The Issues.

As both the former Vice President of Thompson School District and a public school teacher at Lucile Erwin Middle School, I see firsthand how vital a quality education is in shaping our children's lives. From kindergarten through college, Colorado’s children deserve the best possible foundation for their future.​

Colorado ranks 41st in per-pupil funding, 43rd on education spending, and 50th in teacher wage competitiveness. This is unacceptable. We need to provide the supports our teachers and students need to make sure they can learn the skills necessary to thrive in our community.

As your State Senator, I will fight to make sure our children receive the education they deserve by increasing investments to our schools infrastructure so public K-12 schools can afford AC, heating and school supplies; improve teacher's pay so we can retain talented educators here in Colorado; invest in vocational & trade programs so our kids can gain experience in good paying jobs right here in our community; and support efforts to reduce the cost of higher education so young people don't have to take on a mountain of debt before starting their careers.

From Devil's Backbone to the Flatirons, Senate District 15 is home to countless natural spaces that make it the most beautiful district in the state. We need bold leadership who understands that keeping our natural spaces clean, healthy and safe is key to protecting our recreation, economy, agriculture, and livelihoods.

A key part of protecting our natural and residential spaces is combating the growing threat of wildfires, droughts and floods. Wildfires have become a year-around danger to our mountain communities and all across the Front Range. We must be proactive in our efforts to enact legislation to protect our environment and homes.

As your State Senator, I will work with our skilled local leaders from Loveland to Lyons to implement solutions to combat the growing threats to our water, air, and land. I will support legislation that bolsters wildfire risk education & outreach to the more than half of Coloradans living in the Wildfire-Urban-Interface; invest in workforce development programs for the energy sector, ensuring our workforce is prepared to take on the clean energy jobs of the future; tackle weatherizing our homes and energy infrastructure to protect against outages in extreme heat and cold; and support training programs for coal workers to make sure they and their families are taken care of during transitions to natural gas and renewable energy.

All people have the right to seek medical care without interference or threat from the state. The treatments and healthcare advice that individuals seek should remain between themselves and their doctors. This is not only a matter of settled law, but it is a fundamental expression of the American values of freedom, privacy, and self-determination.

We must act to protect our reproductive freedom and the freedom for all Americans to make their own decisions about their healthcare without the Government making choices for them.

​We are fortunate to have leadership here in Colorado that has acted to protect our reproductive rights, but we need to continue to elect lawmakers who are willing to stand up for these rights to keep them from being overturned.

As your State Senator, I will fight for the right of all Coloradans to have access to critical reproductive healthcare and stand against any bill that seeks to strip our reproductive freedoms away from us.

Working families are struggling with their monthly budgets due to the rising cost of living we're experiencing. People are increasingly unable to buy a home or even rent affordably in our communities. We need relief!

Health care costs are also rising. The roads we use for commerce and to commute to work and school are in need of repair and improvement. Our public schools require funding and increased pay for school staff to ensure our children receive a quality education.

In the State Senate I will support policies that ease the cost of living on working Coloradans, rather than increase it. I will support legislation to cap the price of life-saving medication like insulin, so Coloradans don't have to choose between their health and their food or rent; promote the creation of more affordable housing so families can save more of their paycheck; direct funding towards Larimer & Boulder County roads to repair & modernize our aging infrastructure; and expand rural broadband initiatives to connect our rural and under-served communities to affordable, high-speed internet.

In recent years we have seen the presence of labor shortages, lower profit margins, and higher consumer prices grow in Colorado. With far too few feeling relief from federal action, it is time we enacted local polices that will truly benefit the middle and working class to ensure that all Coloradans can thrive.

Unlike many who run for office, I live the middle class values I am running on every day. As a public school teacher, community organizer, and mother, I know what it will take to ensure all Coloradans can gain employment with fair wages, save for retirement, and have the opportunity to enter and stay in the middle class.

As your State Senator, I will put our main street businesses and workers at the center of discussions in the Legislature. I will support Small Business Growth Programs that provide economic support for entrepreneurs just starting out; direct funding towards our main street businesses to help recover from the COVID-19 pandemic; advocate for the fundamental right for workers to participate in unions, and support a workers' right to paid sick & family leave.

The seniors of our community and our state deserve representation that listens to their needs and will fight to protect healthcare access & quality and keep housing for seniors safe, affordable, and accessible.

As your State Senator, I will fight to expand affordable housing and fund investments into Larimer & Boulder County transportation infrastructure so our communities remain affordable and accessible; protect PERA and Medicare so seniors can continue to rely on these programs for financial stability and healthcare; and institute caps on critical medicine so that those living on a fixed income don't have to choose between their healthcare and their groceries.

​I grew up in a military family and spent my childhood attending over a dozen public schools as my Dad served as a USAF officer and B-52 pilot. I understand very personally the sacrifices that so many families make in service to our country. Our veterans give up so much for us, but their families do as well. At the state level, we can do much more to help Colorado's veterans and their families maintain financial stability and access healthcare services.

That is exactly what I intend to do in the State Senate. I will fight to ensure that veterans' services are responsive to the needs of our veterans by ensuring the Colorado Division of Veterans Affairs is adequately funded and staffed; support protections for veterans that prevent discrimination based on veteran & military status; invest in programs to reduce veteran homelessness and bolster veteran's mental health services; and fund economic initiatives allowing veterans and their families to fully participate in the Colorado economy.

As a mom and educator, I have seen first-hand the struggles faced in our education, healthcare and mental health systems for those who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community.

​No one should be denied access to any services because of who they are. Be it access to youth-centered mental health care, or a welcoming school environment, I am committed to protecting the rights of all LGBTQ+ people from discrimination and threat of violence.

Colorado has led the country when it comes to easy, accessible voting. Our state's voting policies have proven to be an unparalleled success resulting in some of the highest voter engagement levels in the nation. A more engaged, informed electorate is the best way of ensuring we have quality elected officials who truly represent our values.

As your State Senator, I will protect voting rights and reliability to make sure voters continue to have faith in our electoral system. I support our universal mail-in ballot system allowing all Coloradans time to research the candidates and time to vote; the ability for people to register to vote right up to the election; multi-lingual ballots that increase accessibility to the democratic process for those who don't speak English as a first language; and the oversight measures put in place to ensure our elections are fair and reliable.