Training and Experience
I currently work as a labor law clerk, but I have experience working the State House, State Supreme Court, and county government.
Volunteer/Community Service
In 2018, I was awarded a Youth Leadership Award. I have mostly done political work in the time since, helping run campaigns ranging from city government to Congress.
My top priorities include building sustainable housing, repairing broken neighborhoods, and increasing funding for higher education.
I support comprehensive redistricting reform to end gerrymandering and the introduction of same day voting registration.
Ohio should be open for business to business that treat their employees well. We need to do a better job of communicating the opportunities for employers in Ohio.
Ohio needs to rein in its charter schools and rebuild public K-12 education. As to higher education, the state legislature needs to mind its own business and let teachers teach. We need to work to reduce the cost of an education as well.
Very rarely.
As the wealthiest nation in the history of the world, we must ensure that all Ohioans have access to affordable healthcare. The goal of all government programs, but especially health policy, must be to receive the highest value for the lowest dollar.
All people have a right to clean water, clean air, and a clean environment. While this should not be controversial, there are special interests in Columbus keeping communities like ours from reaching our true potential.
Most discrimination claims are covered under federal civil rights law, but the Ohio Attorney General should take care of handling large group claims of discrimination.
Training and Experience
Erika serves as the President of Communications Workers of America Local 4319. As a dedicated representative and advocate for hard-working union workers in both public and private sector, Erika is prepared to use her skills and experience to fight for the middle class, for safe neighborhoods, a strong economy with living-wage jobs, and fair funding for schools.
Volunteer/Community Service
Erika has volunteered with the Lucas County Democratic Party and has been involved in promoting health and wellness in her county through various ways.
My top priorities are continuing to fight for better wages and working conditions for our working class in Ohio. As a union president and local labor leader, I have negotiated for better working conditions for workers and look to bring that work to the statehouse. I also am looking forward to addressing safety and crime in our neighborhoods. As the wife of a firefighter, I have seen firsthand the issues that my husband has had to deal with day to day and being able to decrease the number of crimes and incidents that happen in the communities is a huge priority. Toledo, OH is one of the leading areas for human trafficking when it comes to minors.
Elections are what makes our democracy work in America, and everyone should have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote. Over the last few years, we have seen the effects of what happens when our elected officials gain too much power over the people and do not have any checks and balances and I think we need to put a system in place to ensure that our elections are free and fair.
The legislature has overstepped their jurisdiction by allowing those elected to make their own districts when it comes to redistricting reform which is very dangerous for our democracy.
It is important for us to adopt a non-partisan redistricting committee, to expand voting access and to ensure that all people can have their voices heard.
We must continue to foster an environment that is good for business and workers. Workforce development is currently one of the biggest challenges to recruitment in Ohio. Often, people view Ohio as not competitive or even prohibitive to women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community. We must correct this.
With more competitive wages, workers will want to live in Ohio. And from that, we will gain a more competitive workforce, which, in turn, will make us more attractive to companies that want to locate here.
A rising tide lifts all boats; but, we must also remember those boats stuck at the bottom.
My aspirations for K-12 and higher education are to improve the quality of our education by focusing on fair funding for our public schools, providing our teachers and staff with better pay and working conditions, and reducing our class sizes to a ratio that allows teaching and learning to give these students the ability to really connect with their teachers and their environment instead of getting lost in the classrooms that have an overflow amount of children to the point that our teachers are not able to provide the support they need. Simply put, we have to support our teachers more, and by doing that, it creates a ripple effect of uplifting the students and helping them reach their full potential.
Only in cases that cause danger to the citizenry, are discriminatory, or are hurtful to the overall economic impact of Ohio. Too often, the state has used “Home Rule” to override municipalities who are trying to fix issues facing them locally. This is a big government overreach that takes away the freedoms of a local citizenry. We must be more limited in this approach.
Every Ohioan should have equitable access to affordable healthcare.
We must do a better job of saving our environment. The impacts of climate change are going to continue to impact Ohioans on a daily basis. If we don’t hit this head-on, we won’t be able to fix it once the full impacts are upon us.
And our parks should be off limits to for-profit mining and fracking. Ohio has plenty of places where they are currently drilling and mining. Approving the drilling of our natural parks is unnecessary and harmful to our future as well as to the environment.
Unfortunately, the state legislature has taken a role in implementing discriminatory legislation over and over again. Against women, against people of color, against our LGBTQ community. It is, to be honest, disgusting.
Our government should always look to make equity and equality a priority for all Ohioans and should certainly intervene whenever discriminatory practices are put in place. However, instead, they have chosen to make this problem worse for decades now.
As a woman and African American, I believe I can bring a unique lens to this discussion that both my primary and general election opponents cannot.
