Under Governor Beshear, Kentucky has seen the three best years of economic growth in our state’s 230+ year history!  I look forward to working with our governor to continue bringing innovative, high-paying jobs into the bluegrass.  We all know America is strongest when the middle class is strong, and the same holds true here in our commonwealth.  Let’s keep that momentum by continuing to attract new major developments like the Ford battery plants while also supporting our homegrown small businesses.

Right now, the majority party in Frankfort is raising the taxes on services provided by small business owners while giving tax breaks to large corporations. As a small business owner myself, I know small businesses are the backbone of our economy.  Our legislators should be working to help ensure our native businesses can remain competitive in a rapidly changing economy.  Instead, they’re putting the finger of big government on the scale to tip the balance of power even further toward the top 1%.  I will work to support our local businesses and the Kentucky families they provide for through appropriate tax credits and exemptions to ensure they can thrive for generations to come.

At the end of the day, the most important thing about Kentucky jobs isn’t numbers on a graph, but rather the families they sustain.  We have a genuine opportunity with Governor Beshear in office to make real progress for our working moms and dads.  As new companies continue to expand to the Bluegrass State, we must encourage new standards of paid family and medical leave for those workers so that our families can thrive both at home and in the workplace.  Additionally, we have an opportunity to reign in overreach from the state legislature and allow local counties and communities the ability to set their own minimum wage standards that best meet the needs of their residents.

Education is the key to unlocking our children's full potential and creating a better future for all Kentuckians. The surest methods to help our children succeed are to provide early education access for all Kentucky students while ensuring they have amazing teachers in the classroom throughout their education journey. Now is the time to catch up to the national standards on teacher pay and to pilot universal pre-k within our state’s public schools.  Competitive teacher pay will keep our best educators here in the Commonwealth while universal pre-k allows parents to get back to work while their children receive earlier access to reading, social play, and learning concepts that will help them succeed academically and in life. 

As your representative, I will work to promote personalized learning and provide expanded educational opportunities within our public schools, ensuring that all children have access to the resources they need to thrive. Instead of diverting funds to private institutions through voucher schemes, we should invest in programs like expanded extracurriculars and personalized learning initiatives that prepare our children for the challenges of a rapidly changing world. Let’s ensure that our students not only graduate, but that they also leave school equipped with the knowledge, skills, and critical thinking needed to achieve their full potential, building a stronger and brighter future for Kentucky. 

My opponents and the supermajority in Frankfort have gone too far.  I believe that every American should have a say in decisions about their own body. The decision in Roe v. Wade recognized the importance of allowing women to make their own choices regarding reproductive health, including whether to continue a pregnancy, pursue adoption, or access safe and legal abortion care within reasonable limits and with exceptions when medically necessary. Ensuring access to reproductive healthcare is a vital part of supporting women's overall health. 

As your representative, I am committed to fighting for policies that protect the rights of all women. But my opponent, Tom Jefferson, holds an extreme position that denies mothers the ability to make decisions about their pregnancies.  He supports the current law criminalizing abortion in cases of rape, incest, and nonviable pregnancies, threatening the life and health of Kentucky's mothers. This doesn't reflect the values of the 45th District, where we believe in reproductive healthcare and respect personal freedom. As your representative, I will listen to the concerns of our community and fight to ensure that women have the freedom to make informed decisions about their own healthcare. 

There’s no denying that coal powered Kentucky’s rise as an energy leader in the 20th century. But to secure our economic future, we must now focus on the 21st century and beyond. Unfortunately, the majority in the legislature is creating new regulations that prevent energy providers from modernizing our infrastructure and replacing outdated coal-burning plants. This backward approach not only keeps our utility rates artificially high, but it’s also costing Kentucky jobs.

Many new companies and industries that want to be at the forefront of American production in the 21st century won’t consider moving here until we meet certain renewable energy thresholds. By clinging to the past, we are missing out on the opportunity to attract businesses that prioritize cleaner, more efficient energy.

It’s time to end the legislature’s corrupt practice of forcing power companies to operate inefficient plants and instead embrace a forward-looking, all-of-the-above energy portfolio. Doing so will create thousands of new jobs and ensure our businesses continue to thrive. As your representative, I will fight for legislation that encourages investment in sustainable and renewable energy sources, helping Kentucky lead the way in the clean energy revolution. Together, we can build a future where our economy is strong and our environment is healthy for generations to come.

Substance abuse is a major problem in Kentucky, and we need to take action to address it. Our current approach of throwing users in jail is not working, and it's hurting our families and our state. Kentucky currently has the third-highest incarceration rate for women and the second-highest rate of children with an incarcerated parent. This is unacceptable.

As a state that values family, we need to prioritize community-based treatment that allows individuals struggling with substance use disorder to heal and get back to work. Not only does this approach help keep families together and reduce the burden on our foster care system, but it also supports our economy by getting people back to work. It's a win-win for everyone involved. We need to invest in treatment and ensure that everyone in our state has access to the resources they need to overcome addiction and build a brighter future.

The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy. It's what gives power to the people and ensures that our government is truly representative. As a country, we must do everything in our power to protect and expand voting rights for all Americans.

Unfortunately, Kentucky is falling behind in this mission. We are one of only three states that has not permanently restored voting rights for those with felony convictions. As your representative, I will fight to ensure that all Kentuckians have a say in their government, regardless of their past mistakes.

Under Governor Beshear, 180,000 Kentuckians with felony convictions were given the right to vote. But we can't stop there. I will work to make sure that this right is made permanent, so that no future governor can take it away.  It's time for our government to reflect all our people, not just a privileged few.

Every person in Kentucky deserves to live their lives without fear of discrimination or unfair treatment.  This includes our LGBTQ community, who make up an estimated 220,500 Kentuckians. They are our friends, our family members, our colleagues, and our neighbors, and they deserve equal protections under the law. This includes housing, employment, and access to healthcare. The passage of a statewide Fairness Act is long overdue and would help to break down the barriers and injustices that too often hold back our LGBTQ community. It's time for us to come together and fight for a more just Kentucky, where everyone can live their American Dream. 

I grew up with a deep respect for the Second Amendment, learning gun safety and deer hunting alongside my father. During my time in the Army, I trained extensively with pistols and rifles, and I fully understand the significance of the right to keep and bear arms as enshrined in our Constitution. At the same time, we cannot ignore the tragic reality that America leads all developed nations in gun violence, and it’s heartbreaking that firearms have become the leading cause of death among children in our country. 

As your representative, I will stand firm in protecting the rights of responsible, law-abiding gun owners in Kentucky. But we also have a duty to build a culture of responsible gun ownership that prevents Kentucky from being the site of additional gun violence.  My opponent, Tom Jefferson, wants to expand concealed carry to teenagers and eliminate gun-free zones in places like college campuses and large arenas. These extreme policies will make our public spaces more dangerous, not safer.

While no law will completely end gun violence, I refuse to accept that nothing can be done. We owe it to our children to make the world they grow up in safer, one step at a time.