Where Candidates Stand On The Issues That Matter To Connecticut Residents

April 22--What are the issues that matter most to Connecticut residents? We went to Bushnell Park on a recent sunny afternoon to find out.

From immigration, to climate change and health care reform, we're breaking down each candidate's stance on these issues and more.

Climate Change and the Environment

Yan Wu, 54, of Mansfield believes the environment is the most important issue during this election.

Donald Trump (R): Donald Trump has taken to Twitter on multiple occasions to call climate change a "hoax" among other things. Trump has said that he doesn't believe humans have contributed to the planet's changing climate.

Bernie Sanders (D): Bernie Sanders has called climate change "the single greatest threat facing our planet." You can read Sanders' plan to combat climate change here.

John Kasich (R): John Kasich has acknowledged climate change, but has not outlined a plan to combat it.

Hillary Clinton (D): Hillary Clinton states climate change "is an urgent threat and a defining challenge of our time." Clinton says she will make "significant investments" in clean energy. You can read her plan here.

Ted Cruz (R): Ted Cruz has argued that data does not show global warming.

Health Care and Immigration

Chris Taveras, 25, of Hartford believes health care reform is the biggest issue this election. "I'm a first-generation immigrant," Taveras said. "In my community, a lot of people can't afford health care."

Health Care:

Donald Trump (R): Donald Trump plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with reforms that will "broaden healthcare access, make healthcare more affordable and improve the quality of the care available to all Americans," according to Trump's campaign website.

Bernie Sanders (D): Bernie Sanders supports a single-payer health care system, which would be paid for with a variety of tax increases and provide coverage for everyone. More information on "Medicare for All" can be found on Sanders' campaign website.

John Kasich (R): John Kasich would also repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with reforms that lower health care costs, according to Kasich's campaign website.

Hillary Clinton (D): Hillary Clinton says she would defend the Affordable Care Act as president and work to lower out-of-pocket costs. More information on Clinton's stance on health care reform can be found on her campaign website.

Ted Cruz (R): Ted Cruz, who delivered a more than 21 hour speech against the Affordable Care Act in 2013, said he would "fully repeal" it. You can found out more about Cruz's stance on the issues on his campaign website.

Immigration:

Donald Trump (R): Donald Trump supports deporting undocumented immigrants and has promised to build a wall across the southern border that he says he will get Mexico to pay for.

"Real immigration reform puts the needs of working people first," according to Trump's immigration reform plan posted to his campaign website.

Bernie Sanders (D): Bernie Sanders says he will take executive action to fight for immigration reform that provides a path to citizenship. You can read Sanders' full immigration plan here.

John Kasich (R): John Kasich believes law abiding immigrants should become legalized and stay in the country.

Hillary Clinton (D): Hillary Clinton supports immigration reform that provides a path to citizenship. Clinton says she would defend President Obama's executive actions on immigration to help keep families together. You can find out more about Clinton's stance on immigration reform here.

Ted Cruz (R): Ted Cruz does not support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and says he will secure the border by building "a wall that works." You can read Ted Cruz's immigration plan here.

Taxes

Nancy DeCrescenzo, 48, of East Hartford believes taxes are the most important issue this election.

Donald Trump (R): Trump says he supports tax relief for all Americans, especially the middle class. You can find out more about Trump's tax reform here.

Bernie Sanders (D): Bernie Sanders says he will make the top one percent and large corporations pay their "fair share" of taxes. You can read more about Sanders' tax reform plan here.

John Kasich (R): John Kasich supports cutting taxes to support economic growth. You can read more about Kasich's tax reform plan here.

Hillary Clinton (D): Hillary Clinton wants to ensure wealthy Americans and large corporations don't pay fewer taxes than middle class families. She also wants to provide tax relief to families facing high costs of education and health care. You can find out more about Clinton's tax reform plan here.

Ted Cruz (R): Ted Cruz's "Simple Flat Tax" would get rid of the IRS and replace it with a "simple, fair" 10 percent tax. Cruz also wants to eliminate the corporate tax for businesses. You can read more about the "Simple Flat Tax" here.

The Cost of Higher Education

Sam Clynch, 24, of Hartford believes education reform is the most important issue this election. "I think it needs to go back to being affordable for everybody," Clynch said. "It's very had to pay your own way currently without taking out loans."

Donald Trump (R): Donald Trump has said that the government should not make money off of student loans, but he has not yet outlined his plans to change that.

Bernie Sanders (D): Bernie Sanders says he will make public colleges and universities tuition-free. Sanders also says he will cut student loan interest rates and stop the government from making a profit on student loans. You can find out more about Sanders' tuition-free college plan here.

John Kasich (R): John Kasich supports education reform that keeps college affordable. You can read more about Kasich's stance on education here.

Hillary Clinton (D): Hillary Clinton's "New College Compact" plan says no student will have to take out loans to attend a four-year public college in their state. Clinton also says she will control the cost of college. You can read the "New College Compact" plan here.

Ted Cruz (R): Ted Cruz has not outlined any policies regarding the cost of higher education, though he has said that he will eliminate the Department of Education. You can read more about that here.

Other Issues to Watch

Gun Control

Donald Trump (R): Donald Trump has said that he will fully support the Second Amendment. Trump wants to "enforce the laws on the books" without creating new regulations. Find out more about Trump's stance on gun control here.

Bernie Sanders (D): Bernie Sanders supports stronger background checks and closing the gun show loophole. In 2005, he voted for a law that protects gun manufacturers from lawsuits filed by gun violence victims.

John Kasich (R): John Kasich says he is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and calls the right to bear arms a "basic, constitutional right." You can read more about Kasich's stance on gun control here.

Hillary Clinton (D): Hillary Clinton says she will strengthen background checks and close loopholes to "keep guns out of the hands of terrorists, domestic abusers, other violent criminals, and the severely mentally ill." You can read more about Clinton's stance on gun control here.

Ted Cruz (R): Ted Cruz supports the Second Amendment and says "when citizens cease to have the right to defend ourselves, we cease to be free." You can find out more about Cruz's stance on gun control here.

Abortion

Donald Trump (R): Donald trump is "pro-life," but says he supports exceptions in cases of incest or rape.

Bernie Sanders (D): Bernie Sanders is pro-choice and says decisions about abortion are not for the government to make. You can read more about Sanders' stance women's rights here.

John Kasich (R): John Kasich opposes abortion and supports de-funding Planned Parenthood. He does support making exceptions in cases of rape or incest. You can find out more about Kasich's stance on abortion here.

Hillary Clinton (D): Hillary Clinton is pro-choice and says politicians should not interfere with a woman's personal health decisions. You can read more about Clinton's position here.

Ted Cruz (R): Ted Cruz is pro-life and says he will "defend the dignity of life." You can find out more about Cruz's stance on abortion here.

Photos by Lauren Schneiderman

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