Previous Offices Held
2024: State Representative House District 21, two-year term; 2022: State Representative House District 21, two-year term
Top Three Priorities
My priorities are grounded in addressing the housing crisis, protecting Mainers from ICE, and passing a data center moratorium. Families and elders should be able to stay in their homes without the fear of instability. I worked hard to pass legislation that upholds due process and keeps ICE out of our schools and health facilities, but there is more work to do. I support a data center moratorium because these facilities cause massive strain on the environment and extract from our communities.
Why are you running?
My dedication to mutual aid and care work is what sparked my desire to serve. I am running because I believe that policy change should come from the ground up, guided by the experiences and voices of those who are directly impacted. I believe in collective power, when community unites to fight for systemic change, there’s so much to gain. The needs of our city and the people who call it home will always be my top priority, and I am committed to being a resource and advocate for my constituents.
What is one way Maine is on the right track? What is one way the state is on the wrong track?
Mainers show up to protect their immigrant neighbors from the violence of ICE, we’re on the right track. We made progress, but after the murder of Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero, it is clear that more work needs to be done. Mainers are also worried about keeping a roof over their families' heads, and food on the table. We need to ensure that Maine is a place where all people have the opportunity to thrive, and have the resources they need to care for themselves and their loved ones.
As one of several dozen legislators in your chamber, how would you make a measurable difference for your constituents?
My work as a service provider within our community gives me a unique perspective in seeking legislative solutions. Preceding my time as an elected official, I spent years advocating at the State House. This experience has been an asset as I sponsored and worked on critical legislation over my past two terms. The relationships I’ve built with legislators across the aisle have made it possible for me to make positive and productive change in a collaborative way.
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?
We must seek housing-first solutions for Maine families that meet the needs of our community. When over half of low-income earners are paying more than half of their income for rent, we have an issue that requires urgent attention. I will fight against predatory rental practices, continue to work to expand rental assistance programs, and invest in development to increase housing stock. I will work to ensure that our community, including those who are unhoused, are well represented in Augusta.