What I’m Fighting For
I’m not running to chase headlines or play party games—I’m running to solve problems that matter in our daily lives. In a district like ours, that means protecting public schools, easing the cost of living, supporting the people who care for our neighbors, and making sure small towns aren’t left behind. These aren’t partisan issues—they’re community priorities.
We pay more, while the wealthy and well connected pocket more.
Everyday costs keep climbing—groceries, gas, housing, health care—while paychecks in our towns don’t stretch any further. Rural families are working harder than ever, but we’re the ones picking up the tab when the state pushes down mandates or when wealthy special interests game the system. Out here, folks feel the squeeze at the checkout line, in property tax bills, and when local budgets get cut to the bone. Meanwhile, the wealthy and well-connected pocket tax breaks and special deals, leaving the rest of us to carry the load.
It doesn’t have to be this way. I’ll fight to make sure the rich pay their fair share so working families aren’t left holding the bag. That means protecting Local Government Aid so rural communities can afford essentials like law enforcement without raising property taxes, and it means tackling rising costs in health care, housing, and child care so people can actually get ahead. Families in 24A deserve an economy that works for us—not just those at the top.
No one should choose between filling a prescription and filling the fridge.
Families across our district are struggling with the cost of healthcare. Too many are forced to choose between buying groceries or filling a prescription. Mental health services are still out of reach for many. And while we live near one of the best hospitals in the world, that doesn't mean care is accessible—especially when it comes to the everyday support people need to stay healthy at home. We're seeing a dangerous shortage of nursing home beds, in-home caregivers, and personal care assistants. In too many of our local towns, emergency medical services are underfunded and held together by volunteers who are stretched thin. In an emergency, even a 15-minute delay can be the difference between life and death.
We’re proud to live near world-class healthcare, but that doesn’t mean care is affordable—or accessible—for everyone. We have a system where the wealthy get concierge care and everyone else gets the runaround. That’s not right. If you’re working hard, paying taxes, and raising a family, you should be able to afford to see a doctor—period.
Give our schools the resources — not the bills.
Every child in Minnesota deserves access to a great education—no matter where they live. But in rural communities like ours, the funding gap is real. As a former Byron School Board member, I’ve seen how districts like ours are forced to rely on tax levies just to meet basic needs—and how those levies cost rural taxpayers far more than they do in urban districts. On top of that, partially funded or unfunded directives from the state pile up year after year, leaving local school boards scrambling to do more with less.
I’ll fight to fully fund our public schools and stop pushing state responsibilities onto local property taxpayers. That means making sure rural districts are treated fairly and that any new policy from the Legislature comes with the funding to match. I’ll also push for greater investment in career and technical education—so students are prepared for real-world opportunities whether they choose college or not. Our schools should be focused on teaching, not trying to close budget holes created in Saint Paul.
Protecting our communities without playing politics.
Every Minnesotan deserves to feel safe—at home, at school, and in our towns. But too often, public safety is turned into a political football instead of treated like the shared responsibility it is. Out here, we know better. Safety isn’t about slogans—it’s about resources, working systems, and neighbors looking out for each other.
Minnesota already has common-sense laws like background checks and red flag protections—but laws only matter if they’re working as intended. That means supporting the people and programs who make them work. In our district, most communities rely on county sheriffs for law enforcement, but rising costs are straining city budgets and driving up property taxes. Local Government Aid (LGA) helps keep those costs down and ensures small towns don’t face impossible choices—fund policing, or cut services somewhere else. We need to invest in rural public safety, make sure emergency services can respond quickly, and expand mental health care to prevent crises before they happen. Keeping our communities safe isn’t about politics—it’s about keeping our promises to each other.
Stable homes build strong communities.
Stable housing is a basic need, and right now, it’s out of reach for far too many people in our district. Interest rates are sky-high, home prices keep climbing, and wages simply aren’t keeping up. I hear from working families paying over 30% of their income just to keep a roof over their heads. That’s not sustainable—and it puts an enormous strain on health, education, and our local economy.
We need to invest in affordable, appropriate housing options for people across all income levels—from working families to seniors and everyone in between. That means supporting workforce housing near jobs, updating zoning and infrastructure, and helping local communities build the housing they know they need. I’ll fight to make sure housing policy works for rural Minnesota, not just the metro.
Standing with farmers; not the suits.
Small family farms are the backbone of this state—but they’re getting crushed. Costs are up. Big corporations are buying up land. And if your tractor breaks down, you’ve got to wait for someone from a dealership to show up and fix it—if they even can. Meanwhile, farm families are paying sky-high premiums for health insurance, if they can get it at all. It’s no wonder more and more family farms are folding while the big guys keep getting handouts.
I’m not here for the lobbyists or the corporate ag lawyers. I’m here for the folks who get up before dawn and do the work. I support right-to-repair laws so farmers can fix their own equipment and get back in the field. I’ll push for healthcare that farm families can actually afford, and back incentives for sustainable practices that save money long term. If we want farming to stay local, independent, and strong—we’ve got to start standing with the people who built it.
It shouldn’t cost a paycheck to cover daycare.
As a mom, I know what it means to juggle work, parenting, and everything in between—and how stressful it can be to find someone you trust to care for your child. For too many families in our district, that stress turns into a full-blown crisis. Childcare is too expensive, too hard to find, and in many small towns, it’s just not there. If your kid has special needs, or you work nights or weekends, the system offers almost nothing. Families are being forced to make impossible choices, and it’s holding our whole economy back.
We need to stop treating childcare like a luxury and start treating it like the public infrastructure it is. That means helping providers open and stay licensed, cutting red tape, and making sure families can actually afford care—especially in rural communities. Parents shouldn’t have to leave the workforce just because they have kids, and kids shouldn’t miss out on a strong start because of where they live.
Main Street matters more than Wall Street.
Small businesses are the backbone of rural Minnesota. Whether it’s the family-owned hardware store, the local mechanic, or the young entrepreneur opening a shop on Main Street, these are the people who invest in our towns and create jobs that last. But rising costs, supply chain hurdles, and competition from massive corporations are squeezing them out — and when big business consolidate, our communities lose choice, character, and control.
We need policies that support local ownership, not corporate monopolies. That means leveling the playing field with tax relief for small businesses, better broadband and infrastructure, and cutting red tape that hurts local startups. It also means protecting our rural economy from unchecked consolidation — because decisions that shape our communities should be made here, not in some far-away boardroom.
Safeguarding our land, our water, and our way of life.
I believe we need to take care of what we’ve got—our land, our water, our air—because if we don’t, we lose the things that make this part of Minnesota so special. Right now, there are places in our district where the water coming out of the tap isn’t safe to drink. Nitrate levels are too high. Our farmers, hunters, and families deserve better than that. You shouldn’t have to worry about what’s in your water or what’s blowing across your field. And protecting these resources isn’t just about health—it’s also about jobs. Outdoor recreation makes up more than 3% of Minnesota’s economy, driving billions into our state every year.
I support smart conservation that protects our farms, our wells, and our way of life. That means local solutions, not top-down mandates. It means helping farmers take care of the land without going broke doing it. It means updating our infrastructure to handle clean energy the right way—so it works for our economy, not against it. I want us to be good stewards, make smart investments, and leave things better for our kids than we found them.
Protecting democracy and standing up to extremism.
The people of Minnesota deserve leaders who respect the will of voters, protect personal freedoms, and follow the rules they were elected to uphold. Unfortunately, too many politicians—including our current representative—treat the truth like an inconvenience, democracy like a game, and the law like it doesn’t apply to them.
I believe in something better. I believe that elected officials work for you—not for themselves, not for political parties, and not to push personal agendas. That means protecting your right to vote, your right to privacy, and your right to live free from government overreach. It also means creating a Capitol that’s safe for everyone—staff, legislators, and the public—not one dominated by political stunts, threatening rhetoric, or performative outrage. I’ll always choose collaboration over chaos, and I’ll fight for a government that reflects our values, respects the rules, and remembers who it’s supposed to serve.
Standing up for our communities when Washington lets us down.
Federal dysfunction is making life harder for working Minnesotans. While the rich and well-connected rewrite the rules to protect their power, everyday families in places like Kasson, Hayfield, Claremont, and Stewartville are left behind. We see it in unfunded mandates pushed onto our cities, counties, and schools. In rising health care costs passed down through insurance networks and higher expenses to offset reductions in medicare and medical assistance funding. In federal farm policies that reward corporate ag over family operations. And in infrastructure dollars that disappear before they reach rural roads and bridges.
The truth is, our state leaders are now the last line of defense. That’s why I’ll fight for local control, fair funding, and smart investments that actually reach our communities. Because if the people in Washington won’t put Minnesotans first, then we need representatives here at home who will.
