The economy needs to work fairly for every Wisconsinites. When workers hold stable, good-paying jobs, they invest in our communities, support local businesses, and drive statewide growth. Successful businesses, in turn, can offer better benefits and contribute to their local areas.
This type of people-centered, smart growth—driven by innovation, opportunity, respect, and sustainability—is the foundation of a balanced Wisconsin economy. However, families cannot get ahead when national and state leadership prioritizes reckless spending, senseless tariffs, and tax breaks for billionaires over working people.
We need to set aside petty ideological purity and focus on practical solutions so that every family and community in Wisconsin can thrive.
Our democracy requires strong protections, yet for nearly three decades, legislative actions in Wisconsin have made voting unnecessarily complicated and restrictive. Measures such as gerrymandered maps, confusing voter ID requirements, and prohibitions on ballot drop boxes have created unnecessary barriers for voters.
We must make it easier for citizens to vote, obtain voter IDs, and access the ballot box. Specifically, Wisconsin needs to pass legislation establishing an independent, non-partisan redistricting commission to handle future redistricting needs and permanently eliminate partisan gerrymandering.
Additionally, it is critical to hold insurrectionist to account for attempting to over throw the United States government on January 6th, including President Trump. Nobody is above the law. Undermining the will of the people and our sacred document – The Constitution of the United States – is a severe violation of the law and an issue that should transcends all forms of partisan ideology.
For the past decade and a half, the public education system in Wisconsin has faced systematic defunding. Thanks to the dedication of our teachers, the integrity of our schools has been preserved despite these declining resources.
Under Governor Tony Evers, Wisconsin’s public education ranking has improved from 18th to 5th in the nation. However, the Republican controlled legislature continues to underfund public schools—offering a 0% increase in 2025—while directing funds toward unaccountable voucher programs and placing the financial burden on backs of local property owners.
High property taxes are a direct result of public-school districts being forced to rely on operational referendums just to maintain basic funding. The people of Wisconsin consistently vote to approve these referendums because they care about their communities and their children’s education.
We need to address this issue at the state level. Updating our outdated education funding formula will ensure that public schools are fully funded by the state, allowing communities like Stevens Point, Amherst, Rosholt, and Wisconsin Rapids to support their schools without forcing residents out of their homes through rising property taxes. It is time to reform our funding model so every student and community in Wisconsin can thrive.
There has almost never been a more unifying issue than the distain for data centers, and that is why I support for a statewide moratorium on all new data center developments in Wisconsin until comprehensive regulations are established.
Currently, Wisconsin lacks the necessary regulatory framework for these developments. Past state tax exemptions provided billions of dollars to tech corporations without accountability, leaving Wisconsin residents to carry the financial burden for this extractive industry. Our communities deserve robust protections for their land, air, water, and utility rates before any additional data centers are considered.
I am proud to be a lead author on Assembly Bill 722, which aims to protect consumers and local communities from exorbitant rate hikes, air pollution, and excessive water extraction, while ensuring these hyperscale data centers pay their fair share. Until Assembly Bill 722 is fully deliberated and enacted, I fully support a complete moratorium on data center construction in our Wisconsin.
Let’s get Wisconsin back on track with bipartisan leadership. Wisconsin and the 71st district have a long tradition of being purple. For far too long, partisan bickering and gamesmanship have prevented our state from moving forward.
With new, more competitive legislative maps, legislators will be forced to work for the people again. It’s time for our elected leaders to engage in honest discourse about the needs of Wisconsinites. We share many common goals and values, and we must seek and find common ground. Let’s bring our authentic selves to the table for honest conversations and renew the sense of neighborliness we are all longing for.
When I am re-elected, I will continue with my proven track record to work with anyone who is willing to work with me to get things done for the 71st District and the state of Wisconsin.
Along with my colleague, State Senator Jodi Habush Sinykin, I was proud to co-author the funding reauthorization for the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. This vital, nearly 40-year-old program—named after former Democratic and Republican governors—supports public land trust purchases, land and water conservation, habitat restoration, and the maintenance of Wisconsin’s public lands.
Senator Habush Sinykin and I worked to thread the needle of compromise between the Governor’s proposal and the lackluster legislative alternative. Unfortunately, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle chose to kill this essential bipartisan program rather than reach common ground.
Please rest assured that I will continue to fight for the reinstatement of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. Conservation is a uniquely Wisconsin shared value, and I remain fully committed to protecting our public lands for generations to come.
We must fully commit to investing in our future by funding our public schools, technical colleges, universities, teachers, and childcare providers. To meet the growing demand for a talented workforce, we need higher educational attainment and accessible, flexible childcare.
We can build our local and statewide workforce by fostering strong partnerships among public schools, technical colleges, universities, local businesses, manufacturers, and entrepreneurs.
Providing fair compensation for our educators and childcare providers is essential to growing, attracting, and retaining the diverse skill sets required for successful, thriving communities in central Wisconsin.
Climate change is having a direct, severe impact on our communities, families, and state budget. I have dedicated my life to responsible ecological stewardship, but Wisconsin continues to fall behind due to the lack of climate resiliency policies and ongoing legislative obstruction by climate change deniers.
It is time for Wisconsin to respect climate science, listen to experts, and enact meaningful policy changes. We must move past political denial and prioritize critical initiatives, including access to clean water, regenerative agriculture practices, and energy policy reform to support clean, renewable energy.
As an elected body it is our duty to craft and support sound climate policies and take decisive action for the benefit of current and future generations.
Emergency services personnel often meet us on our worst days, and in central Wisconsin, I know firsthand that they serve with the utmost integrity and courage. From medical emergencies to fires and accidents, EMS personnel are our first line of defense in stabilizing critical situations and saving lives.
Graduating from the Emergency Services Citizen Academy gave me valuable insight into what it takes to be a firefighter, police officer, paramedic, and first responder. It also reinforced how crucial it is for policymakers to ensure these dedicated public servants have the full funding and resources they need.
First responders rush toward danger when others are running away. As your State Representative, I will lean in alongside them and always have their backs.
Every dollar we spend in our local economy pays incredible dividends. When we spend our money with family farms, we build strong, thriving rural communities—a powerful vote for and statement of our core values as Wisconsinites.
Creating programs and incentives for family farms to adopt regenerative farming practices provides the fundamental structural and financial support needed to sustain families, industry, trade, and tourism, while protecting our collective natural resources.
We have a strong tradition of celebrating our farming heritage and leading the state by doing big things in the 71st District. By creating forward-thinking policies at the state level to support family farms, we can protect and bolster rural success for future generations.
These hands are rough. I’ve worked every day of my life with my body, and my hands and knees can prove it. It’s about time working-class folks have proper representation in Madison—representation that reflects central Wisconsin values and work ethic.
Act 10 destroyed public sector unions and our right to collectively bargain for our wages and labor conditions. A living wage in Wisconsin has never been less achievable; folks are working two or three jobs just to make ends meet, and it has never been harder to get ahead. Yet, corporations and billionaires keep turning record profits. That need to stop, now.
As a small business owner and worker, I will stand with working folks, fight for better wages, and repeal Act 10 and Right to Work for Less, so all Wisconsinites have the right to unionize in both the public and private sectors. We must lower taxes on the middle class, stop the handouts to the rich, and level the playing field for everyday folks.
Healthcare is a fundamental human right, and no one should have to choose between seeking medical care and providing basic necessities for their family. Investing in public health now will yield significant long-term savings for taxpayers. Specifically, expanding Medicaid in Wisconsin would deliver increased access to healthcare coverage to children, the elderly, and vulnerable community members, serving nearly 90,000 additional residents. Enhanced federal funding from the expansion would save our state nearly $2 billion. Improved public health outcomes will ultimately lower overall tax burdens and strengthen our local communities.
Creating the BadgerCare Plus program would allow small businesses and individuals just above the income limits to purchase affordable health insurance. This would provide critical coverage backed by the buying power of the State of Wisconsin.
I strongly believe government has no place making decisions about healthcare choices that belong between women and their providers. I am committed to repealing Wisconsin’s 175-year-old Criminal Abortion Statute, which criminalizes this personal healthcare decision for all those involved.
Legislators must listen to medical professionals, scientists, and women regarding reproductive healthcare. I will stand with women and Planned Parenthood to ensure its doors remain open, providing essential reproductive healthcare and family planning services to all Wisconsinites who need them.
The creative economy in central Wisconsin plays a vital role in our region, encompassing everything from community mural projects and local craft beverage industries to the Levitt Amp summer concert series and educational software development like Skyward. It enriches our daily lives by fostering a strong sense of place, encouraging community engagement through arts, music, and cultural appreciation, and being a destination for tourism and culture. Furthermore, it significantly impacts our broader economy, driving benefits in areas ranging from agri-tourism to broadband expansion.
However, Wisconsin currently ranks 49th in the U.S. for arts funding, investing just $0.40 per capita. By comparison, Minnesota ranks 3rd, spending $8.04 per capita, and reaps the benefits of one of the nation’s most vibrant creative economies. Wisconsin can do better.
None of us made it on our own, and the idea of “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” is a myth. I believe good politics should be a vehicle to improve people’s lives by providing opportunity to all. When we lift others up, our entire community thrives.
The future of the 71st District is full of opportunity for our children, businesses, schools, and farms. These opportunities must be available to everyone: lifelong residents, students and graduates, and new neighbors from different cultures and communities.
Nearly all of our families share a history of immigrating to this country and overcoming hardship. It is time to create a new story that celebrates our collective diversity, humanity, and mutual respect as Wisconsinites.