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.
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Organized by topic. Email greetings and sign-offs are omitted; campaign contact details appear alongside.
Military service and background
- As a Navy veteran married to another Navy veteran, I appreciate the opportunity to talk about issues affecting service members, veterans, and their families. I served aboard the USS Bainbridge as an Operations Specialist, and that experience has stayed with me throughout my life.
Government shutdowns and cooperation
- I do not support government shutdowns, regardless of which party controls Congress. Service members and their families shouldn't have to worry about whether they'll receive their next paycheck because elected officials can't agree on a budget.
- I support an automatic continuing resolution to keep the government operating when Congress fails to pass appropriations on time. I would also work across party lines and with the administration to find reasonable solutions before a shutdown occurs.
- If a shutdown does happen, protecting military pay, veterans' benefits, and access to healthcare should be immediate priorities. These are obligations our government has already made, and they shouldn't become bargaining chips in political negotiations.
Quality of life for military families
- Military families make sacrifices that often go unnoticed. We ask service members to relocate, spend months away from their families, and be ready to serve at a moment's notice. The least we can do is make sure their families have some financial stability.
- I support competitive military pay that keeps pace with the cost of living, affordable childcare, reliable healthcare, and better employment opportunities for military spouses.
- As a working mom, I understand how difficult childcare costs can be. My own family has paid around $1,300 a month for childcare. For military families who relocate frequently, finding affordable care and rebuilding careers can be even more challenging.
- My background in human resources and organizational psychology also shapes how I approach these issues. We need to look at military spouse employment, career portability, and the long-term financial impacts of frequent moves, not just what happens during active service.
Veterans’ healthcare and transition to civilian life
- I'm particularly passionate about improving access to VA healthcare, especially in rural areas like much of Arizona's 9th District.
- I support expanding VA services, improving mental health resources, reducing disability claims backlogs, and making sure eligible veterans can access private and community providers through the MISSION Act.
- I also want to improve the transition from military service to civilian employment. Veterans leave the military with valuable skills, but translating those experiences into civilian careers isn't always straightforward. We should be doing more to connect veterans with employers, education, apprenticeships, and career opportunities.
- I believe Congress needs to look beyond how much money we allocate to the VA and examine whether that funding is actually improving care, reducing wait times, and helping veterans navigate the system.
Military family housing
- Safe and affordable housing should be a basic expectation for military families.
- I have concerns about any situation where service members and their families are living in unsafe conditions or struggling to get necessary repairs completed. Families should have a clear process for reporting problems, timely maintenance, and a way to resolve complaints when housing providers aren't doing their jobs.
- I believe stronger oversight and meaningful performance standards are important, particularly when private contractors are responsible for maintaining military housing. We need to know whether existing contracts and oversight are delivering acceptable living conditions before deciding what additional reforms are needed.
- Housing affordability is already one of my campaign priorities, and I believe military families deserve that same attention.
First priorities
- My first priorities would be protecting military pay and benefits from government shutdowns, improving access to healthcare, and addressing the financial pressures facing families.
- I've continued working my full-time job throughout this campaign because I can't afford not to. My husband and I understand what it's like to balance work, raising a child, and paying the bills. That perspective, along with our military service, informs how I approach these issues.
- I don't claim to have every answer, and there are areas of military housing policy and VA legislation that I want to research more thoroughly. But I believe good policymaking starts with listening to the people affected, examining the evidence, and making sure the solutions actually work.