Missouri’s 4th Congressional District deserves bold, effective leadership that delivers real solutions and not just empty rhetoric. My commitment is to revitalize our local economy, fight for working-class families, and ensure that every resident, urban and rural, has access to opportunity and prosperity. From affordable housing and infrastructure investments to supporting small businesses and agricultural development, my focus is on economic policies that create jobs, lower costs, and strengthen communities. I will work to secure federal funding for local projects, modernize transportation, and improve public safety while ensuring that Missouri’s farmers, educators, and first responders have the resources they need. This district is the heart of Missouri, and I intend to fight relentlessly for policies that uplift our people, restore trust in government, and make CD-04 a model of progress and prosperity. My vision is clear: deliver results, stand for justice, and build a stronger future for every Missourian.

Rebuilding America’s Housing Future

America has a housing shortage. We are short between 4 million and 7 million homes nationwide. Missouri families feel it every day through rising rent, higher utility costs, and fewer housing options. Housing is not just about buying a home. It is about whether people can afford to live, stay, and build a future in their own community. We cannot fix this overnight. But we can take clear, deliberate action.

My Housing Plan

1. Increase Supply at Scale

We need to build more housing. That starts with treating this crisis with the urgency it deserves.

I support declaring a National Housing Emergency to unlock federal coordination and accelerate construction by:

• Reducing the cost of key building materials
• Addressing supply chain bottlenecks
• Expanding large-scale housing development

The goal is simple: build more homes and bring costs down through supply and competition.

2. Build for Working and Middle-Class Families

We cannot solve this crisis by only focusing on the lowest income brackets or the luxury market.

I support creating a Middle-Income Housing Tax Credit, building on the existing Low-Income Housing Tax Credit model.

This would:

• Support the construction of workforce housing
• Expand access for families earning moderate incomes
• Ensure housing is modern, safe, and sustainable

This is about building housing that people can actually afford to live in.

3. Lower Costs and Protect Renters

We cannot build our way out of this crisis fast enough to ignore what is happening right now.

Housing costs, especially rent, are one of the primary drivers of financial instability and homelessness.

I support:

• A national cap on annual rent increases, designed to prevent extreme year-over-year spikes while allowing reasonable adjustments. (This already exists in the US in states like CA and OR.)
• Policies that address the full cost of housing, including utilities, not just rent or mortgages

Missouri has seen rents rise sharply in recent years. Families need stability while supply catches up.

4. Expand Housing Through Local Solutions

We also need to unlock housing that already exists.

I support grant and incentive programs that allow homeowners to:

• Convert basements, garages, and unused space into livable units
• Build accessory dwelling units within existing zoning and safety codes

In exchange, these units would include clear affordability agreements to keep rents reasonable.

This approach:

• Expands supply without displacement
• Helps homeowners build income and stability
• Keeps housing development local and community-based

5. Take On Corporate Consolidation and Speculation

We cannot solve the housing crisis without addressing corporate control of the housing market.

Large institutional investors, hedge funds, and private equity firms are buying up homes at scale, driving up prices and pushing families out.

I support:

• Stronger antitrust enforcement against monopolistic housing practices
• Limits on bulk purchases of single-family homes by large investors
• Increased transparency in corporate ownership of residential property

Housing should be for people, not just portfolios.

6. Restore Financial Guardrails in Housing

We have seen what happens when housing markets are left unchecked.

I support restoring and strengthening financial regulations that:

• Prevent excessive speculation in housing markets
• Hold large financial institutions accountable
• Protect homeowners and renters from systemic risk

This includes reinforcing key safeguards established after the 2008 financial crisis and ensuring they are not weakened.

Here’s My Why

The number one driver of homelessness today is the cost of housing. If people cannot afford to stay in their homes, nothing else works. Housing is not just an economic policy. It is about dignity, stability, and whether working families can build a life in this country. We have faced national challenges before. Each time, we rebuilt by acting with purpose. This is one of those moments.

The United States must lead with strength, but also with restraint, clarity, and moral courage.

I am not a war hawk. I am a veteran. I have seen what war looks like. And I believe war must always be the last option, not the first response.

My Position

1. Independence and Integrity

I will never accept money from:

• AIPAC or similar political action committees that seek to influence foreign policy
• Any foreign national or foreign government, as prohibited by U.S. law

My decisions will be made in the interest of the American people, not under outside influence.

2. Gaza and Palestine

What is happening in Gaza is not consistent with our understanding of proportional warfare. Civilians have been cut off from food, water, and medical care. Hospitals, schools, and shelters have been struck. When an entire population is deprived of necessities, we have crossed into a humanitarian crisis of the highest order.

I support:

• An immediate ceasefire
• Full humanitarian access to food, water, and medicine
• A halt to offensive U.S. military support in the conflict

The Palestinian people deserve dignity, safety, and the right to determine their own future.

3. Support for Israel, With Limits

Israel is an ally, and allies have the right to defend themselves. But alliance does not mean unconditional support.

I support:

• Defensive cooperation with Israel – without delivery of munitions to Israel
• Opposition to offensive actions
• Conditioning U.S. aid to ensure compliance with international law and upholding human rights

True friendship requires honesty and accountability. If our allies cannot rise to the level of dignity we demand, then we must distance ourselves from those relationships.

4. No More Endless Wars, Including Iran

I am strongly opposed to escalating conflict with Iran. The United States cannot enter another war without clear justification and lawful authorization.

Under the War Powers framework:

• The President must notify Congress within 48 hours of military action
• Sustained conflict requires congressional authorization

I will not support:

• Another “forever war”
• Military action based on unclear or unverified claims
• Sending American troops into another prolonged conflict in the region

I served during a war justified by claims that did not hold up. We lost lives over it. Never again.

5. Recenter American Foreign Policy

Our role in the world must be grounded in:

• Diplomacy first
• Peace-building over escalation
• Respect for all people, regardless of religion or nationality

Judaism is not the state of Israel. Islam is not Hamas. The people of the Middle East are not our enemies. They are communities with deep history, culture, and humanity. We must build relationships based on mutual respect, not perpetual conflict.

Here’s My Why

I have seen what happens when people do not have freedom.

I have seen:

• Communities without access to food and basic healthcare
• Young girls are treated as property instead of human beings
• Families forced to choose between survival and dignity
• Systems where suspicion alone can cost someone their life

I have also seen it here at home, where families must choose between medical care, keeping the lights on, or putting gas in the car. War does not just destroy nations. It destroys people, families, and futures. That is why I believe in restraint. That is why I believe in accountability. That is why I believe America must lead with both strength and humanity.

Rebuilding America’s Education System

Education is not a luxury. It is not a gamble. It is not a debt sentence. Education is an infrastructural need for a dignified life in America. Right now, we are failing that standard.

My Education Plan

1. Defend and Strengthen Public Education

It starts with public schools. I will always support:

• Full and fair public school funding
• Higher pay for teachers
• Modern resources and classroom support

In rural communities like the one I grew up in, public schools are not optional. They are the foundation of the entire community. Policies that strip funding from public schools do not create choice; they create collapse.

If public education fails, everything that comes after it fails.

2. Make Education Affordable, Not a Lifetime Debt

The student loan system is broken. Borrowers do not choose their servicer. They do not control their interest rates. And many spend decades paying without ever escaping the balance.

I will fight to:

• Cap student loan interest rates
• Eliminate capitalized interest
• Ensure income-based repayment never exceeds 10% of income
• Expand and fix Public Service Loan Forgiveness
• Provide full forgiveness for borrowers paying for 20+ years in good faith

This is not about giveaways. It is about ending a system that traps people in debt for trying to better themselves.

3. Restore Investment in Higher Education

Previous generations benefited from strong public investment in higher education. Today’s students are being asked to carry far more of the cost.

I will fight to:

• Reinvest in public colleges and universities (previous generations had their higher education subsidized up to 70% – 80%)
• Reduce the cost burden on students and families
• Treat higher education as a public good, not a private burden

When we invest in education, we invest in:

• Doctors and nurses
• Engineers and scientists
• Teachers and public servants
• Highly skilled engineers
• Electrical Engineers

If we choke off access, we choke off our future workforce and innovation.

4. Expand Pathways Beyond College

A four-year degree is not the only path to success. For millions of Americans, especially in rural communities, a high school diploma IS the terminal degree. That means we must prepare students for success before they graduate.

I support:

• Expanding trade schools and apprenticeships
• Strengthening career and technical education (CTE)
• Building pipeline programs directly from high school into jobs
• Partnering with unions and local industries for workforce training

We should value people who work with their hands just as much as those who pursue degrees.

5. Break the Grip of the Student Loan Industry

The current system concentrates power in a small number of large financial actors. Borrowers have limited choice, limited flexibility, and limited protection.

I will push for:

• Stronger oversight of loan servicers
• Consumer protections for borrowers
• A system that prioritizes students over profits

Education financing should serve the public, not extract from it.

6. Keep Education Independent from Exploitation

I reject the idea that the only path to affordable education is military service. I have heard it my entire life: “If you want a free education, join the military.” I did. And I will ask the question I always ask: If someone wants to teach a third grader that three plus three equals six, should they have to risk their life to do it? The answer is no. We can build a system that does better.

Here’s My Why

I have seen what happens when people do not have access to opportunity.

I have seen:

• Young people with potential locked out of education
• Families forced to choose between paying loans and living their lives
• Systems where opportunity is determined by wealth instead of effort

I have also seen what education can do. It creates mobility. It creates stability.
It creates freedom. If we want a stronger country, a more competitive economy, and a more just society, we must invest in education at every level.

Rebuilding America’s Healthcare System

America’s healthcare system is not just expensive. It is unsustainable. I have worked inside this system. I have seen the pricing structures, the procurement chains, and the way profit is prioritized over patients. We can do better. And we must.

My Healthcare Plan

1. Lower Costs and Take On Price Gouging

Healthcare costs in America are driven by consolidation, lack of competition, and price manipulation.

I will fight to:

• Enforce antitrust laws
• Investigate and stop predatory pricing practices
• Use federal authority under the Bayh-Dole Act, including “march-in rights,” to ensure taxpayer-funded drugs are accessible
• Allow generic drug production when corporations engage in price gouging
• Cap costs on essential medications where markets fail

When taxpayer dollars fund research, the public deserves a fair return.

2. Build Toward Universal Coverage

Healthcare is a right. It is my belief that healthcare is an infrastructural need for a dignified American life. My long-term goal is Medicare for All, but the path forward must be practical and achievable.

I support:

• Strengthening and expanding the Affordable Care Act
• Building a true public option within the ACA framework that anyone can buy into at a low cost
• Expanding Medicare to include dental, vision, and hearing

The goal is simple: create a system so strong and affordable that it becomes the standard.

3. Restore and Expand Rural Healthcare

Rural healthcare is in crisis. Hospitals across Missouri rely heavily on Medicare and Medicaid. When those programs are cut, hospitals close. When hospitals close, communities lose access to care.

I will fight to:

• Protect and expand Medicaid and Medicare funding
• Invest in right-sized healthcare networks, including smaller clinic-based systems
• Expand telehealth and mobile care access
• Provide transportation solutions for seniors and isolated patients
• Strengthen recruitment and retention of rural providers

Healthcare should not depend on your zip code. And it should never be a choice between keeping the lights on, staying fed, or staying healthy.

4. Fully Support Veterans’ Healthcare

As a veteran, this is personal.

I will fight to:

• Expand VA healthcare access
• Strengthen community care networks
• Restore and grow the VA workforce
• Ensure veterans receive timely, high-quality care

We made a promise. We need to keep it. Why is it personal? This is the first year I am paying out of pocket at a 100% permanently and totally disabled veteran, for medication.

5. Shift from Reactive to Proactive Healthcare

Our system is built around treating people after they get sick. That is the most expensive and least effective model.

Preventive care costs a fraction of emergency care. For example, managing chronic disease early can reduce long-term costs by 30% or more, while preventing hospitalizations that can cost tens of thousands per patient.

I support:

• Incentives for preventative care, including annual checkups and screenings
• Expanded access to mental health, dental, and vision care
• Investment in addiction recovery and rehabilitation programs
• Smoking cessation, counseling, and long-term health support

When people stay healthy, costs go down, and lives improve.

6. Recognize Care in All Its Forms, Including Childcare

Healthcare is not just what happens in a hospital.

It includes:

• Childcare
• Elder care
• Disability support
• Home and community-based services

Childcare is essential infrastructure. If we invested in a national childcare workforce, even at an example wage of around $17 per hour for approximately 1 million workers, the cost would be on the order of tens of billions annually, a fraction of what we already spend in other areas of the federal budget. Under the One Big Tax Giveaway Bill last year, Trump returned $450 BILLION to the top 5%, 1%, and corporations, ten times the amount needed to pay for universal childcare.

We have done this before. In 1971, Congress passed the Comprehensive Child Development Act, which would have created a national childcare system. It was vetoed by Richard Nixon. Programs like Head Start, created in 1965, still exist today and continue to serve millions of children, but they have never been expanded to meet the full need. We know what works. We just have to choose to do it.

7. Protect Reproductive Freedom

Healthcare decisions belong to individuals, not the government.

I will:

• Defend access to safe abortion and contraception
• Protect maternal healthcare
• Expand prenatal and family support programs

Bodily autonomy is fundamental. I will defend it. I will also fight to support life. Make no mistake, after all the restrictive laws went into place last year, they had a negligible impact. I believe in making sure single mothers and new families do not walk out of the delivery room in debt. That will incentivize life. I believe in making sure babies have a system to support them with WIC, SNAP, and fully funded school meals. Providing families with public schools that are clean, well-run, and competitive. I believe in making sure that single parents and young working families can have a home to live in. That’s how you prevent abortions: you support a person’s life.

Here’s My Why

I’ve seen what happens when people don’t have access to care. I’ve seen patients wait too long because they couldn’t afford to come in sooner. I’ve seen families break under the weight of medical bills. I’ve seen people forced to choose between treatment and survival, between staying alive and staying housed. And I’ve seen the other side of it, too, what happens when people do get care early. They live longer. They fight harder. They recover. They get to go home to their families. That’s the difference.

This system isn’t broken because we lack the resources. It’s broken because we’ve made a choice to prioritize profit over people. I’m running to change that.

Protecting LGBTQIA+ Rights

LGBTQIA+ rights are human rights. That is not a slogan. That is the moral, constitutional, and lived truth of this country. I served under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. I know exactly what it feels like to wear the uniform of the United States and be told that who you are has to stay hidden. I know what it means to serve your country when your country refuses to fully see you. So this is not theoretical to me. This is personal. And I am not going to sit quietly while politicians try to drag this country backward.

My Plan to Protect Equality, Dignity, and Freedom

1. Defend Marriage Equality and Family Stability

Marriage equality is settled law. It must remain that way.

I will defend:

• Respect for Marriage Act
• Federal protections require all states to recognize lawful marriages

No American should have to wake up and wonder if their marriage will still be valid tomorrow. That is not freedom. That is instability by design.

2. Guarantee Equal Protection Under the Law

No one should lose a job, a home, or access to public life because of who they are.

I will fight to pass:

• Equality Act
• Strong enforcement of Bostock v. Clayton County, which already affirms workplace protections

This is not radical. This is about making sure the law applies equally to everyone.

3. Protect Healthcare Access and End Politicized Medicine

Healthcare decisions belong to patients, families, and doctors. Period.

I will:

• Protect access to gender-affirming care under nondiscrimination protections in the Affordable Care Act
• Oppose blanket bans that strip families and doctors of decision-making authority
• Enforce standards for providers receiving federal funds

Let me be very clear here: If a provider is using their position to push ideology instead of care, especially in something like so-called “conversion therapy,” they are not practicing medicine. They are causing harm. We have overwhelming evidence that conversion therapy leads to higher rates of depression, trauma, and suicide. That is not treatment. That is damage. And if someone wants to engage in that kind of conduct, then they should not receive a single dollar of federal funding. No Medicare. No Medicaid. No federal grants. Nothing. You do not get taxpayer support to harm patients.

4. Defend the Right to Serve

I will make sure discriminatory policies like Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell never return in any form. And I will be crystal clear about this: Trans service members, gay service members, every LGBTQIA+ American has the same right to serve this country as anyone else. I have served with them. I know what they bring to the fight.

Nobody in Iraq cared about your orientation. Nobody in Afghanistan cared who you loved. The only thing that mattered was this: Can you do your job? Can you protect the person next to you? Can you complete the mission? And I will tell you from experience, they could.

So I find it laughable when politicians like Donald Trump and Mark Alford try to dictate who is fit to serve, when they themselves never had to make those decisions under fire. You do not get to question the courage of people who have actually worn the uniform and carried the burden.

5. Protect Voting Rights and Push Back on Harmful Legislation

I strongly oppose legislation like the SAVE Act. This is not about election security. We already have laws that make it illegal for non-citizens to vote, and cases of that are extremely rare. What this does is create barriers.

It risks disenfranchising:

• Married women who changed their names
• Veterans
• Seniors without updated documents
• Trans Americans whose documents may not match

It is a “show your papers” system that solves a problem that does not exist, while creating new ones that absolutely do.

That is not how you strengthen democracy. That is how you restrict it.

Here’s My Why

I’ve lived this. I’ve served this country while being told to keep part of myself hidden. I’ve deployed, I’ve led, I’ve performed at the highest levels, and not once did my sexual orientation stop me from doing my job. Not in Iraq. Not in Afghanistan. Not in the courtroom. Not in public service. The only place it ever seemed to matter was in politics. And that tells you everything you need to know. I am an LGBTQIA+ veteran running in Missouri. And if someone has a problem with that, I’ll say this plainly: It never stopped me before, and it’s not going to stop me now.

I’ve worked alongside conservatives, I’ve delivered results in conservative spaces, and I’ve helped shape policy that improved lives across this state, including for trans Missourians and those living with HIV. That is what leadership looks like. This fight is not about identity politics. It is about whether people in this country get to live openly, safely, and with dignity. Because if your rights can be taken away, then none of us are secure.

Protecting Women’s Rights and Family Freedom

I was raised by a single mother who carried three boys forward with nothing but courage and the support of my grandmother. I come from a matriarchal family. I do not respect women in theory; I respect them because I have seen what they endure, what they survive, and what they build despite it. I carry that with me into this fight.

My Plan to Protect Women, Families, and Freedom

1. Protect the Right to Make Personal Medical Decisions

Let me be clear. I will always fight to protect a woman’s right to make her own medical decisions, including abortion. That decision belongs to the individual, not the government. I don’t want the federal government telling me what I can do with my body, and women don’t deserve that either.

And frankly, the labels we use, “pro-life” and “pro-choice,” don’t even reflect how people actually feel. They reduce a deeply complex, personal issue into political talking points that don’t capture reality.

Here’s what I believe:

A support life Democrat approach means:

• Protecting a woman’s right to decide, always
• Safeguarding the confidential relationship between patient and doctor
• Addressing the real reasons families struggle to have children, which are economic, not ideological

You cannot legislate away free will. You cannot ban your way to better outcomes. If you actually want fewer abortions, you invest in families.

2. Invest in Families and Make It Possible to Raise Children

If we are serious about supporting life, then we need to act like it.

I will fight for:

• A national milk bank system to reduce infant malnutrition and lower costs for families
• Subsidized prenatal, postnatal, and postpartum care
• Full support for adoption and foster systems so children are not left without permanent homes
• Affordable childcare tied to income so no family is priced out of raising their own children
• Universal paid family leave as a national standard

No one should walk into a hospital to have a child and walk out in debt. That is not how a country builds its future.

3. Expand Healthcare Access for Women and Families

Healthcare is foundational. Women’s rights are human rights. This is not complicated. This is about freedom, dignity, and whether people in this country have control over their own lives.

That means:

• Expanding access to comprehensive care, including reproductive healthcare
• Ensuring maternal care is fully integrated into the healthcare system
• Building toward a system where starting a family is not a financial risk

If we want strong families, we need a system that supports them from day one.

4. Guarantee Economic Security and Workplace Protections

Women deserve full economic equality.

I will fight for:

• Equal pay for equal work
• Stronger workplace protections against discrimination and harassment
• Paid family and medical leave
• PAID MATERNITY AND PATERNITY LEAVE (Aiming for 90 days, hoping to get to 180days long term)
• Protections so no one is penalized for becoming a parent

No one should have to choose between their livelihood and their child.

5. Defend Voting Rights and Stop Government Overreach

I strongly oppose the SAVE Act. Let’s be honest about what it does. It requires documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote, something that sounds simple but in practice creates real barriers for millions of Americans.

It puts at risk:

• Women who changed their names after marriage or divorce
• Trans women and men
• Survivors of domestic violence who changed identities to stay safe
• Adopted individuals whose documentation may not align
• Everyday Americans who simply do not have immediate access to paperwork

And here’s the reality: It is already illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections. That has been settled law for decades. So this is not about solving a real problem. This is about making it harder for people to participate. That is not election security. That is voter suppression.

Here’s My Why

I watched my mother fight through violence, instability, and hardship to raise a family. I’ve seen what happens when systems fail women. I’ve seen what happens when support isn’t there, when protection isn’t there, when opportunity isn’t there. And I’ve seen the strength it takes to push through anyway. That’s why this matters to me.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about whether we are going to build a country where women are respected, protected, and empowered, or one where they are controlled, silenced, and pushed aside. When women lose rights, families suffer. When families suffer, communities break down. And when that happens, the entire country pays the price. I’m not willing to accept that. And I will fight, every single day, to make sure we never go backward.

Immigration, Border Security, and American Leadership

America’s immigration system is broken. It fails on both ends. It does not secure our borders effectively, and it does not provide a functional, fair pathway to citizenship. We can fix both. And we must.

1. Secure the Border with Strategy, Not Theater

Border security is national security. But security requires precision, not politics.

• Over 90% of fentanyl interdictions occur at ports of entry, not between them
• I support expanding non-intrusive inspection technology and targeted interdiction efforts
• I support legislation like the CATCH Fentanyl Act that strengthens detection without disrupting lawful trade
• I support increasing personnel and oversight at ports of entry where the real threats move

This is how we stop trafficking, not with slogans, but with results.

2. Fix the Broken Legal System

Right now, the system is collapsing under its own weight.

• Over 3.3 million active immigration cases
• Over 2.3 million asylum cases are pending

That is not enforcement. That is dysfunction.

I will:

• Advocate to hire more immigration judges
• Modernize case processing systems
• Expand legal staffing and resources
• Support reforms that improve court independence, efficiency, and due process

This aligns with proposals like the Real Courts, Rule of Law Act, which are focused on making the system work, not breaking it further.

3. Create a Real Pathway to Citizenship

We need to be honest. The current system does not work.

I support a clear, earned pathway to citizenship for individuals who:

• Have lived in the United States for 10+ years
• Pay taxes
• Have no serious criminal record
• Contribute to their communities

That is not radical. That is consistent with American history, including policies signed by Ronald Reagan that legalized long-term agricultural workers.

I also support:

• Ending the broken lottery-style system
• Reducing excessive application costs
• Creating predictable, achievable legal pathways

We do not fix immigration by pretending people don’t exist. We fix it by bringing them into the system.

4. DACA Is American

Let me be clear: DACA equals American. These are children who grew up here, went to school here, and built lives here. We are not sending them to countries they do not know.

I will fight for:

• Permanent legal status for DACA recipients
• A pathway to citizenship
• Protection from deportation

Anything less is a failure of leadership.

5. Build a Workforce That Supports Our Economy

Immigration is not just a border issue. It is an economic issue.

I support:

• Expansion and reform of H-2A agricultural visas
• Expansion of H-2B workforce visas for construction, trades, and seasonal labor
• Workforce modernization is aligned with legislation like the Farm Workforce Modernization Act

We have labor shortages across critical industries. We either fix that legally, or we let the economy suffer.

6. Address Root Causes Through Regional Partnership

I do not look at immigration as a slogan. I look at it through the lens of history, strategy, and results. I earned a degree in U.S. military history focused on battle and strategy. I served in the United States Air Force. I understand that instability does not stay contained. When governments collapse, economies fail, and criminal networks grow, people move. For decades, the United States has been deeply involved in Central and South America. We cannot ignore that history and then act surprised when instability reaches our border.

My approach is different. I support building strong regional partnerships across Central and South America to:

• Disrupt trafficking networks before families are exploited
• Expand lawful processing closer to home
• Build economic partnerships that reduce forced migration
• Strengthen trade relationships and reduce reliance on overseas supply chains
• Improve security cooperation against narco-trafficking

This is not a theory. It has worked before. After World War II, the United States invested $13.3 billion through the Marshall Plan, helping stabilize entire regions and prevent long-term conflict. That is what leadership looks like. When people have stability at home, fewer families risk their lives traveling thousands of miles through cartel-controlled routes. That is how we reduce migration pressure and protect human life.

7. Reject Failed Policies on Both Extremes

I do not support:

• Open borders
• Mass deportation without due process

Both are failures. Recycling people through deportation without fixing the system does not solve immigration. It just guarantees we keep paying for the same failure over and over again.

Here’s My Why

I have studied this. I have served this country. I have seen what instability looks like up close. I have seen what happens when systems collapse, and people are forced to run. And I am telling you right now, this issue is not going away. We can either keep pretending, keep spending billions recycling failure, keep allowing people to suffer on both sides of the border, or we can lead. As a Hispanic and Latino American, I understand what is at stake here in a way most politicians do not. Our party lost ground with Hispanic voters because we failed to deliver when we had the chance. That ends with me.

I will not sit back. I will not stall. I will not make excuses. I will fight every single day until we have:

• A secure border
• A functioning legal system
• A real pathway to citizenship
• And a policy that reflects who we are as Americans

This is not just about immigration. It is about whether we are still capable of solving hard problems. And I know we are.

Rebuilding American Agriculture and Rural Main Street

I grew up in a town where the cornfields (GBR) stretched farther than the eye could see, where the air smelled like earth after rain, and where a person’s word still meant something. That is where I learned honesty, grit, and community. But today, family farmers are being squeezed from every direction: rising input costs, consolidation, unfair markets, trade instability, drought, debt, and the loss of rural infrastructure. This is not just about farming. It’s about whether rural America survives.

1. Break Up Monopoly Power in Agriculture

Farmers cannot compete when a handful of corporations control the markets they depend on. The meatpacking industry is highly concentrated. USDA’s Economic Research Service reports that the 4 largest firms handle 85% of steer and heifer purchases and 67% of hog purchases.

I will fight to:

• Strengthen enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act
• Support legislation like the Meat Packing Special Investigator Act
• Support the Livestock Consolidation Research Act
• Enforce antitrust laws against seed, fertilizer, equipment, and meatpacking monopolies
• Stop vertical market control that traps farmers into buying from the same dominant corporations year after year

If a farmer has only 1 or 2 buyers, that is not a free market. It is corporate control. Consumer safety and product quality go down, and product costs skyrocket in this unchecked system, and it needs to end.

2. Guarantee Farmers the Right to Repair

If a farmer pays hundreds of thousands of dollars for equipment, they should have the right to repair it. I strongly support the Freedom for Agricultural Repair and Maintenance Act, known as the FARM Act, which would require equipment manufacturers to make repair tools, software, parts, and documentation available to farmers. John Deere recently agreed to a $99 million settlement in a right-to-repair case and committed to making repair tools available for 10 years, while still facing separate FTC scrutiny over repair restrictions.

I will fight for:

• Farmer access to diagnostic tools
• Repair software access
• Fair parts markets
• Protection from forced dealer-only repair systems

You bought it. You should be able to fix it.

3. Protect Seed Freedom and Farm Independence

Farmers should not be trapped in a system where seed, chemicals, fertilizer, and crop technology are controlled by the same few giants.

I support:

• Stronger USDA and DOJ scrutiny of seed market concentration
• Antitrust enforcement against vertically integrated agribusiness
• Seed competition and transparency rules
• Public investment in land-grant university seed research
• Protection for independent and regional seed producers

I would be careful about saying we can simply “ban” every non-reproducing or patented seed immediately, because seed patent law and biotechnology are complicated. But the principle is clear: Farmers should not be economically trapped by seed contracts that strip them of independence.

4. Support Small Farms, Local Processing, and Rural Main Street

Small farms keep rural towns alive. When 40 or 50 farms become 8 or 10 mega-operations, Main Street suffers. Local banks suffer. Feed stores suffer. Mechanics suffer. Schools suffer. Churches suffer. Rural hospitals suffer.

I support:

• Expanding USDA lending for small and beginning farmers
• Cooperative lending and local farm credit access
• Regional meat processing and local food infrastructure
• Farm-to-school and farm-to-hospital purchasing
• Support for independent livestock producers
• Stronger protections against abusive contracts in poultry and livestock

We need to rebuild the local farm economy, not just subsidize the largest operations.

5. Invest in Regenerative Agriculture, Soil Health, and Water Security

The future of farming depends on the future of soil and water. The Ogallala Aquifer supports much of the High Plains, but NRCS notes that water levels are diminishing because of widespread irrigation use. NRCS describes the Ogallala Aquifer Initiative as a multistate effort to reduce water withdrawals and contamination.

I support:

• Expanding USDA soil health programs
• Regenerative agriculture incentives
• Cover crops, rotational grazing, reduced tillage, and prairie restoration
• Water-efficient irrigation systems
• Aquifer protection and recharge research
• Atmospheric water capture and drought-resilient technology research

USDA’s NRCS launched a Regenerative Pilot Program in 2025 with $700 million to support regenerative agriculture, whole-farm assessments, and conservation practices.

This is how we keep farms productive for the next generation.

6. Expand Crop Diversity and New Farm Markets

Missouri farmers should not be locked into only corn and soybeans.

I support:

• Specialty crop development
• Hemp, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and drought-resistant crops
• Polycrop and multi-crop farming
• Value-added agriculture
• Local food processing
• Regional food hubs

Crop diversity gives farmers more revenue streams and protects them from market shocks, drought, disease, and trade disruption.

7. Bring Green Technology to Working Farmers

The future of agriculture should belong to farmers, not just Silicon Valley.

Vertical farming, hydroponics, precision agriculture, and controlled-environment agriculture can help expand food production close to consumers. For example, Plenty’s Richmond vertical farm is designed to grow more than 4 million pounds of strawberries per year in under 40,000 square feet using 30-foot towers.

I support:

• Grants for farmers to adopt precision agriculture
• Rural broadband for smart-farm technology
• Hydroponic and vertical farm pilots in Missouri
• Energy-efficient greenhouse systems
• Farmer-owned cooperative technology models

Technology should not replace farmers. It should empower them.

8. Protect Farmland and Fight Suburban Sprawl

Once farmland is paved over, it does not come back.

I support:

• Farmland preservation incentives
• Conservation easements
• Smart growth planning
• Beginning farmer land access programs
• Restrictions on foreign and corporate speculation in farmland

We should protect the land that feeds us.

9. Reform the Farm Bill Around Farmers, Not Corporations

The Farm Bill is the most important agricultural legislation in America. USDA’s ERS notes the 2018 Farm Act was extended through FY2025, and the 2026 Farm Bill is now the major vehicle for farm, nutrition, conservation, rural development, research, and energy policy.

I will support a Farm Bill that:

• Protects small and mid-sized farms
• Strengthens conservation and soil health
• Expands rural broadband and infrastructure
• Improves credit access for beginning farmers
• Supports specialty crops and livestock producers
• Protects SNAP and food security
• Rebuilds rural communities

I will not support a Farm Bill that helps corporations and abandons hungry families.

Here’s My Why

I have seen what rural decline looks like because I grew up in rural America. I know what happens when Main Street goes quiet, when farms consolidate, when the local hospital struggles, when young people leave because there is no opportunity left for them. That is not inevitable. That is policy. We made choices that allowed monopolies to grow, small farms to disappear, and rural communities to be treated like afterthoughts. I am running to make different choices. Farmers feed this country. They protect the land. They fuel the economy. They hold together the towns that raised us. They deserve more than slogans. They deserve power in the marketplace, access to capital, clean water, repair rights, fair prices, and a future their children can inherit. You fed us. You raised us. And in Congress, I will fight for you every damn day.

Protecting Digital Rights, Workers, and America’s AI Future

We are living in an era where your data, your face, your voice, your location, and your creative work can be captured, copied, sold, and monetized without your consent. Congress has failed to meet the moment. I support innovation. I support technology. I support re-engineered and better-designed data centers, AI research, broadband expansion, and next-generation energy. But I will not support a future where workers are replaced, artists are robbed, communities pay the utility bills leading to poverty and home insecurity, and corporations walk away with the profits.

AI cannot become the next NAFTA.

1. Protect Workers First in the AI Economy

AI must be built around workers, not used against them. The AFL-CIO’s Workers First Initiative on AI calls for stronger labor rights, collective bargaining, worker input, transparency, accountability, copyright protection, retraining, and safeguards against harmful workplace AI. That is exactly the lane I want to be in.

I will fight for:

• Worker notice before AI is deployed in the workplace
• Bargaining rights over AI-driven job changes
• Restrictions on AI surveillance and automated discipline
• Retraining and wage support for displaced workers
• A tax framework for AI systems that replace human labor

If an algorithm replaces a worker, the company should not get a free pass while the community absorbs the damage.

2. Establish Digital Identity and Biometric Rights

Your face belongs to you. Your voice belongs to you. Your body belongs to you. Your data should belong to you. I support legislation in the spirit of the NO FAKES Act, which would create federal protections against unauthorized AI-generated replicas of a person’s voice, image, or likeness.

I will fight for:

• A federal right to control your name, image, likeness, voice, and biometric data
• Consent before personal data is sold or transferred
• Strong penalties for AI impersonation, fraud, and deepfake abuse
• Protections for artists, performers, writers, designers, and everyday Americans

Ownership begins with the individual.

3. Regulate Data Centers Without Killing Innovation

I am not here to stop data centers. I am here to slow them down, regulate them responsibly, and build them the right way. I have taken the time to study this issue in detail, including real-world examples from places that are already dealing with the consequences of rapid expansion. In Loudoun County, Virginia, home to the largest concentration of data centers in the world, communities are now dealing with constant noise pollution, land use conflicts, and strain on local infrastructure. That is what happens when growth outpaces planning. But there is another model.

In Oslo, Norway, data centers are being engineered differently, powered through a mix of renewable energy, including solar and wind, with emerging hydrogen integration, and designed with long-term sustainability in mind. Other examples in California show that you can power data cenetrs through green tech. Last, in terms of water pollution, we must acknowledge that we, Missourians, rely on the Ozark plateau aquifer. If polluted water infiltrates the aquifer, millions will be impacted. We must have regulation over the output coming from datacenters.  That is the direction we should be moving.

I want to regulate them responsibly. Data centers are becoming major drivers of electricity demand. DOE cites Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory findings that data centers used about 4.4% of U.S. electricity in 2023 and could consume 6.7% to 12% by 2028. Water use is also a real concern. Large data centers can use up to 5 million gallons of water per day, depending on cooling systems and location.

I support:

• Taxing large data centers based on energy and water usage
• Requiring local water-impact studies
• Preventing residential ratepayers from subsidizing Big Tech infrastructure
• Requiring transparency on power use, water use, and community impact
• Prioritizing union labor and local hiring for construction and operations

If a data center is going to use the power and water of a small town, it should help pay for the future of that town.

4. Build the Energy Grid to Match the AI Future

AI cannot run on slogans. It runs on electricity. If we are going to build the digital economy, we need reliable, clean, high-output energy. That means nuclear power must be part of the conversation. The ADVANCE Act, signed into law in 2024, directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to modernize licensing for advanced reactors and fuels while maintaining safety and security standards.

I support:

• Investment in small modular reactors
• Next-generation nuclear research
• Strong nuclear safety standards
• Domestic fuel supply chains
• Union jobs in clean energy construction and maintenance

America should lead the world in safe, next-generation nuclear power, not surrender that market to China or Russia.

5. Expand Rural Broadband Across Missouri

High-speed internet is no longer optional. It is basic infrastructure. Missouri’s BEAD program is designed to expand broadband to unserved and underserved areas, and the state has announced more than $814 million for broadband expansion to more than 200,000 hard-to-serve locations.

I will fight to:

• Expand rural broadband across Missouri
• Connect farms, schools, clinics, and small businesses
• Ensure public dollars create affordable service, not just corporate profit
• Treat internet access as economic infrastructure

Broadband opens the door to education, telehealth, remote work, small business growth, and rural revitalization.

6. Hold Platforms and Data Brokers Accountable

Right now, too much of our digital economy is built on extraction. Companies collect where we shop, where we walk, what we watch, what we say, what we search, and who we know.

That is power.

I will fight for:

• A federal digital privacy bill with real enforcement
• Limits on data brokers
• A ban on unauthorized sale of sensitive personal data
• Transparency from social media platforms
• Stronger protections against algorithmic discrimination

Privacy is not a luxury good.

Here’s My Why

I come from technology, law, and service. I worked in biomedical technology. I studied law with a focus on entrepreneurship and technology. I understand what happens when innovation moves faster than accountability. I am not afraid of AI. I am afraid of letting billion-dollar corporations write the rules while workers, artists, families, and rural communities are left to deal with the consequences. We can build the future. But we need to build it with guardrails, with worker power, with privacy rights, with clean energy, and with a simple principle at the center: The people who create value should not be the last to benefit from it.

Rebuilding Infrastructure and Delivering Results for Missouri

Infrastructure is not a talking point. It is the foundation of economic growth, job creation, and national strength. And let’s just say it plainly. The roads in Missouri are in Horrible shape. Our bridges are aging. And it is getting harder and harder to get around safely. It’s not been by accident so much as neglect. That is what happens when leadership fails to prioritize the basics. Right now, Missouri and communities across the 4th Congressional District are being left behind because our representatives are not doing enough to bring federal infrastructure dollars home or get them to work.

Federal infrastructure investment works. The data is clear. Every dollar invested can generate up to 2 dollars in economic activity, through job creation, supply chains, and long-term growth. But here is the problem: We are not seeing those returns. Missouri has hundreds of bridges in poor condition, and roughly 1 in 10 bridges across the state require significant repair or replacement. That is not sustainable for a state that depends on transportation, agriculture, and local commerce. While other regions are fixing roads, upgrading systems, and building for the future, we are stuck dealing with delays, deterioration, and missed opportunities. That changes with me.

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1. Fix Roads, Bridges, and Core Infrastructure First

We start with the basics.

I will fight to:

• Repair and modernize roads and highways across the 4th District
• Prioritize bridge repair and replacement, especially in rural and high-traffic areas
• Improve freight and logistics corridors that support Missouri farmers and small businesses
• Ensure infrastructure projects create good-paying local jobs

My plan is about safety, mobility, and economic survival. If we cannot move people and goods efficiently, we cannot grow.

2. Bring Federal Dollars Home and Get Them Deployed

Missouri should not be leaving federal funding on the table.

I will:

• Aggressively pursue funding through federal infrastructure programs and transportation investments
• Make sure funds are actually obligated and deployed, not delayed or lost
• Work directly with counties, cities, and local leaders to move projects forward
• Cut through bureaucratic gridlock that stalls progress

Getting funding is step one. Delivering results is the mission. 

3. Expand Broadband Access Across Rural Missouri

High-speed internet is no longer optional. It is infrastructure. Without it, rural communities fall behind in:

• Education
• Healthcare
• Job access
• Business growth

I will:

• Expand broadband access across rural Missouri
• Ensure service is reliable and affordable
• Prioritize connectivity for farms, schools, and small businesses

Broadband creates opportunity. It allows people to live in rural communities, build careers, access telehealth, and stay competitive in a modern economy.

4. Build the Next Generation of Energy and Industry

We have an opportunity right now to lead the next generation of American industry. I support:

• Expanding domestic manufacturing for clean energy technologies
• Investing in solar, wind, and advanced energy systems
• Positioning Missouri as a hub for next-generation nuclear technology, including small modular reactors and Gen IV systems
• Strengthening our energy grid to support growth and reliability

We can create jobs, lower costs, and lead globally, but only if we act now.

5. Create Jobs Through Infrastructure Investment

Infrastructure is one of the fastest ways to create real, tangible jobs.

I will fight for:

• Workforce development tied directly to infrastructure projects
• Apprenticeships and trade pathways connected to construction and energy work
• Strong labor standards that ensure fair pay and safe conditions

This is how we rebuild the middle class.

6. End the Political Dysfunction and Deliver Results

People are tired of the noise. They are tired of the infighting. They are tired of politicians arguing while nothing gets done. I am not interested in partisan slap fights. I am interested in results.

I will:

• Focus on execution, not excuses
• Hold leadership accountable when projects stall or fail
• Demand transparency in how infrastructure dollars are spent
• Deliver outcomes that people can actually see and use

At the end of the day, this is not about politics. It is about whether your road is safe or whether your bridge holds. Or, whether your community has a future.

Here’s My Why

I have led in environments where failure was not an option. In the United States Air Force, I managed large-scale projects, critical infrastructure, and mission-driven systems. When something needed to be built, fixed, or delivered, we got it done. No excuses. No delays. That is exactly how I will serve in Congress. I am tired of watching Missouri fall behind. I am tired of seeing our communities ignored while others move forward. And I am tired of leaders who talk, but never deliver.

I am ready to get to work. I am ready to fix the roads. I am ready to bring opportunity back to our communities. And I am not leaving a single dollar on the table.