Affordability
It seems the Utah Legislature's only answer to rising costs is more tax breaks that primarily benefit those already making millions of dollars each year. But what does that do for working families?
In reality, these tax cuts come at a cost, fewer public services, less investment in our communities, and fewer opportunities for working families all while the cost of living, bills, and wealth inequality continue to climb.
Its time to address inflation and the affordability crisis head-on.
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Year after year, the majority party ends each legislative session celebrating another round of tax cuts. But have you noticed they rarely say what those cuts actually mean for the average Utahn? Are you feeling the difference?
Meanwhile, wealth inequality continues to grow, housing and rent become increasingly unaffordable, and many Utahns are left with declining public services with understaffed public workers.
The reality is that, for most Utahns, these tax cuts amount to just a few extra dollars each year. In return, we lose investments in our infrastructure, emergency services, parks, social programs and environmental protection, the very things that make our communities strong.
I will always prioritize responsible government and make sure we are good stewards of taxpayer dollars. But responsible government doesn't simply mean cutting taxes. It means investing wisely in the services and opportunities that help ensure Utah is livable, affordable, and fair for all of us and our growing families! -
The minimum wage has been $7.25 since July 2009 in Utah. In real wages today, accounting for inflation, this equates to $4.68 an hour. Meanwhile, the price of everything has skyrocketed. Since 2009, inflation has increased by nearly 56%.
In 2009, the average working family household income, adjusted for inflation, was $85,522, today our families have only seen household wages grow to about $104,000, which means wages have only grown 21.6% but the costs have grown by at least 55%.
What does this mean? It means working families have to work longer hours, take on second jobs and spend significantly more time away from their families in order to even come close to maintaining the living standard that 40 hours a week would get them even just a few years ago.
I fully recognize this reality and will work tirelessly to bring down costs and support efforts that raise wages for the working families of Utah.
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Utah is a state that prides itself on being a “family” state, yet very few bills are being passed to support young families and the future of our children.
With so many families requiring two working parents, childcare has become increasingly essential, yet the average cost of childcare is now $1,180 a month, more than what our current minimum wage will cover in a month. With necessary childcare facilities being shut down and bills to increase our minimum wage being shot down before even leaving committee, we need our Legislators doing more to help the families succeed across our state.
It’s time to invest in our children. I support directing resources toward affordable childcare, school lunches, and other programs that meaningfully reduce the financial impact inflation has strangled out of working families. By investing in these programs we ensure all children have their basic needs met, while giving parents breathing room, stability and time back to spend with their growing families.
Supporting Labor and Unions
The working class of Utah drives our economy. By disregarding the issues they face, and passing legislation that makes their lives harder, we are doing our state a disservice.
I believe that our state’s workers deserve the freedom to organize and to use their collective voice to negotiate for better wages, better benefits, and better working conditions. I will always stand with unions and with working people who choose to come together to fight for a better deal that benefits all.
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Over the last few years, the Utah Legislature has repeatedly targeted unions, public employees, and teachers by trying to limit our workers' ability to organize and collectively bargain.
In the 2025 legislative session, HB 267 (the union busting bill that banned collective bargaining) was passed, despite massive public opposition. The way our community united to overturn this bill showed that when we maintain solidarity and organize, we win.
Being a part of the HB 267 ballot initiative is a highlight of my career, and I plan to bring the same passion Protect Utah Workers built directly to the Capitol to not only protect existing union rights, but also strengthen them.
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Study after study shows that strong unions strengthen workplaces, support families, and help build communities where working families can keep up with the rising cost of living. They also benefit employers by creating a more stable, committed workforce. When workers are treated fairly and have a voice, they take pride in their work, positioning businesses to grow, allowing everyone to share in that success.
Our state has a strong workforce and we could benefit even more from better worker representation. I will support workers who choose to unionize and will establish protections for them to ensure they are able to use their voices without fear.
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While our state has a strong economy, and profits have flourished, very few individuals are seeing that trickle down to their own pockets and livelihoods. Success should not be at the expense of the individual. I will advocate for better safety protections, parental leave, and other benefits that better take care of the individual workers who are significantly contributing to our state’s economic successes.
Protecting Wild Utah
Between the Great Salt Lake shrinking, hitting record heat highs, record low rainfall and now, the loss of our national monuments for private gain, we must get serious about our environment before we lose it.
I recognize that Utah's water resources support agriculture, businesses, and keep our yards green. However, the time has come to recognize we live in a desert and protecting the Great Salt Lake must be our top priority. Without decisive action, the environmental, economic, and public health costs of inaction will far outweigh the sacrifices required to conserve water today.
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We have to save the Great Salt Lake, and we need to treat this as the urgent priority it is. For too long, the Legislature's response has been limited to small changes, and the consequences are clear. The lake has already reached historic low levels, and we are starting to see toxic dust storms that will lead to devastating effects on our public health, our economy, and our overall quality of life.
I recognize that Utah's water resources support agriculture, businesses, and keep our yards green. However, the time has come to recognize we live in a desert and protecting the Great Salt Lake must be our top priority. Without decisive action, the environmental, economic, and public health costs of inaction will far outweigh the sacrifices required to conserve water today. I will propose the following, if elected to office:
Securing water. As of now, the state policies allow water rights holders to transfer or donate water to flow directly into the Great Salt Lake. I would like to take this further, and I will support using state funds to purchase water rights, allowing the water to permanently be redirected back to the Great Salt Lake rather than temporarily. This will help us get the Lake back to a necessary and sustainable level.
Remove invasive species. Phragmites are a major problem in the state: an invasive species that takes up more than double the water of our state’s native plants. With the amount of effort, both physically and financially, required to remove these plants, we need to make this a strong continuous effort. It is great Governor Cox has found some private funding to start this project, but it is will take all of us to achieve and maintain this goal.
Working with all partners. We must partner with local, state, federal agencies, and nonprofits to secure water for the lake. Directly ensuring more water gets into the lake is a top priority. I know that there is many great nonprofit organizations who are currently working on tackling this issue and my door will remain open to them so we may work together to find a solution to save the Great Salt Lake.
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I am heartbroken by Trump’s executive order and angered by the GOP leaders from the state of Utah who decided to attack protections on Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante. Bears Ears was cut from 1.3 million acres to around 120k acres, Grand Staircase was cut down from 1.87 million acres to about 180k acres, effectively reducing each monument by about 90%. I see this as a devastating loss for all Utahns.
Let’s be clear: Without these protections, we risk these lands now being open to mining logging, and drilling, or otherwise sold off to other private interests. The federal government has set a terrible precedent and has made it clear it is on us to elect state leaders that will pass legislation to protect these lands for future generations.
If elected I will work to bring back any protections we can and ensure these lands remain in the hands of all Utahns.
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No Stratos Data Center: This would be one of the country’s largest data centers and it would be positioned just north of the Great Salt Lake that we are desperately trying to save. It is not time to risk further hurting the lake with the heat waves, water consumption and power consumption that would come with this project. Utahns across the state have made it clear that we do not want this data center project and elected leaders need to abide by their wishes.
Like many leaders around the country, I believe in having, at minimum, a year-long moratorium on building large AI data centers. This will give us time to help better identify the risks and impacts of such facilities and determine where, if at all, they will have the least environmental and social impact on our communities.
I believe we can also use this time to implement proper regulations that ensure that if these AI data centers are built, they are for the public good of all Utahns, not just a select group of out-of-state billionaires who profit while our environments, citizens’ health and quality of life suffers for it.