I was raised by a single mom in Brownsville who worked long days in a school cafeteria and multiple jobs nights and weekends to support our family of three. Growing up, I saw the cost of hard work firsthand and learned the importance of resilience, community, and service.

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As a former public school teacher, I know what it’s like to work early mornings and late nights in an underpaid, high-stress job. I’ve felt the burden of student debt, medical bills, and a system that doesn’t always work for hardworking families. These experiences shape my approach: I fight for policies that help families get ahead, not corporations or the wealthiest few.

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Too many policies favor billionaires and large corporations over working families. The richest 1% of Americans now hold more wealth than the entire middle class, while some corporations pay zero federal income taxes and lobby against fair regulations. Meanwhile, everyday Americans face high costs for housing, healthcare, groceries, and energy.

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Government should serve the people who build our communities — not just those at the top. We need practical solutions to make life more affordable and expand opportunity for all.

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My Priorities in Congress

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• Fair Taxes and Economic Opportunity: Make billionaires and corporations pay their fair share, close loopholes like “buy, borrow, die” and “carried interest,” raise the corporate tax rate, and ensure large corporations contribute proportionally to fund public investments. Limit stock buybacks that inflate executive wealth while neglecting employees and community investment. Tax relief and incentives for local businesses help grow jobs in both rural towns and urban centers. 
 

• Supporting Workers and Families: Raise wages, increase the federal minimum wage, create incentives for fair pay structures where CEOs do not earn hundreds of times more than their workers. End the cap on Social Security taxes for the wealthiest Americans. Enhance the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit to reward work and help families meet everyday expenses. 
 

• Affordable Healthcare: Support a federal public option to create competition and lower costs. Cap out-of-pocket prescription costs for lifesaving medications. Strengthen Medicare and ACA protections, including premium subsidies, price transparency, and generic drug incentives. Support rural healthcare access with hospitals and clinics staffed with qualified providers. 
 

• Housing That Families Can Afford: Prevent corporate landlords and Wall Street investors from artificially inflating rents. Expand construction and affordability programs, strengthen the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, reduce outdated regulatory barriers, and support modular housing to speed construction. Lower property insurance costs in high-risk areas through federal assistance and reform. 
 

• Lowering Everyday Costs: Protect SNAP and WIC, encourage competition in grocery markets, remove unnecessary tariffs on imported produce. Diversify energy sources, expand Energy Star programs, modernize LIHEAP distribution, and require large energy users like AI data centers to invest in infrastructure. Monitor mergers and acquisitions that drive up prices and remove unnecessary barriers to entry in key markets. 
 

• Practical, Faith-Grounded Leadership: Focus on results, not ideology, addressing both rural and urban community needs. Policies should reflect fairness, stewardship, and responsibility to neighbors. Work across the aisle to bring practical, evidence-based solutions to challenges like healthcare, infrastructure, and workforce development.