I grew up in poverty in rural Iowa—I lost my father at age 8, relied on food stamps, and faced hunger and housing instability after my mother left abusive relationships. I worked my way through college on public assistance and built a career from minimum-wage jobs all the way to Senior Leadership in accounting for a major retail manufacturer employing over 1,000 people in South Georgia. When I moved to Thomasville, I fell in love with this community and District 173. Now I’m running to return the favor.
In the first-ever competitive Democratic primary in District 173 history, I won the nomination on May 19 with record turnout and a 31-point swing toward Democrats. After 15 years of the same representation, working families here are still struggling with the cost of groceries, stagnant wages, housing, underfunded schools, and healthcare access. District 173 deserves better: people-first leadership that puts workers, parents, small business owners, and young people ahead of party loyalty or special interests.
My own family’s painful experience with a pregnancy loss at 19 weeks reinforced my belief that government has no place interfering in deeply personal medical decisions. I’m committed to fighting for economic dignity, strong rural schools, expanded healthcare access, reproductive rights, and real opportunity for every family in our district.