About this response & our editorial approach
About this candidate response
DutyStation contacts candidates to ask whether and how they support service members, military families and veterans, and invites them to share their thoughts and priorities. We share their replies here in the candidate’s or campaign’s own words, with minor formatting for readability and correction of obvious spelling mistakes.
No endorsement in either direction. Publishing a reply does not mean DutyStation endorses the candidate. Replying does not mean the candidate or campaign endorses DutyStation.
DutyStation’s website summaries and policy assessments are labeled separately.
Organized by topic. Email greetings and sign-offs are omitted; campaign contact details appear alongside.
Government shutdown and cooperation
- I oppose a government shutdown. When the government closes, working families are the ones who can't pay their bills, and that includes our service members, military families, and veterans. My door will be open, and I will be fully transparent with the people I represent about every conversation and every vote. I will work with anyone who is acting in good faith to keep the government funded. I will not partner with anyone pursuing an agenda that breaks the law, and I will not cave on policies that hurt families or cross moral and ethical lines just to avoid a shutdown. That is exactly why service members, military families, and veterans should never be caught in the middle. Their pay, benefits, and care should continue without interruption no matter what happens in Washington, and I will push to make that protection automatic so they are never used as a bargaining chip.
Pay, childcare, spouse employment, and healthcare
- My first priority is pay. No one serving our country should qualify for food assistance, and pay needs to keep pace with the real cost of living. Childcare comes next. I once left a job because after paying for childcare for my two children, I was taking home about $400 a month. Military families face that same pressure, along with a move every few years and long waitlists at each new installation. I will push for more childcare capacity on and near bases and for help covering off-base care when there is no space available. For military spouses, professional licenses and certifications should transfer easily between states so a move does not cost them their careers. Healthcare should also be consistent and easy to access wherever a family is stationed, without new delays every time they relocate.
Veterans’ care
- I've handed out lunches at the VA and helped set up a food bank there, so I've seen up close that a lot of veterans are falling through the cracks. Vets shouldn't wait months for an appointment or a disability claim. I want the VA fully staffed, especially in mental health, and same-day mental health care for anyone who asks for it. Transition should start well before someone gets out, with real help finding a job, a home, and care. And community care should be there when the VA can't see someone fast enough, without it becoming a way to drain the VA.
Family housing
- No one who serves our country should have to raise their children in homes with mold, faulty wiring, or leaks that go unrepaired. Private housing companies that receive taxpayer dollars must be held to clear standards, with regular independent inspections, timely repairs, and real financial penalties when they fail to deliver. Families need a simple, reliable way to report problems and the ability to withhold rent during disputes without fear of retaliation. We also need to expand housing availability near installations so military families are not priced out of the communities they serve.
Priorities and experience
- I would start with pay, childcare, and housing, because those are the pressures both military and civilian families live with every day. I know them firsthand. I have spent my whole life in working-class jobs, and I once left a job because childcare cost nearly as much as I was earning. Military families face that same strain, on top of frequent moves and long waitlists, while civilian families across this district are being squeezed by the same rising costs. These are not separate problems. They come from the same broken systems. Service members, military families, and veterans have earned our full commitment, and I will fight for them. I will fight just as hard for the civilian families in our communities. Every family, military and civilian, deserves fair pay, care they can afford, a safe home, and a government that works for them.