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ON THE ISSUES

My mission is to bring effective and positive change to Arizona through taking bold initiative and transparently sharing my policies.

I am committed to empowering the people of Arizona LD 27 with honest, accountable, and innovative solutions.

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"No Arizonan who puts in a full day's work should be one paycheck away from crisis."

The Workplace: Standing Up for Working Families

No Arizonan who puts in a full day’s work should be one paycheck away from crisis. In Legislative District 27, the median household income is just $76,893, yet it is estimated that a family here needs roughly $131,868 a year to cover the American Dream of housing, food, childcare, transportation, and basic health care. That gap isn’t just a number—it’s the difference between struggle and the American Dream.

 

  • Living Wages: I support raising Arizona’s minimum wage to a level that actually covers beyond basic needs, and indexing it to inflation so it never falls behind again.

 

  • Strengthening Labor Rights: Every worker deserves the right to organize, access to paid leave, and protections against wage theft. Arizonans deserve a safe and profitable job market.
     

  • Economic Growth from the Middle Out: Everyday Arizonans spending money fuels sustainable growth far better than “trickle-down” economics and tax cuts for the wealthy. By empowering working families, we’ll boost local small businesses, expand our tax base, and build a more resilient economy.

"To restore confidence in our schools and lift outcomes for every child, I propose a bold, Rooseveltian solution: a State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) to fund and reinforce our state's education."

Establishing Trust and Funding for Public Education

Arizona ranks near the bottom in per-pupil funding at about $10,300 a year, and our students’ test scores reflect the toll. To restore confidence in our schools and lift outcomes for every child, I propose a bold, Rooseveltian solution: a State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) to fund and reinforce our state's education.

 

What it is:

 

A public, not-for-profit entity modeled on Salt River Project—that designs, produces, and updates top-quality textbooks, curricula, digital tools, and professional development programs for K–12 teachers. Sales would be made to Arizona school districts (and, potentially, districts nationwide), with all revenues reinvested directly into Arizona’s public education budget.

 

Why it works:

 

  • Self-reinforcing funding: Every dollar a district spends comes back to Arizona schools, reducing reliance on general fund appropriations.
     

  • Equity and quality: Uniform access to cutting-edge teaching materials narrows disparities between well-resourced and under-resourced districts.
     

  • Local control, statewide benefit: Developed by Arizona educators, the SOE would reflect our communities’ values and real-world classroom needs.

 

By creating our own education SOE, we can both supplement state funding and raise the bar for every student—without relying on corporate textbooks or outside interests.

"At a conservative $7,900 per universal student*, the universal ESA program costs over $483 million every year** and growing-- money flowing to private and charter schools while our public schools go begging."

Smart, Fair School Choice: Fixing the ESA

The Empowerment Scholarship Account began as a modest program for students with disabilities and special needs to assist with private, charter, and homeschool expenses that would otherwise be covered by IDEA [Individuals with Disabilities Education Act] and FAPE [Free Appropriations for Public Education]. Today, 83,819 Arizona children use ESA vouchers, and 73.6% of them (roughly 61,500 students) participate under a universal, blanket provision. At a conservative $7,900 per universal student*, the universal ESA program costs over $483 million every year** and growing-- money flowing to private and charter schools while our public schools go begging.

 

I support school choice for families in need, but not a universal subsidy at the expense of our public system and general budget:

 

  • Return ESA to its roots. Reserve vouchers for students with documented disabilities or special learning needs, those at underperforming schools, and other qualified conditions.
     

  • Return to Budget. We have put the cart before the horse. All efforts must be undertaken to return Arizona to a regulated budget spending that will allow us to grow our state’s economy and thus allow for these programs in the future.
     

  • Transparency and accountability. Any future expansions must be tied to clear performance metrics and regular audits to ensure taxpayer dollars are advancing student success.

 

This is about fiscal responsibility and equity. We can and must protect vulnerable students without draining resources from the schools that serve the majority of Arizona kids.
 

*Reached by averaging the sum of the lowest paying 61,000 ESA vouchers [$7,878.61]


**Equated by multiplying the average by the estimated number of universal ESA participants [61,688 universal ESA participants K-12]

"When the state respects and uplifts women, it sends a clear message: Arizona belongs to all of us."

Women’s Rights: Bodily Autonomy, Safety, and Opportunity

No state that claims to value freedom can deny women the right to control their own bodies. I believe firmly that abortion is a private medical decision; one that should remain between a woman, her doctor, and her conscience. I support restoring and protecting the right to safe, legal abortion up to the point of fetal viability, with exceptions beyond that when a woman’s health or life is at risk.

 

But reproductive rights are only one part of the fight for equality. Arizona must become a safer, stronger place for women and children, with:

 

  • Expanded maternal care access, including prenatal and postpartum services in every county.

 

  • Investment in domestic violence shelters and prevention, especially in rural and Indigenous communities.

 

  • Stronger legal protections for working mothers, including paid leave and wage fairness.

 

When women are free to make decisions about their lives and health, families and communities thrive. And when the state respects and uplifts women, it sends a clear message: Arizona belongs to all of us.

"Supporting men’s wellness strengthens our families, communities, and economy alike. It’s not about weakness, it’s about keeping the men of Arizona strong and healthy."

Men’s Rights: Mental Health, Purpose, and Healing Through Service

Far too often, men are taught to suffer in silence. The truth is, mental health is health, and men deserve better access to care that meets them where they are, in environments where they feel seen and understood.

 

One way we can change this is by encouraging and supporting more men to enter the HEAL professions: Health, Education, Administration, and Literacy. These are the very sectors where support, empathy, and service are most needed, but also where men are often underrepresented and underserved. If we...
 

 

  • Fund scholarships and workforce incentives to get more men into vocational schooling, nursing, teaching, counseling, and youth services;
     

  • Normalize emotional literacy and peer support through public outreach and education;
     

  • And expand culturally competent care networks that include male therapists, mentors, and advocates;

 

...we can begin to heal the isolation and stigma that keeps too many men from getting the help they need. Supporting men’s wellness strengthens our families, communities, and economy alike. It’s not about weakness, it’s about keeping the men of Arizona strong and healthy.

"This isn’t about culture wars. It’s about Arizona’s promise that all people, regardless of who they are or whom they love, can live free, safe, and equal."

LGBTQ+ Rights: Equality Is Arizona’s Promise

Let me say this plainly: LGBTQ+ Arizonans are Arizonans. They are our neighbors, teachers, nurses, veterans, small business owners, and public servants. And they deserve to be treated with the same respect, dignity, and legal protections as anyone else.

I believe that equal rights are not special rights. That’s why I support:
 

  • State-level protections against discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations;
     

  • Inclusive, affirming mental health care, especially through the HEAL professions;
     

  • Support for LGBTQ+ youth and families, including trans youth, who are some of the most vulnerable members of our state.
     

Just like with men’s health, we must invest in safe spaces to heal and grow. By fostering LGBTQ+ representation in healthcare, education, and literacy programs, we make it easier for individuals to seek help from someone who truly understands their experience.
 

This isn’t about culture wars. It’s about Arizona’s promise that all people, regardless of who they are or whom they love, can live free, safe, and equal.

"Arizona is home to about 470,000 veterans, and far too many of them face mental health challenges, housing insecurity, and barriers to care. If we say we honor our veterans, then we must act like it, with serious investment, not just slogans."

Veterans’ Rights: Serving Those Who’ve Served

Arizona is home to about 470,000 veterans, and far too many of them face mental health challenges, housing insecurity, and barriers to care. If we say we honor our veterans, then we must act like it, with serious investment, not just slogans.
 

Like with supporting mental health more broadly, I support expanding access to veteran-centered mental health care, especially by:
 

  • Recruiting veterans into the HEAL professions, where lived experience can help break down stigma and connect others to healing;
     

  • Partnering with the VA and local nonprofits to increase counseling, crisis intervention, and peer-led support programs;
     

  • Creating more veteran-centered pathways into meaningful civilian employment—especially in education and administration, where veterans bring leadership and discipline.
     

And critically, we must address the housing affordability crisis that locks so many veterans out of stable homeownership. I support:
 

  • Expanding access to state-backed home loans and mortgage relief, especially for first-time buyers;
     

  • Creating veteran housing cooperatives and affordable housing bonds that guarantee long-term residency and equity building;
     

  • Researching into potential SOE directions that can be taken to develop Veteran-centered neighborhoods for affordable housing.

     

Veterans didn’t hesitate to serve us. We shouldn’t hesitate to serve them.

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