Training and Experience
Professor and Associate Chair of Biology at The College of Wooster
Volunteer/Community Service
Wayne County Dog Shelter and Adoption Center; Wayne County Children Services
My first priority is establishing a fair, constitutional redistricting process that ends partisan map‑drawing. Voters should choose their elected officials, not the other way around.
My second priority is advancing policies that empower voters by making registration and voting accessible.
My third priority is protecting the constitutional right of municipalities to govern themselves.
We need taxes to support strong communities, but many Ohioans are paying more while seeing fewer benefits. I would focus tax reform on two goals: real accountability and a fairer system. To achieve this, I would support policies that lower property taxes for homeowners and increase our tax base by applying a progressive income tax based on household income level and closing corporate loopholes. In addition, I would support policies that invest tax revenue responsibly in infrastructure, education, and essential social services.
Ohioans long for a quality of life that allows us to spend our time and energy on the parts of our lives that bring us the most fulfillment. Yet, it is becoming increasingly unaffordable to live and thrive in Ohio due, in part, to high costs of housing, utilities, groceries, health care, and dependent care. I would address these concerns by supporting efforts to have a universal minimum wage in Ohio of $15 and by increasing state support for affordable housing and social services, with the increased tax base described above and with reframed priorities that center the needs of everyday Ohioans.
My first priority is fully funding the Fair School Funding Plan, which supports K–12 public schools based on real education costs and each district’s capacity to pay and was passed with bipartisan support. My second priority is ensuring all schools receiving state funds, whether public or private, meet the same reporting and oversight standards and are open to all students. My third priority is expanding tuition‑assistance programs at Ohio’s public universities to help keep young people in the state. My final priority is reversing SB1, which threatens the quality of higher education by restricting diversity-related programs and limiting academic freedom, striking and collective bargaining.
Ohio’s hyperpartisanship is damaging our communities and our ability to meet our potential as a state. I would reduce this hyperpartisanship by leading by example. My campaign slogan is “Finding Common Ground to Work for the Common Good”. When I am elected, I will listen to anyone who wants to bring their concerns and ideas to me and I will seek out people with a wide range of perspectives and life experiences. I will use the information I gather from these discussions to make progress on pressing issues facing our district. I will collaborate with fellow legislators, regardless of party, to create policies that support the ability of all Ohioans to thrive. Finally, I will bring people in my district together across party lines to find solutions that everyone can live with.
