What is your professional experience?

● Full-time legislator

● Program Educator-Indianapolis Zoo

● Director of Development-The Julian Center

● Chief of External Relations-Theta Chi Fraternity, Inc.

What is your public office experience?

○ Indiana State Senator

If applicable, please list offices you have run for or held.

IN - Congressional District 4 in 2010 and 2012 against Todd Rokita.

What are the specific skills that you bring to the position for which you are running?

1. Successful Legislative Experience and Strategic Oversight:

● I am a proven legislator with a deep understanding of how to draft, debate, and pass complex policy with bipartisan support. I have authored, sponsored, or co-sponsored over 200 pieces of legislation that have become law. My experience in the Statehouse has prepared me to lead on day one with a bill designed to restore Constitutional oversight on the President and other rogue actors. I have the technical skills to identify and close the loopholes that allow federal agencies to bypass Congressional authority.

2. Fiscal Accountability:

I have a professional background in organizational management that allows me to scrutinize federal budgets with an eye for waste and corporate handouts. I will bring financial oversight to the House, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are invested in our infrastructure and schools rather than being used as a blank check for failing corporate models.

3. Bipartisan Coalition Building:

● Effective representation is about finding common ground for real progress without compromising on core principles. I have successfully worked across the aisle to pass legislation on mental health, public safety, and economic development. I bring the skill of negotiation to Washington, ensuring that the 5th District is never ignored in the national conversation.

4. Constituent-Centered Advocacy:

● My office is a model for proactive constituent service. I bring the skill of translating complex federal and state bureaucracy into tangible results for the people I serve. Whether it is helping a veteran navigate the VA or a senior citizen secure their Social Security benefits, I prioritize ensuring that no constituent is left behind by their government. It has always been my commitment that real people answer the phones, talk to constituents and respond with the best assistance possible. That will continue when I’m in Washington, D.C.

What are your top 3 priorities if you are elected?

Accountability, Affordability, and Hoosier Voices.

Accountability. Congress must reclaim oversight and stop ignoring the will of the people. After eight years in the Statehouse, I know that without strict Constitutional oversight, the government ceases to serve the citizens and begins serving only itself.

Affordability. Let’s end the corporate handouts that allow monopolies to price-gouge our neighbors while asking Hoosiers to foot the bill for massive data centers. I will fight to redirect federal focus away from wasteful spending and toward lowering the actual daily costs of energy, healthcare, and groceries for Indiana families.

Hoosier Voices. Our representation should represent the needs of our community, not the demands of Washington lobbyists. I’ve spent my career showing up for this district and winning competitive races by building broad coalitions. I will take that same commitment to D.C. to ensure your voice is never sidelined again.

How do your values motivate your run for office?

I refuse to accept a system where the rules are written for the powerful while the hardworking families of the 5th District are left to deal with the consequences of a rigged game.

Accountability: In a democracy, elected officials work for the people. We need to restore the checks and balances that prevent any official from acting as a dictator. We need to protect Hoosier taxpayers. And we must ensure that official acts never grant immunity for breaking the law.

Equality: The principle that All means ALL is the driving force of my career. It motivates the fight for healthcare access for all, the protection of our LGBTQ+ neighbors, and the guarantee that every child in Muncie and across the 5th District has a seat in a fully funded public classroom. The law must protect the marginalized to the same degree as it protects the wealthy.

Service: Public office is a position of service, not status. My motivation comes from the stories told at kitchen tables, the senior facing a 21% cut to Social Security or whose continued employment depends on upgrading a factory. Washington must be a partner to our local communities and work in active cooperation with the people who live with the results of its decisions.

Key Issues

Please share with us your position on a number of issues that are key for Muncie Resists and describe what actions you would take with regard to them. We recognize that some elected positions may not have a direct role in addressing some of these issues, but if you had an opportunity to have an impact, what would you want that to be?

What have you done and/or what do you commit to doing to support the rights of

a. LGBTQ+ individuals?

I am the first out-serving LGBTQ+ member of the Indiana General Assembly. I have led the fight against discriminatory legislation and have consistently advocated for the expansion of civil rights protections.

b. people with disabilities?

I have fought for increased funding for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS), ensuring that Hoosiers with disabilities have the resources to live independently and with dignity. I also authored legislation to ensure people with disabilities have accessc. people experiencing poverty?

I support help and a social safety net for families or individuals going through a rough time.

c. people experiencing poverty?

I have championed the expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit and fought against predatory payday lending that traps working families in a cycle of debt. I worked on legislation to reign-in for profit private colleges that prey on low-income students, prevent utility shut offs during the hottest months, and lower the cost of prescriptions.

d. immigrants?

I strongly opposed legislation during the 2026 legislative session that turns local police into immigration officials, opens schools to being ICE targets, and uses insurance applications as immigration reporting tools. I have stood against targeting immigrant communities based only on racial profiling and have advocated for policies that recognize the vital economic and cultural contributions of our immigrant neighbors.

e. people who are racial or ethnic minorities/minoritized individuals?

I fought against book bans that stripped students of color from seeing themselves as protagonists. I supported legislation to address maternal mortality rates that disproportionately impact Black and Brown Hoosiers.

What I Commit to Doing:

● Civil Rights Integrity: I will mandate that the Department of Justice prioritize the protection of civil rights against state and local overreach. No official can use their office to bypass federal protections for marginalized communities.

● The Equality Act: I will vote to pass the Equality Act to ensure that LGBTQ+ Americans are protected from discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations nationwide.

● Pathway to Citizenship: I will support comprehensive immigration reform that includes a clear, earned pathway to citizenship and protects Dreamers from the threat of deportation.

● Voting Rights Restoration: I will vote for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act to ensure that racial and ethnic minorities have equal access to the ballot box, free from intimidation or suppression.

What have you done and/or what do you commit to doing to support voter access? (This might include your position on vote centers, polling hours, voter IDs, signature matching, the SAVE act, etc.)

For eight years in the Indiana Statehouse and as Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Elections Committee, I have fought to ensure our elections are secure and accessible to every eligible Hoosier. It should be easy to vote and hard to cheat.

What I Have Done:

Defending the Ballot: I have consistently voted against 'purges' of the voter rolls that unfairly target students, seniors, and low-income Hoosiers. I’ve advocated for same-day voter registration and the expansion of early voting hours to accommodate working families.

What I Commit to Doing:

Voter Protection: One of my first acts in Congress will be ensuring that 'All means ALL' at the ballot box. I will support federal legislation to make Election Day a national holiday, so no worker has to choose between their paycheck and their civic duty.

Stopping the Paperwork Bureaucracy: I will fight to reverse the recent SAVE Act mandates that forced the Social Security Administration to divert resources away from seniors to police voter rolls. We need our federal agencies focused on service, not creating new red tape for voters.

National Standards for Early Voting: I will support a national minimum for early voting days and mail-in ballot access, ensuring that a Hoosier's right to vote isn't dependent on which county they live in.

In recent months, federal agencies have overstepped the power of local and state governments. In what contexts would you support resistance by local officials?

Federal agencies are most effective when they work in active cooperation with the local officials who know their communities best. Attempting to bypass local leaders is not 'efficiency'—it is a failure of governance. We saw the danger of this overreach with the proposed ICE facility in Carmel, where D.C. bureaucrats moved forward without transparency, without local input, and without a plan for our public safety and community resources.

It is unacceptable for federal agencies to operate without local partnership. Bypassing our mayors, city councils, and neighbors is a violation of trust.

Washington must be a partner to communities, not a landlord that refuses to return calls. We are restoring a system where the federal government respects local expertise and ensures every decision is made WITH the community, not FOR communities.

In recent months, federal agencies have overstepped the constitutional rights of the people. How would you protect and defend our constitutional rights?

Constitutional rights are not suggestions. When the Trump administration and federal agencies use executive orders to bypass Congressional approval, they aren't “streamlining government,” they are eroding the checks and balances that protect every Hoosier.

That’s why, one of the first bills I file in Congress will be a bill to protect and defend our rights:

● The 'All Means All' Clause: This legally codifies that no official, including the President, is above the law. It clarifies that official acts do not grant immunity for violating the Fourth Amendment or First Amendment. If a federal agency breaks the law to target a citizen, they must be held accountable.

● Restoring the Power of the Purse: Federal agencies cannot re-purpose taxpayer money to fund surveillance or programs that Congress has not authorized. If an agency wants to expand its reach, it must first face a public debate and a vote on the House floor.

● Ending the Blank Check Culture: I will vote against any omnibus spending bill that hides funding for agencies that refuse to comply with Congressional subpoenas or oversight requests.

What have you done and/or what do you commit to doing to support healthcare access for all?

Healthcare is a right, not a luxury. My mission in Congress is to ensure that every person has access to affordable and reliable healthcare. For eight years in the Indiana Statehouse, I have voted to expand coverage, lower costs, and protect the clinics that Hoosiers rely on. I have consistently stood against efforts to cut Medicaid or place new barriers between patients and their doctors.

What I Have Done:

● Defending Coverage: I have fought to protect and expand Indiana’s HIP 2.0 program, ensuring that hundreds of thousands of our neighbors do not lose their doctor or their prescriptions due to administrative red tape.

● Prioritizing Mental Health: I supported the historic expansion of 988 and community mental health funding in Indiana, because healthcare for all includes the mind as well as the body.

What I Commit to Doing:

● Market Accountability: I will mandate Congressional oversight for massive healthcare mergers. When giant corporations buy up local clinics, costs go up and access goes down. No healthcare executive should have the power to monopolize our care and double a copay overnight.

● Capping Out-of-Pocket Costs: I will vote to cap the price of life-saving medications like insulin and inhalers for every Hoosier, not just those on certain plans.

● Universal Access Standards: I’ll push federal legislation that guarantees healthcare access for all by ensuring that no person is denied care based on their income, their zip code, or their employment status.

What have you done and/or what do you commit to doing to address the affordability of

housing costs?

● What I Have Done: I have consistently supported the expansion of the Renter’s Deduction and fought for property tax relief that protects long-time homeowners from being priced out of their own neighborhoods.

● My Commitment: I will support federal legislation to crack down on predatory institutional investors who are buying up thousands of single-family homes in Central Indiana and driving up rents for everyone else. Housing must be a foundation for families, not a speculative asset for Wall Street.

food costs?

● What I Have Done: I have advocated for the elimination of the sales tax on essential hygiene products and supported regional food bank funding to ensure no Hoosier goes hungry during inflationary spikes.

● My Commitment: I will vote to strengthen the Farmer Bill of Rights to protect our local producers from the corporate monopolies that dictate the price of seed and fertilizer. Lowering the cost of production for our farmers is the only way to sustainably lower the cost of groceries at the checkout counter

healthcare costs?

● What I Have Done: I have stood against Medicaid cuts and supported the transparency of hospital pricing so Hoosiers aren't blindsided by hidden fees.

● My Commitment: I will mandate Congressional oversight for massive healthcare mergers. When giant corporations buy up local clinics, costs go up. I will also vote to cap out-of-pocket costs for life-saving medications like insulin for every American. Healthcare access for all is impossible without healthcare affordability for all.

What have you done and/or what do you commit to doing to support discussion about science, history, and gender as necessary parts of educating children in our schools?

What I Have Done:

● Standing Against Censorship: I led the fight against House Bill 1608 and Senate Bill 202, which sought to chill the academic freedom of our teachers and professors. I have consistently voted to keep politics out of our classrooms and libraries.

● Defending Scientific Integrity: I have fought for curriculum standards that prioritize evidence-based science, including climate change and public health, ensuring that Indiana students are competitive in a global economy.

What I Commit to Doing:

● Educational Freedom: I will support federal legislation that prevents any administration from arbitrarily withholding federal education funds. No President or Secretary of Education has the right to dictate what facts a child is allowed to learn.

● National Standards for Historical Accuracy: I commit to supporting federal grants for schools that adopt comprehensive history curricula that include the full, unvarnished story of our nation’s struggles and progress

What have you done and/or what do you commit to doing to support public education?

For eight years in the Statehouse, I have been a consistent and vocal advocate for our students, our teachers, and our local school boards. I have stood against every attempt to siphon away our tax dollars to private institutions that lack the transparency and accountability we demand from our public schools.

What I Have Done:

● Fighting for Fair Funding: I have consistently voted for student-first funding that prioritizes our local public schools. I’ve fought against the voucher-creep that has drained millions from our neighborhood classrooms to subsidize private education.

● Supporting Our Educators: I have been a lead sponsor of legislation to increase teacher base pay and protect the collective bargaining rights of our educators. A quality education is impossible without a respected and well-paid teaching profession.

What I Commit to Doing:

● Funding Integrity: I will support federal legislation that prevents any administration from withholding or reallocating Title I or IDEA funds to private or charter schools without an explicit vote from Congress. No President or Secretary of Education has the right to use our children’s funding as a political bargaining chip.

● Universal Preschool Access: I commit to federal grants that will allow every Indiana family to access high-quality, public pre-K. Every child should have the benefit of early childhood education.

What do you think should be Indiana’s priority in terms of the electrical grid and energy generation sources? What have you done and/or what do you commit to do regarding a clean energy economy?

Indiana must transition to a modernized, resilient electrical grid powered by a diverse mix of clean, renewable sources. We cannot continue to rely on a 20th-century grid to power a 21st-century economy. Relying on volatile fossil fuel markets is a threat to our economic stability and our national security.

What I Have Done:

● Defending Homegrown Energy: In the Indiana Statehouse, I have consistently voted against efforts to stifle the growth of solar and wind energy. I have fought to protect net metering, ensuring that Hoosiers who invest in their own energy production are treated fairly by the utility monopolies.

● Advocating for Efficiency: I have supported state-level energy efficiency standards that lower the demand on our grid and put money back in the pockets of working families and small businesses.

● Helped create and served on Indiana’s Electric Vehicle Product Commission: We focused on how to flip our traditional engine factories so they can produce electric batteries and components right here.

What I Commit to Doing:

● Flipping the Factory: I will fight for federal investments that provide the resources and tax credits necessary to transition our existing manufacturing plants into clean energy hubs. We are going to build the batteries, the wind turbines, and the electric vehicle components using the skilled union labor that is already the heartbeat of our community.

● Grid Accountability: I will mandate Congressional oversight for federal energy subsidies to ensure they are being used to modernize our local grids, not just to pad the profits of utility execs. We are ending the era of corporate handouts for failing energy models.

What have you done and/or what do you commit to doing to make your specific area of government more transparent to your constituents?

Transparency is how government remains accountable to the people and not the powerful. In the Indiana Statehouse, I led by example, maintaining an open-door policy and ensuring that every constituent has direct access to my office and my voting record.

What I Have Done:

● Accessible Representation: I have hosted hundreds of town halls and community meetings across my district, ensuring that I am hearing from neighbors in person, not just through lobbyists. I have used my platform to demystify the legislative process, providing real-time updates on how bills move through the Statehouse.

● Fighting for Public Access: I have consistently voted against efforts to shield government deliberations from the public eye. I have advocated for stronger open-door laws and public access to government records, ensuring that taxpayer-funded work is done in the light of day.

What I Commit to Doing:

● Oversight Mandate: I will mandate that all federal agencies provide a public accounting of how emergency funds and supplemental military spending are used. We are ending the era of the blank check by requiring that any significant shift in federal spending be accompanied by a 30-day public comment period and a standalone vote in Congress.

● Digital Transparency Standards: I will fight for a federal Transparency Portal that tracks every dollar of federal spending in real-time. Hoosiers have a right to know exactly which local projects are being funded and which corporations are receiving federal contracts.

● Proactive Constituent Engagement: I commit to maintaining a fully staffed district office in the 5th District that prioritizes casework and public inquiries.

Do you have any questions? Is there anything else you would like to share?

While others talk about what they will do, I’m the only candidate in this primary who has a record of legislative accomplishments.

It is imperative that we beat Representative Victoria Spartz in the general election. I am the only candidate in this primary who has flipped a seat from Red to Blue beating a twelve year incumbent Republican. I’ve won tough races and I’m looking forward to the chance to do it again.

When we win, I will be a leader who can make an impact immediately. I served two-terms as a State Senator and I know how to work across the aisle to protect the rights of Hoosiers, lower costs and create tangible change in our communities. I’ll bring that experience to Washington and make an impact on Day One.