As a working parent in Southwest Washington, I have personally encountered the difficulties of finding affordable and accessible  childcare. This not only imposes significant stress on parents, but also restricts economic opportunities for families striving to balance work and childcare responsibilities. Washington has the 8th most expensive childcare in the country and widespread shortages in capacity. Something clearly needs to change, and I want to bring that change to Olympia. We need to explore ways to remove barriers for providers, expand Pre-K programs, and restore and advance the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP).

As your State Representative, I would be committed to advancing efforts to increase access to affordable, high-quality childcare in our community. By championing improved childcare options, we can better support working families, enhance economic stability, and provide our children with the essential early education and care they need to thrive.

As our region continues to grow, it is massively important that the State continues to invest in our community’s infrastructure. Like the majority of Clark County, I am dependent on our aging roads and bridges to commute to work, to pick my son up from school, to go to the doctor and the grocery store. As your next State Representative, I will secure much needed funding for new projects as well as maintenance and preservation of our existing infrastructure. Washington State ranks last nationally in infrastructure improvement spending including upgrading highways and investing in bridges. 

One of the largest infrastructure needs in our State is the replacement of the I-5 Bridge. One span of the current bridge is over 100 years old and the other span is nearly 70. It is imperative that we invest in our community as we continue to grow. This project also represents a significant number of family-wage jobs that we so desperately need. The money for Phase One of the project which includes the construction of the replacement bridge has already been appropriated by Washington, Oregon, and the Federal government. I am committed to being a steward of this project as it breaks ground and continues to the finish line.

Our students are the future of America and as State Representative I will work every day to ensure they have the best opportunities possible. We must work toward smaller class sizes, creating more after-school programs, and supporting necessary staff such as counselors and psychologists. We also need to assist teachers and classified staff as they directly affect the education of our students. Being an educator is a very important career and it can have its challenges but we need to give them the tools that they need in order to do their job.

Our community needs to combat our school funding crisis. It is a top priority of mine to bring more education funding to Southwest Washington and to stop teachers and classified staff from suffering from additional layoffs, which has an adverse effect on our children's quality of education. I believe we need to focus our efforts on funding our public schools.

As State Representative, I will lead on legislation that strengthens our economy and creates jobs that pay well so all Southwest Washington workers can afford to live, raise their families, and enjoy a high-quality life. I will be focused on the investments that the State can make towards our infrastructure that help businesses grow and sustain themselves. 

To continue to make these essential investments, the State should continue to improve upon our tax code, ensuring that the extremely wealthy pay their fair share and the burden on middle-class families is reduced.

I know firsthand the important role that labor unions play in ensuring fair pay and safe workplaces for workers. These benefits help create safer workplaces, increase wages, and bring better working conditions for all workers in our communities.

I 100% support the right of workers to unionize. My entire life's work has been dedicated to supporting workers and their rights and advocating for safe and healthy working environments.

We must continue to do everything we can to make high-quality healthcare accessible to every Washingtonian. I’ll champion policies that increase funding to clinics in underserved areas and for underserved community members, as well as support training programs for healthcare professionals. It is imperative that we support our community’s health. 

Prescription drug prices are skyrocketing and too many people are forced to choose between essential needs and their health. I’ll fight for stronger negotiations with the Big Pharmaceutical drug companies to lower the prices. We cannot let these companies massively profit off of us who just need this medicine to live, work and be healthy.