VOTE411 Voter Guide

The single most important factor in my decision to seek office is what I've witnessed for the past decade as Executive Director of Owasso Community Resources, where we helped more than 1,000 people a week with food, emergency utility, and rent assistance. Why it's so influential: I've seen firsthand how families struggle. Working parents with one or two jobs still choose between fuel and groceries, electric bills and prescriptions, or rent and new shoes for their kids. Nearly half of Rogers County residents struggle to afford basic necessities, and some live in their cars. Charity alone can't fix that. The causes lie in state policy on wages, education, healthcare, and predatory lending, and those decisions are made at the capitol. I can't keep helping people survive those decisions without trying to change them. As a former journalist, I also know how to demand transparency and accountability. I'm running to bring these families' voices to the state senate.

Tulsa Remote has shown Oklahoma can compete for young talent, bringing in more than 4,000 people. I'd work to expand that model statewide and pair it with ways to keep our own graduates here: - Regional remote-worker programs in Oklahoma City, Norman, Stillwater, Lawton and rural towns, partnering with foundations and employers. - Loan forgiveness and tax credits for teachers, nurses and doctors who commit to Oklahoma, especially in rural areas. - Paid internships and apprenticeships linking colleges and CareerTech with tech, energy and healthcare employers, so students have a job waiting after graduation. - Expand film incentives and training so crews and creators can build careers here. - Fund public education, which employers and young families cite when deciding where to live. - Support affordable housing, child care and broadband so a paycheck goes further. Talent follows opportunity, and Oklahoma can offer both: good jobs, strong schools and a community worth staying in.

Oklahoma's constitution promises a public education to every child. I will support legislation that keeps that promise: - Fix the teacher shortage: A $5,000 to $7,500 annual tax credit for public school teachers, matching the $7,500 private school voucher, plus loan forgiveness for those who stay, replacing emergency certifications with qualified, well-paid educators. - Close the funding gap: Use more of the $1 billion-plus rainy day fund to close the $1 billion per-pupil gap. Cap the Private School Tax Credit, make households earning $150K or more ineligible, and require participating schools to meet teacher certification, state testing, and state audit standards. - Support readers: Fully fund reading help and give districts flexibility on third-grade retention. - Stabilize and protect: Nonpartisan standards, virtual charter oversight, school safety funding, and guidelines on screen time and AI. Public schools serve every child and deserve public investment.

Oklahoma's budget rises and falls with oil and gas prices. I would build a steadier economy by: - Growing new industries: Expand aerospace, advanced manufacturing, biotech, and wind and solar. - Boosting agriculture: Support value-added processing and ag technology so more of our crops and livestock are processed here. - Expanding tourism: Promote state parks, lakes, Route 66, tribal heritage, and film to draw visitors and create jobs statewide. Investing in workers: Fund CareerTech, apprenticeships, and public colleges, and keep young professionals here. - Backing small business: Expand access to capital, cut red tape, and support rural entrepreneurs. - Strengthening the foundation: Build broadband, roads, and affordable housing, and fund public schools. - Saving for bad years: Protect the rainy day fund so downturns don't force cuts to schools and healthcare. A diverse economy protects Oklahoma families when national markets turn.

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