Growing up in Smithfield, I saw my mom making tipped minimum wage for 27 years, and my dad was unable to find work in town that matched his skillset. I learned from them, how to work hard and continuously improve my skills. But when I was ready to begin my career in technology, I had to leave Smithfield to go find work and find affordable housing. And it broke my heart to have to leave my home, but I didn’t have another choice. After 20 years I came back, because I love it here. I love what our district offers in terms of clean water and green space and our community, but despite working full time, I still can’t afford a house here. I want to make change here so it’s possible for families to start building intergenerational wealth, and I haven’t seen our General Assembly make significant strides in this direction in 20 years. Certainly not for the past eight.
The incumbent has spent his past FOUR terms saying little and doing less. When he did speak up, we were sorely disappointed. He promised to support the 2019 Reproductive Healthcare Act, and he ended up being the decisive vote to defeat the bill. He called for a new power plant, which state environmental organizations decided was so egregious they revoked his endorsement.
I’m running because we need a State Senator who is courageous enough to take bold, compassionate, decisive action to help our neighbors. And I know that I’m that person.
I’ve heard from our neighbors that they’re done with corporations who are trying to mortgage our health for profit. I’ve heard from our neighbors that they want to work just one full-time job and be able to spend the rest of their time raising their families. I’ve heard from our neighbors that they want houses they can afford so they can put down roots. I’ve heard from our neighbors that they want quality healthcare they can afford, without cutting into their grocery budget.
I know I’m the best person for this job because, as a professional communicator, I listen to people. I hear and understand their needs, I ask them questions, I do my research, and I work to find the best solution -- and then I take action to implement that solution. I’ve been doing that work for 25 years. It’s really my life’s work, and it’s what I’m best at.
