Our Priorities
Our Infrastructure
Our Economy
Our People
Housing
Our district doesn't have the housing infrastructure to support the creation of more jobs. We all feel frustrated when a home that needs *some* fixing gets torn down, and our small-town connections are severed; our community shrinks even more. Housing is crucial to our very lives, our health, to the local economy, and to raising strong families; I will invest in rural housing development.
Internet
All of us in the United States, regardless of how rural we are, should have access to high-speed internet – it should be a public utility. I intend to fight the corporate greed that keeps us from having access to internet resources like education, healthcare, and jobs. Investing in high-speed internet in our district is one of the important ways we can revitalize our rural economy.
Healthcare
My experience in healthcare access and improvement has taught me that government and health insurance should not make healthcare decisions for you. Our whole healthcare system needs a lot of work, and I have the background to make that happen. I want to protect Medicare, have a single-payer system, and affordable medications. I value your health far above the profits of Big Pharma.
Roads & Bridges
Like so many in the 8th, I live on a rural dirt road. We are dependent on city and county services to maintain our local roads so that school buses can safely get to and from school, mail can be delivered, we can make it to work, and access emergency services. For most of us in the 8th district, our personal vehicles are the only way to get groceries or get to work. We must invest in our rural infrastructure–it is our economic lifeline.
Education
Any economic growth we achieve isn't sustainable without a resilient new generation. I value high-quality public education; apprenticeships and trade school, affordable childcare; paid caregiving; and educational programs for our kids and teens. Investing in a system of support for our children, young adults, and their families should be an economic priority for all.
Small Farms & Local Land Control
I value our small farms and local land more than the profits of large corporations and foreign governments. I believe in local control because no one cares more for our land than those who need it to survive. Our farms, our forests, and our rivers are the lifeblood of our district and I will stand against Big Ag and Big Oil to keep our land clean and prosperous for generations.
Jobs & Unions
Due to poor policy choices, our district has lost a lot of jobs in manufacturing, education, farming & logging, trade work, and healthcare. This has hollowed-out our district and is one of the reasons young people leave our rural district for the cities. I stand with workers in our fight for a fair wage and strong benefits. We are stronger together and when we unionize, we will rebuild the middle class.
Privacy
I value your privacy and your right to make choices for yourself and your families without government interference. Your relationships, your faith, your body -- these are things that should be decided by YOU. I will fight to protect your right to reproductive liberty, to define your family, and to make personal and private decisions without corporate or government surveillance or interference.