[jlindley]

Political affiliation or activities can result in protected-class status in a few jurisdictions in the US (DC and NY at least, I believe), sometimes only under certain circumstances. Check your particular state's non-discrimination laws to be sure.

That said, if you get along with the person and they can contribute to the team and they're also OK with disagreeing with you on these issues, it shouldn't be a problem. I'm a gay atheist, and I have a close friend who's actually an evangelical pastor. We get along just fine despite our radical differences in outlook because we respect each other.

Culture is about how you communicate, what you value, and how to make difficult decisions as a company. Consider at what level those values sit.

Human interaction can't just be a checklist. A person is more than just a Facebook profile.