Campaign Issues
Affordability in North Alabama
If you are a corrupt politician or a lifelong con artist, you may think that affordability is a “hoax” or a “scam”, but many working families in north Alabama know that inflation is all too real. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the initial surge in prices, but Donald Trump and Republicans have exacerbated the problem with bad economic policies and dumb tariffs. The average home sales price in Huntsville has increased by 60% since 2020. That’s not a “hoax”; that’s a FACT.
If you elect me as your state senator, I will fight to enact legislation to reform local zoning laws that often prevent building and lead to severe housing shortages that raise prices. More housing inventory will increase opportunities for home ownership and drive down rental costs for the people of north Alabama. I will also work to find ways to incentivize builders to construct smaller, more affordable homes for Alabamians just starting a family or entering the market. It doesn’t serve the people’s interest to build a bunch of millionaire mansions that working people can’t afford.
Healthcare
Healthcare costs in Alabama are too high, and too many Alabamians are unable to afford decent insurance to cover major medical expenses. Access to healthcare in the state has improved significantly due to passage of the Affordable Care Act, but too many still fall through the cracks of the system. Unfortunately, Trump and Republicans passed a law in 2025 that will cause health insurance premiums to skyrocket by as much as 200% this year for 330,000 Alabamians. But on the bright side, at least the richest billionaires in America will get a huge tax cut as a result, so I guess the ends justify the means.
As your state senator, I will do everything in my power to expand Medicaid in Alabama like 40 other states around the country already have. I will also fight to lower taxes on working families and ensure that our state’s wealthiest citizens start paying their fair share. Our state has given them tremendous opportunity, and they should have no problem using some of their resources to give others a chance to succeed also.
Education
As someone who has dedicated many years of my life to helping students, I know the importance of a good education. Both of my parents were school teachers, and one of the first lessons they taught me was that knowledge was power. Unfortunately, the current leadership of our country sees no value in education and considers teachers and educators to be the enemy. No joke, these folks are actually trying to abolish the U.S. Dept. of Education. Doesn’t that tell you everything you need to know? They are fighting against student loan reform to make it harder for Americans to go to college.
Our federal leaders do not care about education, and that’s why it’s so crucially important that we elect state leaders who do. If I have the honor of serving as your next state senator, I will always fight for students and teachers. I will strongly oppose any legislation cutting current or retired teachers’ salaries, benefits, or pensions. I will support allowing Alabama’s teachers to teach students without having to dance around unnecessary state legislation. Teachers have an important job, and they deserve to be able to do it without senseless politicians getting in their way.
Protecting Freedom and Democracy
Never in our history since the early days of our country has America faced such an existential threat from those who oppose democracy and embrace autocracy. Who would’ve thought that we would have masked secret police marching through our streets as a show of force against American citizens? Common people are being singled out and targeted for retribution for exercising their constitutionally protected rights. Our government is relentlessly spying on us through our devices in blatant violation of the Fourth Amendment. If you’re like me, you’d probably hoped that you would never have to fight an authoritarian takeover of America, but fate seldom asks our permission. We did not choose this moment for our country, but we are obligated to meet it. That is what this campaign is about, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
As your state senator, I will never support the government putting poorly trained, lawless militias on our peaceful streets and constantly invading our privacy in violation of our constitutional rights. I will also fight to enact strong digital privacy legislation that protects Alabamians from government and corporate spying. The government’s job is to serve the people, not to intimidate them and monitor their private affairs. America has a government by, for, and of the people; we will never be a military dictatorship.
Restoring Fairness To Elections
Do not think that armed troops and secret police are the only threat to democracy. Alabama has some of the most gerrymandered electoral districts in the United States which are designed to guarantee one party rule. The state’s Congressional districts were even recently struck down by the extremely conservative U.S. Supreme Court for violating the Voting Rights Act. Elections are the bedrock of our system of government, and voting districts should be drawn in a way that is fair to the people who live in them. Electoral districts should look like boxes, not like winding rivers. It’s time that we stop politicians from picking the voters, and let voters start picking the politicians. If a politician can’t win an election with his positions, he should change those positions or go home.
If elected to represent District 2 in the Senate, I will fight to establish a non-partisan independent redistricting commission that will draw Alabama’s federal and state districts once every 10 years based on the results of the census. “Safe” Democratic and “safe” Republican districts erode our democracy and promote a system that keeps the most partisan and least practical representatives in government. We don’t need safe districts for career politicians; we need effective representatives for the people!
