Candidate Statement
I spent 11 years as Policy Director for the Indiana Senate Democratic Caucus — drafting legislation, navigating the budget, and fighting for families who couldn't afford a lobbyist. I know how the Statehouse works because I've worked it. I'm running for Senate District 31 because the communities I've served deserve a senator who shows up with expertise, not just enthusiasm. Hamilton County families are getting squeezed by property taxes, housing costs, and utility bills. Our schools need stable, equitable funding. Our local governments need their power back from a Statehouse that's spent years stripping it away. I've worked alongside Indiana Senate Democrats on legislation covering maternal health, safe storage firearms, consumer protections, and more. I know where the levers are — and I know which ones have been locked on purpose. This district deserves someone who can walk into the Senate chamber on day one and legislate — not learn on the job.
Education
BA Political Science - Indiana University 2009
Occupational background
Consultant | Broker
Political Office(s) Held in the Past
None
Campaign Phone (public)
3176341010
On property taxes: I support expanding the homestead deduction for owner-occupants — with state revenue sharing to backfill schools and local services so relief doesn't become a cut to classrooms.
On housing: I'll fight to roll back Indiana's preemption statutes that block cities from enacting local tenant protections and inclusionary zoning. Communities should set housing policy that fits their market.
On utilities: I support reforming the IURC rate-setting process to require independent review before residential increases are approved — and stronger efficiency mandates that actually reduce bills.
The honest answer: tax relief and service funding are in tension. Anyone who says otherwise isn't being straight. My advantage is I know the budget, the formula, and the tradeoffs — and I'll make the case for working families, not the interests that have dominated this Statehouse for years.
The state should aggressively pursue Medicaid expansion for the remaining uninsured gap population, fix HIP 2.0's punitive lockout provisions that drop coverage for missed payments, and use its CMS waiver authority to reduce cost-sharing burdens on low-income enrollees.
On prescription drugs: Indiana should join the multi-state purchasing consortium for Medicaid drug pricing and push for a state-level transparency law requiring pharma companies to justify price increases.
On the employer side: I've seen firsthand how small employers and local governments are crushed by premium increases. The state should expand its role in pooled purchasing for small employers and municipalities — using collective bargaining power to drive costs down.
Healthcare affordability isn't abstract to me. It's the work I've done for 15 years.
Indiana's voucher program has become one of the largest in the country — and it has drained hundreds of millions from public school funding with little accountability for outcomes. I'd support capping voucher expansion and requiring participating private schools to meet the same assessment and transparency standards as public schools. If you take public money, you answer to the public.
Charter schools should be held to the same standard: rigorous authorizer oversight, real consequence for underperformance, and no automatic renewal for schools failing students.
For traditional public schools, I support reweighting Indiana's complexity index to direct more state dollars to students with higher needs — English learners, students in poverty, kids with disabilities. The current formula leaves too many high-need districts underfunded.
I also support restoring full-day kindergarten funding statewide and expanding access to early literacy intervention.
Public safety and community trust aren't in conflict — they depend on each other. Police can't solve problems communities won't report, and communities won't report when they don't trust the system.
I support mandatory statewide standards for use-of-force policies, de-escalation training, and officer misconduct reporting — Indiana has no uniform baseline, and that's a gap. I support civilian oversight mechanisms that have real authority, not advisory boards that get ignored.
On the enforcement side: I believe in adequate resources for law enforcement. I also believe locking people up for low-level drug offenses and mental health crises is expensive, ineffective, and morally wrong. Indiana should expand co-responder programs that pair law enforcement with mental health professionals for crisis calls — reducing risk for everyone involved.
Indiana has landed real economic development wins — but too often the incentive packages outrun the public benefit. Data centers are a good example: they receive massive tax abatements, consume enormous amounts of energy and water, and generate relatively few jobs. The math doesn't always pencil for taxpayers.
I support tying economic development incentives to enforceable job creation thresholds, wage floors, and clawback provisions when companies don't deliver. Hoosier taxpayers shouldn't subsidize corporate site selection with no strings attached.
Indiana's over-reliance on coal is an economic liability, not just an environmental one. Utility-scale renewable energy is now cheaper to build than coal to operate. A serious economic development strategy includes a serious energy transition — lower industrial energy costs attract manufacturers. Those are real jobs.
I support stronger IURC oversight to ensure ratepayers benefit from that transition.
Preemption rollback.
Indiana has spent years systematically stripping local governments of the ability to solve local problems — on housing, on tenant protections, on worker benefits, on public health. The result is a state where Indianapolis can't set its own minimum wage, where Fishers can't require affordable units in large developments, where local majorities are overruled by a Statehouse majority that answers to statewide donor networks, not neighborhood needs.
I'd pass comprehensive preemption reform that restores meaningful home rule authority to Indiana cities and counties — letting communities set policy on housing, labor standards, and public health that fits their actual conditions.
The cost is minimal. This isn't a spending bill — it's a power bill. It returns decision-making authority to the level of government closest to the people affected.
The opposition will be fierce. That's exactly why it is needed.
Occupational background
Lifelong public servant and two-term Sheriff of Marion County
Political Office(s) Held in the Past
Marion County Sheriff (2019-2026)
Campaign Phone (public)
3172072789
Affordability is the issue I hear about most, and government has a duty to stand up for working families and consumers, not just powerful interests. I support meaningful property tax relief for homeowners and seniors, but it must be done responsibly so we do not gut funding for public schools, public safety, libraries, and other local services. We also need to bring down housing costs by boosting starter homes and workforce housing and by prohibiting bad acting out-of-state investors from buying up whole swaths of our neighborhoods just to drive up rents and squeeze families. On healthcare, we need more competition and lower prices by taking on monopolies and vertically integrated systems that own the entire pipeline from doctor to insurer to pharmacy. We should demand real utility oversight, challenge price gouging, and make government work for people again.
The state should play an active role in protecting patients, promoting competition, and lowering costs. For too long, too much of our healthcare system has been controlled by large monopolies and vertically integrated corporations that can own the doctor’s office, the insurer, the pharmacy, and everything in between. That drives up prices and leaves patients with fewer choices. I support stronger oversight of hospital mergers, more transparency in pricing, action against anticompetitive practices, and policies that make it easier for independent providers to survive and compete. The state should also expand access to primary care, mental health care, and prescription drugs people can actually afford. Healthcare is not a luxury. Indiana should be on the side of patients and working families, not corporate middlemen making record profits off people’s illness.
Indiana has a responsibility to make sure every child has access to a quality education, and that starts with strong, well-funded public schools. Traditional public schools educate the overwhelming majority of Hoosier children and serve every student who walks through the door, so they must remain the top priority in our funding decisions. I believe we should invest more in teachers, classroom support, career and technical education, early learning, and student mental health. At the same time, many families rely on charter and non-public options, and I respect that reality. But accountability has to be consistent across the board. Any school receiving public dollars should meet strong standards for transparency, student performance, and financial stewardship. My focus is simple: put students first, support great teachers, and make sure every education dollar is delivering real results for kids.
Public safety requires both strength and trust. I’ve spent a lifetime in law enforcement, was appointed U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of Indiana by President Obama in 2010, and have served as Marion County Sheriff since 2019. I know from experience that the most effective tool police have is community trust, and once it is lost, everything gets harder. That means investing in effective policing against violent crime, illegal guns, and repeat offenders while also protecting civil liberties, insisting on accountability, and supporting de-escalation, mental health response, and strong partnerships between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Public safety is not a choice between enforcement and fairness. The best systems do both: they hold people accountable, respect constitutional rights, and build the public confidence officers need to do their jobs well.
Indiana should absolutely pursue economic growth and compete for good-paying jobs in emerging industries, including tech and advanced manufacturing, but growth cannot become a free-for-all where corporations write the rules and communities pay the price. Economic development deals should come with real accountability, strong labor standards, and a clear public benefit. When it comes to data centers and other high-demand users, the state must protect ratepayers from subsidizing massive energy consumption through higher utility bills. We also need serious planning around water use, land use, and environmental impact so growth does not diminish quality of life or quality of place. The goal should be smart growth: attract investment, protect workers and neighborhoods, and make sure Indiana families—not just corporate interests—share in the benefits.
If only one major bill could be passed, it would be a comprehensive Hoosier Affordability Act focused on the costs families cannot escape: property taxes, housing, utilities, and healthcare. That means targeted property tax relief for homeowners and seniors, stronger utility consumer protections, action against healthcare monopolies and vertically integrated systems that drive up prices, and steps to expand workforce and starter housing while stopping bad actors from buying up entire neighborhoods. The goal would be simple: make everyday life more affordable for working families. It should be paid for by closing corporate tax loopholes, demanding greater accountability for public subsidies, and redirecting economic development dollars toward policies that deliver direct relief to Hoosiers instead of more giveaways to powerful interests.
Candidate Statement
I am a lifelong public servant, veteran, and community advocate committed to delivering real results for Hoosiers. After serving 20 years in the Indiana National Guard, I have continued serving by working across educational and government sectors alongside residents to solve problems and strengthen communities. I am running for State Senate to invest in quality early education, support public schools, expand affordable housing, improve access to healthcare, and ensure government works for everyday people. As a mother and grandmother, I will focus on building a future where Indiana families can succeed and stay rooted in their communities.
Education
BS in Communication, Working on MS in Urban Design and Development
Occupational background
Government
Campaign Phone (public)
3172239796
Lowering the cost of living in Indiana starts with being honest about the balance we have to strike. We must responsibly fund public services while providing targeted relief. I support property tax reforms that maintain funding for schools and local services, alongside caps for seniors, veterans, and those on fixed incomes to ensure people stay in their homes without shifting the burden in ways that undercut essential services.
We must also expand affordable housing, while strengthening tenant protections so families aren’t priced out of their communities. When people have stable housing, it reduces strain on other systems and strengthens local economies.
At the same time, investing in education is key to long-term affordability. Expanding childcare access, supporting teachers, and strengthening career pathways help Hoosiers access good-paying jobs. By pairing targeted relief with sustainable funding, we can lower costs while keeping our communities and schools strong.
The state has a responsibility to ensure healthcare is affordable, accessible, and responsive to the needs of Hoosiers. That starts with expanding access to community-based care, including mental health services, so people can get help early before issues become more costly and severe.
We need to invest in mental health clinics and school-based services, while supporting healthcare workers and providers so they can continue serving our communities, while also addressing the healthcare provider shortages statewide. As well as, we should also increase cost transparency, address pricing disparities, and hold systems accountable.
I support strengthening partnerships with local clinics and expanding preventative care, which improves outcomes and reduces long-term costs. Healthcare should not be a privilege, it should be accessible and affordable for every Hoosier.
Indiana should prioritize strong, fairly funded public schools because they serve the vast majority of our children and are the foundation of our communities. Public dollars should first ensure that every student, in every zip code, has access to a quality education, well-supported teachers, and safe learning environments.
I believe we need greater accountability and transparency for charter schools and voucher programs, especially when public funding is involved. If taxpayer dollars are being used, there should be clear standards for performance, oversight, and student outcomes.
To improve outcomes, I would focus on fair and sustainable school funding, better teacher pay and retention support, expanded early learning, more school-based mental health services, and stronger career pathways through dual credit, apprenticeships, and local industry partnerships. Accountability should focus on growth and student success, with real support for schools that need help improving.
Prevention and trust serve as the foundation for public safety. We need to invest in strategies that reduce harm before it happens, including mental health services, youth outreach, violence prevention programs, stable housing, and strong neighborhood partnerships. We also need well-trained, well-supported first responders who understand the communities they serve.
Lawmakers must balance enforcement with civil liberties by making sure public safety policies respect constitutional rights, maintain transparency, and include clear accountability. People should not have to choose between being safe and being free.
Community trust is essential. When residents trust the systems meant to protect them, they are more likely to report concerns, cooperate, and help build safer neighborhoods. Real public safety requires both effective enforcement and a strong commitment to fairness, dignity, and community partnership.
Indiana should pursue economic growth in a way that is smart, sustainable, and benefits everyday Hoosiers, not just large corporations. Attracting industries like tech and data centers can create opportunities, but those investments must come with clear expectations around job quality, local hiring, long-term community benefits, and a commitment to not harm those communities.
We also must be thoughtful about energy use and environmental impact. Large developments should not drive up utility costs for residents or strain our infrastructure. I support responsible planning, transparency, and making sure companies contribute fairly to the cost of the resources they use.
At the same time, we should invest in a diverse and reliable energy strategy that supports affordability while moving toward more sustainable solutions. Economic growth should strengthen our communities, protect our environment, and ensure that Hoosiers see the benefits, not just the costs.
My first bill, the Community Stability Act, would revisit and restructure our property tax system to ensure we can sustainably fund public services while also providing targeted relief through caps for seniors, veterans, and residents on fixed incomes. No one should be forced out of their home because of rising costs.
I would pair this with policies that expand workforce housing, support responsible development, and strengthen tenant protections to keep families stable in their communities.
This would be implemented through a balanced approach by closing gaps in the current system, ensuring fair contributions from new development, and maintaining stable revenue for schools and local services. It’s a solution-driven plan to keep Hoosiers housed while keeping our communities strong.
Education
University of Indianapolis, Bachelor of Science, 2005
Occupational background
Realtor
Political Office(s) Held in the Past
None
State legislators have allowed utility companies to operate as unchecked monopolies, passing rate hikes onto households while shielding big businesses from their fair share of costs. I will fight to restructure utility rate-setting so that industrial and corporate energy users are no longer subsidized on the backs of Hoosier families. Putting those costs back on big business is one of the fastest ways to provide real relief to working families.
On housing, Senate District 31 faces a lack of diverse options. Young professionals, growing families, and people looking to downsize shouldn't have to leave their community to find housing. I will push for strategic community planning that incentivizes builders to develop diverse housing stock - including starter homes and accessible options for aging residents - and support programs that help first-time buyers access mortgages. Done right, this kind of investment doesn't drain schools or local services - it grows the tax base that funds them.
The state's role is simple: stop playing politics with people's health. Indiana's Republican supermajority supported letting Affordable Care Act subsidies expire at the end of 2025, resulting in premium increases of nearly 80% for many Hoosiers. That is not a policy position — it is a failure of basic governance.
I will fight to fully fund Medicaid, reverse the cuts that have hurt our most vulnerable residents, and ensure Indiana uses every federal subsidy available to reduce healthcare costs — regardless of which administration those resources come from. Hoosiers cannot afford ideological games with their insurance premiums or their lives.
Public dollars belong in public schools. I am not opposed to charter schools or private schools existing — but I am firmly opposed to using public school funding to subsidize them. Indiana's current universal voucher system is stripping resources from public schools at an unsustainable rate, and our kids and teachers are paying the price.
We need to return public school funding to public schools, ensure teachers have the resources and support they need, and refocus our collective attention on student outcomes. A strong public school system isn't just good for children — it's foundational to economic development, community stability, and quality of life across Indiana.
Guns are the leading cause of death for children in Indiana. Not car accidents. Not illness. Not drowning. Guns. The data is unambiguous, and it points to a clear solution: access. Safe storage laws reduce access, and they save children's lives — without restricting a single law-abiding gun owner's rights.
If we are serious about public safety, passing a safe storage law is the single most impactful step we can take right now. It is common-sense, it is constitutional, and Indiana's children deserve a legislature willing to act on the evidence.
Economic development cannot come at the expense of the people we're trying to serve. For too long, Indiana has offered massive corporate tax cuts while underfunding schools, roads, and healthcare — and we have little to show for it. We rank 43rd in the country in education and dead last in water and air quality. That is not a state that attracts talent or investment.
I believe we grow the economy by investing in the fundamentals: world-class public schools, clean water, clean air, and a quality of life that makes people want to move to Indiana — not feel they're making a sacrifice by coming here. Any business we recruit — including data centers — must meet clear environmental standards. We cannot afford for our air and water quality to get worse.
I would fix the damage caused by Indiana's universal voucher program.
Our public school funding is evaporating. The voucher system — originally designed to help low-income families access better options — has been expanded into a universal subsidy that benefits families who were already attending private schools. That was never the intent, and it is fiscally unsustainable.
My priority would be to either return the voucher program to income-based eligibility, ensuring it serves those who truly need it, or establish a new funding stream — such as a tax on top earners — to fund expanded vouchers without raiding public school budgets. What I will not do is continue a system that defunds public education while calling it a choice policy. Our kids deserve better than that.
