public will reject it again." Feb. 8, 2006 Dennis Kucinich Top          McEnulty, Frank (3rd/I) - Not Clearly Pro or Con Frank McEnulty, an Independent candidate and President of Our Castle Homes, in a Nov. 13, 2007 email to ProCon.org, stated: "Not completely, but I am for partial Social Security savings accounts for individuals. Social Security was established as a safety net for people at a time when people were not expected to live much past the age when Social Security became effective. Fortunately for us, but unfortunately for the program, people are living much longer these days and are also able to work much longer. I believe that for Social Security to continue to be a viable program for future generations that the retirement age at which one may start to collect social security must continue to increase." Nov. 13, 2007 Frank McEnulty Top    Richardson, Bill (D) - Con Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico, stated in the July 23, 2007 CNN/You Tube Deocratic Presidential Debate in Charleston, SC: "Social Security -- stop raiding the Social Security trust fund. Stop talking about privatization." July 23, 2007 Bill Richardson Top    Romney, Mitt (R) - Pro Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts, stated in the Oct. 21, 2007 Republican Presidential Debate in Orlando, FL: "Currently, we're taking more money into Social Security that we actually send out. So our current seniors, their benefits are not going to change. For people 20 and 30 and 40 years old, we have four major options, for instance, for Social Security. One is the one Democrats want: raise taxes. It's the wrong way to go. Number two, the president said let's have private accounts and take that surplus money that's being gathered now in Social Security and put that into private accounts. That works." Oct. 21, 2007 Mitt Romney Top    Smith, Christine (3rd/I) - Pro Christine Smith, a Libertarian candidate and a social and political activist, stated in a Dec. 5, 2007 email to ProCon.org: "Yes." Dec. 5, 2007 Christine Smith Top    Tancredo, Tom (R) - Pro Tom Tancredo, U.S. Representative (R-CO), stated in an article titled "On the Issues" on his official campaign website (accessed Dec. 3, 2007): "There is no question that the system is broken. Projections show that by 2016, the only way to avert its collapse will be deep cuts in benefits, heavy borrowing, or substantial tax hikes. The best suggestion I have heard is to switch from a defined benefits approach to a defined contribution approach with payroll tax funded private investment accounts. These accounts would be made available to young workers and function similarly to 401Ks." Dec. 3, 2007 Tom Tancredo Top      Thompson, Fred (R) - Not Clearly Pro or Con Fred Thompson, former U.S. Senator (R-TN), stated in a Nov. 29, 2007 article titled "Saving and Protecting Social Security: A Plan to Ensure Retirement Security for All Americans" on his official candidate website: "Fred Thompson believes that workers should have the option of making contributions to voluntary Personal Retirement Accounts, which will work like a 401(k) plan, and thereby permit all American workers to participate in the expansion of wealth in America. Specifically, he proposes that Social Security establish voluntary Personal Retirement Accounts (PRAs) for which: Each worker would automatically contribute 2% of his/her wages into a voluntary Personal Retirement Account. This employee contribution would be matched by 2.5 for 1 ($2.50 for every $1 dollar contributed) on the contributions from the first $1000 of wages earned each month. The match would be made from existing contributions. All additional contributions would be matched fifty cents on the dollar. If a worker does not want to participate in the voluntary PRA, he/she could 'opt out' of the program at the beginning of each year." Nov. 29, 2007 Fred Thompson Top      Thompson, Tommy (R) - None Found   Withdrew on Sep. 12, 2007; no position found as of that date Top      Vilsack, Tom (D) - None Found   Withdrew on Feb. 23, 2007; no position found as of that date

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