Campaign Phone
2694141468
Education
B.S., Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale College; Ph.D., Biochemistry, University of California, Berkeley
Experience in Leadership and Management
ELECTED 3 TIMES AS WEST LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCILOR--AT LARGE, SERVED 2016-PRESENT
Campaign Video
Extension of the voting hours. More public information sources on candidates. Candidate forums. I have been advocating for these policies for decades. We have had recent experience of campaigns marred by millions of dollars of defamatory & false attack advertisements that were funded by dark-money interests. Taking the measures that other states have implemented to limit dark-money influence on their elections will restore confidence in our elections. I also advocate for clarifying the rules about determining whether ballots are valid, so that legitimate votes are not discarded because of administrative failures.
Local communities should control economic development and natural-resource management, although there must be uniform standards that guarantee at least a baseline of environmental protections. I have worked with groups around the district who are threatened by industrial developments being imposed upon them, such as data centers and carbon sequestration. I have shared with them the basis of the success of the Stop the Water Steal movement that I founded, which includes working with a coalition of organizations that span the political spectrum to achieve the goal of protecting communities and their natural resources. I have also spoken at government and public venues advocating on behalf of those communities.
No. I believe that public funds for education should fund public education. Focus should be placed on increasing teacher salaries and retaining teachers. I am also concerned about the assault on tenure and academic freedom at our public universities, e.g., SB 202-2024. In contrast, I have a long and firm record defending academic freedom. I have been endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers.
I believe that referendums can be a significant tool for direct participation of voters in governance, which I support. Having worked together with other organizations when I founded and was the Chair of the Stop the Water Steal organization (which successfully stopped the transfer of up to 100 million gallons of water a day from Wabash River-associated aquifers to the LEAP-Lebanon project) I embrace the power of popular sovereignty and citizen participation in government.
I would not want someone to vote for me solely on the basis of a single past stance in opposition to mid-decade redistricting rather than taking into account my positions on a broad array of issues, which will determine how I will serve during the next term. Nevertheless, redistricting is a very important issue. I have advocated for a nonpartisan state redistricting commission that uses the principles of Equal Population, Compactness and Contiguity, and Respect for Existing Political Subdivisions and Communities of Common Interest for decades. A ban on mid-decade redistricting is a bare minimum.
Campaign Phone
(765)761-2168
Education
Masters of Public Administration with an emphasis in public policy; Bachelors of Arts in Communications
Experience in Leadership and Management
Former Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the President at Purdue University
Campaign Video
The most significant obstacle to higher turnout is apathy.
The best cure for apathy is knowledge. Our teachers and schools need more support and encouragement to effectively teach civics. No reform would do more to increase turnout and promote well-run government.
In fact, historically, the justification for public education was to prepare citizens for self-government. Citizen preparation should be the primary objective of our schools and how we measure success.
I am a strong believer in preserving property rights, protecting natural resources, and in allowing for local home rule. The default approach should always be to allow the government closest to the people to govern first. It's easier for local governments to respond to unique needs and for the people to hold them accountable.
Only when local governments are inadequately suited to protect natural resources or when one local group of citizens violates the rights or interests of another group of local citizens should a larger form of government step in.
While nearly 50% of our state’s tax revenue is spent on K-12 schools, I don’t believe enough dollars are reaching our teachers and classrooms. Sometimes that’s a problem of funding, and sometimes it’s a problem of dollars being consumed by other priorities, either by choice or government mandate. We need to focus more of that spending where it matters most.
I support allowing elected officials to put questions to the public, but I do not support a system like California’s, where citizens can place a wide range of questions on the ballot.
Our founders learned from the failures of Athens. They recognized that a pure democracy, in which the people vote on everything, is inferior to a system in which the people elect representatives to study issues in greater depth than the typical citizen has time to do. A republican form of government that elects people of wisdom and integrity will always lead to better public policy.
That said, some issues are close calls, and I support putting such questions to the people at the recommendation of elected officials.
I oppose gerrymandering in all forms. The practice undermines the ability of the people to hold their elected officials accountable, and it leads to bad policies and elected officials who are ill-suited to the task of representing all their constituents.
While some well-designed, nonpartisan redistricting panels hold promise, many are unfortunately poorly designed and ineffective at removing partisanship from the process.
I would support a well-designed, nonpartisan panel, but I am also very interested in what’s known as the Define-Combine Procedure, in which the process of drawing maps is divided between the parties in a way that prevents either party from rigging the map. Voters can learn more about DCP at definecombine.com.
Campaign Phone
(765)581-3036
Education
US Marine Corps Basic Training in San Diego, CA; Intermediate Level Aviation Technician Schooling at the Naval Air Technical Training Center in NAS Pensacola, FL; MOS (6412/6413) specific training at MCAS Cherry Point, NC; Various Leadership Certificates from courses in the US Marine Corps; Technical Degree in Organizational Leadership from Purdue University; and an AS in Business Administration from Ivy Tech
Experience in Leadership and Management
I've led everything from small teams to upwards of a hundred people at one time during my time during my time as an active-duty Marine, and in the various roles I've held since. No matter where I find myself, I always end up finding myself in a leadership position.
Campaign Video
We should start with treating ballot access and candidacy as fundamental rights. We should reduce the influence of money in elections so that candidates compete on ideas (not fundraising power) and ensure that every candidate has a fair opportunity to reach voters.
I also support making Election Day a statewide holiday so Hoosiers don’t have to choose between work, school, and voting. Every voter deserves equal access to the ballot and a meaningful chance to have their voice heard.
Finally, I would like to see stronger civic education in our schools. When people understand how elections work, how to run for office, and what public service entails, they are more likely to participate; and our democracy is stronger for it.
Economic development and natural resource decisions should be a shared effort, but priority should go to the communities most affected by the development. Economic growth and low taxes matter, but they can’t come at the expense of people’s health, quality of life, or ability to make ends meet. Local residents deserve a meaningful voice in decisions that shape their environment, and development should support long‑term community well‑being, not just short‑term profit.
No. There’s a clear gap between what Indiana expects from public schools and the funding they receive. Some districts struggle with mismanagement, but that doesn’t change the fact that many schools are already underfunded. When we cut or divert resources away from public education, we hurt students and weaken communities. We need a funding system that matches the responsibilities we place on our schools and gives every child a fair chance to succeed.
I support the use of referendums because they give voters a direct voice on major issues. Representative government works best when people can weigh in on decisions that affect their lives. I would even like to see Indiana adopt a process that allows voters to initiate and vote on stopping or even reversing actions taken by their elected officials when they believe those actions don’t reflect the community’s will. Giving citizens a direct check on government strengthens accountability and trust.
Nonpartisan redistricting would greatly reduce the risk of gerrymandering, which has become a major concern in Indiana and across the country. When either party draws maps to protect itself, voters lose meaningful representation. Both sides often justify it by saying the other side does it too, but that only leads to a cycle where Americans end up silencing other Americans; and that's about as un-American as it gets. Fair maps ensure that communities, not political interests, shape elections. Gerrymandering by any party is unacceptable in a functioning society.
