Previous Offices Held
n/a
Top Three Priorities
1. Immigration: I will seek to leverage all powers of the state government to protect, defend, and seek justice for those targeted by federal law enforcement. 2. Environment: I seek to hold extractive industries accountable for their role in our ongoing climate crisis. 3. Technology: I will strengthen data privacy protections and fight against AI-powered surveillance. This includes a ban on automatic license plate reader technology at the state level.
Why are you running?
I am running because in the last six months, I witnessed our community drop everything to give a ride to a stranger, ensure kids get to school safely, and provide rent relief for residents scared to go to work. As our neighbors have been unfairly surveilled and under direct threat by ICE, community members have stepped up to keep one another safe. These responses inspire me to step into a new role that can push back on the federal government and use collective state power to help all residents.
What is one way Maine is on the right track? What is one way the state is on the wrong track?
Maine continues to be a desirable place to live, work, own a home, raise a family and age in place. However, it is increasingly less affordable to do so. We need to pursue immediate measures to keep people in their homes — and longer-term ways to create permanently affordable housing outside the confines of the private market. In South Portland, especially, we have a unique opportunity to do so by enabling the redevelopment of underutilized land in the city.
As one of several dozen legislators in your chamber, how would you make a measurable difference for your constituents?
This requires having strong relationships with constituents in the District and with colleagues in the State House. To do so, I will continue to be an organizer in South Portland. This local organizing allows me to remain connected and accountable to the residents whom I represent. I will also lean on my successful experience building and working in coalition to effectively collaborate and coordinate with fellow legislators to tackle shared challenges. Connections are our strength.
Surveys show the economy is the top concern of voters. What is a specific proposal addressing Maine voters’ economic anxieties that you’d work to make law?
The simple fact is that everything we need to live has gotten far too expensive. At the same time, the wealthiest in our society have amassed enormous fortunes from investments in the very industries making our lives unaffordable. I will strongly support all efforts to tax those who can most afford it and raise revenues for programs like eviction prevention, state funding for childcare, property tax relief, and controlling health care prices.