VOTE411 Voter Guide

The most important qualities of an elected official are integrity, empathy, hard work, accountability, transparency, listening, and a commitment to service. Public office is about solving kitchen table problems, and improving people’s lives. Elected officials must lead with empathy because policies affect real people and families. My experiences as a teacher, community advocate, local elected leader, and helping resettle refugee families have shown me how deeply government decisions shape everyday life. Leadership starts with listening, treating people with dignity, and making sure every voice is heard. Integrity and accountability are equally important. Communities deserve leaders who are honest about challenges, transparent in decision-making, and willing to explain not only what they support, but why. Electeds should be accessible, collaborative, and focused on solutions that strengthen communities. Courage also matters. Leadership means standing up for what is right, even when it is difficult. I beat a Republican incumbent by 20 points by going after the fossil fuel industry, and re-elected in a year the gun lobby also attacked me. But courage also means protecting public education, supporting working families, improving affordability, defending vulnerable communities, or safeguarding clean air and water. Above all, elected officials should remember who they serve. The job is not about power; it is about building trust, solving problems, and building resiliency.

Kitchen table topics like affordability, children, and our aging population deserve collaboration and some compromise, but compromise should never come at the expense of fundamental rights, human dignity, or democratic values. There are core principles that are not negotiable: protecting human rights, reproductive freedom, civil rights, public education, democratic institutions, and ensuring every person is treated with dignity and respect. One of my mentors is former Senator and Commissioner Rachel Zenzinger and she told me to visit every district of those I will be working with and just listen to find common ground. Effective government requires this collaboration to move solutions forward. No one legislates alone, and meaningful progress often comes from bringing people together around shared goals, even in disagreements within our own party, realizing we are here for the people, not social media fame. I believe in principled listening and working across differences to improve affordability, strengthen schools, support working families, expand access to housing and healthcare, protect clean air and water, expand jobs and build safer, healthier communities. That means listening carefully, being transparent, and seeking practical solutions that improve people’s lives.

I am passionate about public policies that help people live with dignity, opportunity, and security at every stage of life. My priorities are deeply personal and shaped by lived experience as a mom, local service, and the people I have worked alongside in our community. I care deeply about housing and affordability because I know firsthand the instability that comes with being unhoused, and I believe every Coloradan deserves a safe, attainable place to call home, and home ownership. I am passionate about fully funding public education, expanding mental health access, and creating strong pathways through apprenticeships, trade schools, and higher education so every child has the opportunity to thrive. I care deeply about healthcare, aging with dignity, and supporting caregivers after helping families navigate mental health struggles and working to connect refugees to lifesaving services. I believe healthcare, including reproductive healthcare, should be affordable, accessible, and protected. I am equally committed to protecting human rights, domestic violence victims, LGBTQ+ equality, and immigrants. Being a trained climate reality ambassador, I have fought fossil fuels and won, and will continue to work on climate change policies. I also support public safety, and building an economy that supports working families through good jobs, labor partnerships, and responsible fiscal leadership. Above all, I care about policies that strengthen resilience, and expand opportunities.

Hands down, we have to be 3 steps ahead of Trump’s horrific J6 legacy and his attacks on women' s rights to vote. Free, fair, secure, and accessible elections are the foundation of our democracy and our election staff and volunteers deserve the utmost respect. I believe election integrity means both protecting our systems and protecting every eligible person’s freedom to vote. We must protect and codify Colorado’s mail-ballot system, ballot tracking, cure process, drop boxes, and early/in-person voting options so access remains protected under state administration. Election rules are largely run by states, and legal disputes are already centered on federal vs. state authority. We can partner with libraries, nonprofits, and county offices to help people update registration, resolve name-change mismatches, replace documents, and understand what is needed well before elections. Colorado has built one of the strongest election systems in the country through secure mail voting, ballot tracking, signature verification, audits, and in-person voting options. We should continue investing in election workers, cybersecurity, voter education, and transparent processes that build public trust. I strongly oppose efforts to undermine confidence in elections or make voting harder for eligible people. We must keep working to keep families, seniors, rural communities, people with disabilities, women, naturalized citizens, caregivers, and busy parents participating in democracy.

As your State Representative, my goal is to ensure that Colorado’s most vulnerable communities are protected. Nationally, we are facing an erosion of Medicaid and education funding. This wrongfully targets Colorado’s most vulnerable. My belief is that government is by the people and for the people. Honesty, transparency, and accountability. I recognize that election results must be respected and that as elected public office holders, we are beholden to be professional and respectful towards our residents and the people living in our communities regardless of their political views or affiliations. I believe that elected officials should be authentic and open about themselves. Additionally, Elected officials should abide by the law and that should reflect in our standing within the community. We are servants of the people, we are beholden to voters and to the greater public. We are not brought by lobbyists or by corporations. Elected officials are for the people.

Relationships and teamwork with other colleagues is important to being successful and working together. I believe in the power of the people and by working together, we can create change that is effective and reflects our communities in the mission of public service. We stand together and serve the great people of Colorado. I think that having a caucus that votes together as a community is important for any democratic process. I would gladly work across the aisle as well and do believe that Colorado lawmakers can be bipartisan even in the age of MAGA. We are all Americans and we all want to serve our community.

Nationally, we are facing an erosion of Medicaid and education funding. This wrongfully targets Colorado’s most vulnerable. My belief is that government is by the people and for the people. I grew up with food stamps, using Medicaid and being assisted by government assistance. Colorado and America must do better to support its most vulnerable populations from economically disadvantage communities to those in need. The United States of America is the richest and most powerful country on the planet yet we cannot provide basic healthcare or services to the people that live here. Housing and rent costs are becoming out of reach for too many families. As an elected official of Colorado, my goal and vision is to allow all Coloradans the ability to live and thrive in our community. Increasing affordable housing, allowing for more housing options, and reinvesting state dollars can help us bridge this gap.

In Colorado, we cherish our right to direct democracy - we love ballot measures. Unfortunately, sometimes those initiatives are filled with language that can be challenging for voters to understand: double negatives, confusing tax language, and obscure terminology. I’m sponsoring this measure that will require ballot measures to provide a plain language version with clear information about the tax implications of any ballot measure. I firmly support and believe on limits of financial donations. Citizens United should be challenged and reviewed as I believe that money and corporations have too much power and influence in government and with elected officials. I believe in US institutions that establishes law and order in our government. The court of law and balance of powers, checks and balances should be respected regardless of your political beliefs.