My Priorities for a Thriving Minnesota
Strengthening Our Democracy
The foundation of our democracy is under attack from the federal government and from extremists who want to undermine trust, restrict participation, and silence communities. In moments like this, Minnesota must lead with clarity and courage. Politics opened a door for me that I didn’t know existed, and it showed me what’s possible when the people truly hold the power.
As Senator Paul Wellstone reminded us, politics is about improving people’s lives. Protecting our democracy is the foundation for every other issue we care about. Minnesotans deserve leadership that is accessible, transparent, and accountable.
As a bluer district, we also have a responsibility to lead by example: to turn out voters, build community power, and support candidates in the tougher races where majorities are won and lost. That means investing in a new generation of leaders, organizers, and neighbors ready to engage.
My commitments:
Protect and expand voting access, including early voting, automatic registration, and election and voting processes that make participation easier and more equitable.
Ensure responsive and accountable leadership so people know their representatives are working for them.
Invest in civic education and engagement, especially for young people, first-time voters, and communities historically left out of political power.
Build long-term community power by organizing in every neighborhood and supporting leaders across the state, turning out voters in the races that shape our future.
Making Life More Affordable
Every family deserves stability, dignity, and the ability to plan for their future. Right now, too many Minnesotans are one unexpected bill away from crisis. I live paycheck to paycheck and know what it feels like to make difficult choices at the kitchen table. Families across 43A and Minnesota are working hard, but rising costs for housing, childcare, groceries, and healthcare are leaving people exhausted and stretched thin.
Politics should make life easier, not harder. State leaders have a responsibility to create the conditions for families to thrive, not simply survive. From lowering costs to expanding access to essential services, we must build a Minnesota where every person has a fair shot.
My commitments:
Expand access to affordable, stable housing and prevent displacement by increasing supply, supporting renters, and creating more accessible pathways to homeownership.
Make healthcare more affordable and accessible by lowering prescription drug prices, expanding MinnesotaCare, and ensuring every family can get the care they need — including mental health, reproductive, and gender-affirming healthcare — without risking financial hardship.
Improve access to high-quality, affordable childcare, which is essential for working families and for building long-term economic stability.
Support small businesses and local economies, because when local businesses thrive, our communities thrive.
Protecting Our Communities
Minnesotans are watching their friends, families, and communities come under attack from the federal government. Immigrants are being scapegoated. LGBTQ+ people are being targeted. People are losing fundamental rights. The rhetoric is getting more dangerous, and the consequences are dire.
In moments like these, Minnesota must be a refuge. We must protect people when the federal government won’t and expand those protections when national leaders try to take them away. Everyone deserves safety, dignity, and the freedom to live their lives authentically and without fear.
Standing up for our neighbors also means investing in holistic community safety — the kind that prevents harm before it happens, strengthens relationships, and ensures everyone has access to the support they need. Safe communities are not built by punishment alone; they are built by connection, resources, and trust.
True safety must also include community health: access to mental health care, culturally competent services, stable housing, addiction support, and programs that meet people where they are.
My commitments:
Protect Minnesota’s most vulnerable communities, including immigrants, refugees, LGBTQ+ people, women, people with disabilities, and religious minorities, by expanding civil rights protections when federal protections are weakened or stripped away.
Ensure Minnesota remains a refuge state by defending sanctuary policies, reproductive freedom, gender-affirming care, and the right for all families to live safely and authentically.
Strengthen holistic community safety through investments in violence prevention, mental health response teams, youth programs, and partnerships that build trust between communities and public safety professionals.
Invest in community health programs that address addiction, mental health, food insecurity, housing instability, and senior services so people can access support they need before a crisis.
Stand firmly against harmful federal rhetoric and policies that target our neighbors and create fear in our communities.
Championing Strong Public Education
Our public schools are the heart of our communities. Every child deserves a safe, well-funded, inclusive school where they can learn and thrive, no matter their background, identity, or ZIP code. But right now, Minnesota’s public schools are being asked to do more with less. Our funding system has not kept pace, and educators are stretched thin while extremists work to dismantle the Department of Education, censor classrooms, and undermine trust in public education.
As someone who fights for strong, inclusive public schools, I personally know what’s at stake. The attacks on our students, our educators, and the freedom to read and learn mirror the broader attacks happening across the country. Minnesota must reject this harmful agenda and continue to lead with a vision grounded in academic freedom, opportunity, and the belief that every child deserves a world-class education.
My commitments:
Modernize and stabilize public school funding by tying it to inflation so districts can meet rising costs and plan for the future, and ensure our public dollars stay in our public schools.
Support, respect, and trust educators by ensuring competitive pay, adequate staffing, strong training, and the resources they need to teach effectively.
Protect the freedom to read and learn by opposing book bans, censorship, and political interference in classrooms.
Create safe, inclusive learning environments for all students, including LGBTQ+ youth, students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and those facing mental health or other challenges.
Expand opportunities at every stage, from early childhood education to career and technical programs to college readiness, so all students can learn, grow, and thrive from their first classroom to their first job.