People deserve stability, dignity, and a fair shot.  I believe that the government has a responsibility to remove structural barriers that undermine that.  Whether it’s protecting immigrant families from federal overreach, ensuring LGBTQ+ students are safe and affirmed in their schools, or making it possible for parents to afford childcare and build stable careers…dignity should NOT be negotiable.  I will fight hard to ensure a Minnesota where every neighbor has the security to belong, the freedom to thrive, and the practical support to chase their dreams.  This will require building policy around real lives instead of talking points so that every person in our community has the opportunity to succeed.

Protecting Families, Defending Due Process

We’re seeing increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement tactics that are leaving people terrified, and destabilizing neighborhoods.  Trampling on the basic constitutional right to due process is not the American way.  Minnesota cannot rewrite federal immigration law, but we can ABSOLUTELY make sure we stand up to the federal government when they try to make our state a stage for the intimidation and discrimination against people who live and work here.  That means strengthening statewide standards that clearly separate local public safety functions from federal immigration operations, ensuring every person has access to legal counsel when they’re detained, and protecting state and local data from being used for immigration surveillance or targeted enforcement.  Immigrant Minnesotans are parents, workers, caregivers, and small business builders.  Their safety and dignity are core to our economy and the vibrancy of our communities.  We have a moral responsibility to step in when federal actions threaten those values.

Upholding Civil Rights and Safety

The LGBTQ+ community has been targeted by a wave of harmful rhetoric and policy attacks across the country.  I will work to enforce and strengthen our civil-rights protections as well as ensuring that every school has access to culturally competent counselors and youth mental-health services.  Protecting LGBTQ+ Minnesotans shouldn’t be a culture-war debate.  These are issues of basic public safety and educational integrity.  When people are respected for who they are, they learn better, thrive socially, and succeed long-term.  I will always stand with our LGBTQ+ neighbors through policy that affirms their dignity and protects their rights.

Real Pathways to Work, Care, and Economic Mobility

A thriving economy hinges on the ability of people to actually access the opportunities in front of them.  As a small business owner and parent, I’ve seen how easily talent gets sidelined when systems don’t match real life.  For newcomers, immigrants, and parents returning to the workforce, that means removing the financial and societal barriers that keep talent on the sidelines.  We need to pursue a better credentialing process in high-demand fields so trained professionals have the ability to jump in and deliver for their community and household.  But most importantly, we need to ensure that families have the opportunity to build their lifestyle in a way that allows them to thrive.  Reducing childcare costs is one of the most powerful economic tools we have, and it directly determines whether parents can pursue education, stay in their careers, or take a leap into entrepreneurship.  We also need to pair these efforts with improved access to the kinds of support that let people explore new possibilities and thrive.  Access to capital and professional development can help people test and grow their ideas without risking their entire family’s stability.  When parents have reliable childcare, workable transportation, and access to starter capital, they don’t just survive.  They build businesses, strengthen the workforce, and drive the kind of innovation that strengthens the foundations of the state and lifts everyone up.

A Minnesota Where Everyone Belongs and Can Thrive

At its core, my vision is about making sure that no one is pushed to the margins while our communities move forward.  Protecting immigrant neighbors from federal overreach, ensuring LGBTQ+ friends are safe and affirmed, and reducing the crushing cost of raising a family are not separate fights.  They are all part of the same commitment to dignity, opportunity, and shared prosperity.  When people feel secure, supported, and respected, they can contribute fully to their families, their workplaces, and their communities.  Minnesota has the tools to lead with compassion and common sense, and I’m ready to use them to build a state where every neighbor has a fair shot to belong as we build a future we can be proud of.