My Platform

Building a thriving regional economy across Erie, Ottawa, and Huron counties requires direct investment in the hardworking people, small businesses, and vital industries that call Northern Ohio home. For too long, state economic policies in Columbus have favored top-down corporate deals that do not translate into higher wages or stable opportunities for local workers. District 89 is the natural home for state economic investments, local manufacturing, family agriculture, and Lake Erie commerce, but public resources must be used wisely to deliver clear, long-term growth. True economic development means expanding high-paying career opportunities, supporting main street entrepreneurs, and ensuring that every state dollar spent creates a measurable return for local taxpayers.

I believe our region thrives when working families have access to stable, high-paying careers and local businesses have the tools they need to expand. Our area’s heritage was built on skilled trades, agricultural production across Huron and Ottawa counties, commercial shipping, and manufacturing throughout Erie County. Keeping our local economy competitive requires real investments in our workforce, main street enterprises, and regional infrastructure. State economic entities like JobsOhio have a crucial role to play, and our district is the natural home for JobsOhio investments and partnerships. However, economic growth must deliver measurable outcomes for the residents who live and work here every day. By demanding accountability for public incentives, ending backroom deals, expanding career pathways, and bringing manufacturing home, we can build an economy that works for community families, not just corporate boards.

Our Action Plan:

Strengthening our local economy requires targeted, evidence-based initiatives that prioritize worker prosperity, local business support, and complete government transparency:

• Shifting the Local Tax Burden Away from Homeowners

Restructuring municipal and state tax incentive programs to protect residential property owners across Erie, Ottawa, and Huron counties. When large corporations receive decade-long property tax abatements or special exemptions, the financial burden of funding local public schools, emergency services, and county roads falls onto local homeowners. Capping corporate exemptions ensures big organizations pay their fair share so working families and seniors on fixed incomes do not absorb skyrocketing tax bills.

• Keeping Economic Capital in our Communities

Expanding access to revolving loan funds, capital grant opportunities, and streamlined permitting processes for local small businesses in District 89. Ensuring local entrepreneurs receive priority access to state resources helps keep economic capital circulating directly within our cities and communities.

• Expanding Local Workforce Development and Trade Apprenticeships

Partnering with regional vocational centers (such as EHOVE Career Center serving Erie and Huron counties, and career pathways in Ottawa County), trade unions, and community colleges to fund hands-on apprenticeship programs and technical certifications. Equipping workers with high-demand skills bridges the local income gap and connects residents directly to high-paying careers in advanced trades, healthcare, and technology.

• Bringing Manufacturing Jobs Back to Local Communities

Capitalizing on state industrial programs and targeted capital grants to re-shore critical supply chains, modernize production facilities, and bring advanced manufacturing operations back to Northern Ohio. Manufacturing accounts for over 20% of private sector employment in our area, and expanding state incentives will protect and grow these vital production jobs.

• Protecting Local Consumers and Small Business Purchasing Power

Holding market manipulators accountable and monitoring localized price gouging, including unfair fuel markups that burden daily commuters, farmers, and small transport fleets across Erie, Ottawa, and Huron counties. Economic fairness means protecting working families from artificially inflated daily living costs.

• Ensuring Growth Benefits Residents over Corporations

Conditioning corporate tax incentives on real community commitments, including local hiring preferences, infrastructure protections, and competitive starting wages. Public policies must prioritize raising the average household income for working families across our region rather than boosting corporate profits.

• Ensuring Measurable Results for Tax Dollars and Incentives

Restructuring state economic incentives so that public tax credits and direct development grants are tied to strict clawback provisions, verified wage floors, and enforceable local job creation targets. Tax dollars should only support economic development initiatives that deliver a clear, measurable return on investment for taxpayers rather than unearned corporate handouts.

• Increasing JobsOhio Transparency and Ending Insider Deals

Advocating for legislative reforms, such as the JobsOhio Transparency Act, to require direct biennial audits by the Auditor of State, Controlling Board oversight, and full public disclosure of state-supported economic deals. As the natural home for JobsOhio development projects, our region must eliminate no-bid arrangements, prohibit political nepotism in economic agencies, and ensure every deal is conducted with complete open-book accountability.

Too many families in Northern Ohio are being priced out of the communities they call home. Affordable housing isn’t just a line on a policy sheet; it is the difference between stability and constant stress, between opportunity and being stuck. Public development must directly benefit local residents, ensure public resources support the families who need them most, and prevent housing policies from draining our communities of the people who make them strong. Everyone across Erie, Ottawa, and Huron counties deserves a safe, predictable place to live with dignity.

Building a prosperous district requires protecting long-time homeowners, supporting workforce housing, keeping neighborhood decisions under local control, and capping unnecessary middleman costs. Our region faces unique housing pressure, from rising residential property valuations to corporate out-of-state land speculation and seasonal tourism demand along Lake Erie. When private equity funds and corporate investors over-involve themselves in development projects, excessive markups and fees artificially inflate final purchase prices and rents for working families. Rebalancing state priorities, curbing speculative investor inflation, and re-investing public tax dollars into local community needs ensures that the people who work and live here can afford to stay here.

Our Action Plan:

To make housing more affordable, protect long-time residents, and ensure community stability, direct policy solutions must focus on key reforms:

• Preventing Investor Markups and Excessive Fee Structures on Affordable Housing

Establishing strict statutory limits and transparency guidelines that stop institutional investors, private equity firms, and corporate middlemen from over-involving themselves in state-funded affordable housing projects. Capping administrative fees, transaction markups, and speculative buyouts ensures public housing dollars flow directly into construction and homebuyer relief rather than inflating final sales prices for buyers and renters.

• Expanding Local and State Investment in Affordable and Workforce Housing

Expanding local and state investment in affordable and workforce housing development through existing housing and community development programs. Utilizing tools like Welcome Home Ohio provides direct capital grants to build and rehabilitate affordable single-family homes, ensuring local healthcare workers, tradespeople, teachers, and public safety personnel can afford to buy homes near their jobs.

• Reforming Property Tax Structures for Longtime Homeowners

Reforming property tax structures to provide targeted relief for longtime and middle-income homeowners, particularly seniors and families on fixed incomes across Sandusky, Port Clinton, Bellevue and rural townships. Statutory caps on annual property valuation spikes prevent sudden, drastic tax increases driven by temporary market spikes.

• Strengthening Oversight and Regulation of Short-Term Rentals

Strengthening oversight and regulation of short-term and transient rental properties to protect the long-term housing supply for local residents. Empowering municipal governments and township trustees to set balanced local zoning guidelines ensures seasonal vacation lodging does not strip away year-round rental stock for working families.

• Prioritizing Residents Over Outside Speculative Investors

Prioritizing public investment in housing initiatives that directly benefit local residents rather than outside investors or speculative development firms. Establishing state guardrails and local purchasing preferences protects local homebuyers from competing against institutional investment funds buying up single-family neighborhoods.

• Reevaluating Voucher Spending to Support Housing and Local Services

Reevaluating and restructuring publicly funded private school voucher programs to ensure they do not divert state resources away from community priorities, including local housing stability, public services, and emergency property tax relief. Reclaiming over a billion dollars in state voucher spending allows Ohio to reinvest directly in local infrastructure, school funding, and homeowner protection measures.

• Supporting Responsible Zoning and Planning Reforms

Supporting zoning and planning reforms that encourage responsible development while preserving neighborhood stability. Facilitating brownfield remediation, infill housing on vacant urban lots, and downtown historic preservation preserves community character while expanding modern housing choices.

Every student in Ohio deserves a solid foundation and real opportunities to succeed. Quality K–12 education isn’t just about textbooks and test scores; it is about preparing our kids for the challenges of tomorrow, supporting teachers in the classroom, and ensuring every school has the resources it needs to thrive. That means making sure public school funding goes where it is needed most and eliminating universal private school voucher expansions that drain over a billion dollars annually from our community districts. Dedicated policies must invest in our public classrooms, expand access to technology and extracurricular programs, protect educator retirement security, and give every child the tools to reach their full potential. Education is the key to local opportunity, and it must be a top priority for our region.

Building a vibrant future across Erie, Ottawa, and Huron counties starts with an unyielding commitment to our public schools. Classrooms across our towns and townships are not just learning centers; they are the heart of our local neighborhoods and the primary foundation for our regional workforce. For decades, state leaders in Columbus have relied on outdated funding mechanisms that push the financial burden of public education onto local homeowners through constant property tax levies. True community investment means fully funding public education at the state level, expanding hands-on vocational pathways, supporting dedicated teachers, and ensuring that public tax dollars remain focused on the local public schools that educate the vast majority of our children.

Our Action Plan:

Strengthening our public education system requires targeted, evidence-based reforms that prioritize classroom funding, tax fairness, teacher support, and student outcomes:

• Eliminating Private School Vouchers to Reclaim Tax Dollars and Reduce Property Taxes

Ending universal EdChoice private school voucher expansions to reclaim the more than $1 billion in state funds funneled out of public education each year. Redirecting those tax dollars directly back into local community public schools ensures public funds serve the public good while alleviating the constant need for local emergency levies and reducing property tax burdens on homeowners across Erie, Ottawa, and Huron counties.

• Fully Implementing the Fair School Funding Plan

Restoring and fully funding the bipartisan Fair School Funding Plan using current, updated base costs. Properly executing this formula fulfills the state’s constitutional obligation, ensures equitable resources across all districts, and relieves the heavy property tax burden on local homeowners in Erie, Ottawa, and Huron counties.

• Ensuring Teachers and Classrooms Have Adequate Resources

Guaranteeing educators have the classroom supplies, updated curriculum materials, modern learning tools, and supportive staffing needed to deliver high-quality instruction without paying out of pocket.

• Restoring Educator and Retiree Representation on the STRS Pension Board

Protecting the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) by fighting state efforts to strip elected seats from active teachers and retirees. Re-establishing a board majority composed of directly elected, active educators and retired members ensures open-book accountability, stops political interference, and secures the pensions educators earned over a lifetime of service.

• Expanding Career-Technical Education (CTE) and Apprenticeships

Expanding career and technical education programs and apprenticeship pathways for high school students. Increasing state support for regional facilities like EHOVE Career Center (serving partner districts across Erie, Huron, and Ottawa counties) opens direct paths into high-wage local trades, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare careers.

• Supporting Teacher Recruitment and Retention

Supporting teacher recruitment and retention through competitive compensation, classroom supply stipends, and professional development funding to keep talented educators in our rural and coastal classrooms.

• Closing Opportunity Gaps Through Digital Learning Tools

Expanding access to school-based technology, high-speed broadband, and digital learning tools to ensure students in every town, village, and township have equal access to modern learning resources.

• Protecting Local Control for School Boards and Parents

Ensuring curriculum decisions, operational policies, and district priorities remain under the leadership of locally elected school boards and community members rather than top-down mandates from state bureaucrats in Columbus.

State and local government should work for the people who pay for it, not for well-connected corporate lobbyists, political insiders, or entrenched political cliques. Across Erie, Ottawa, and Huron counties, taxpayers expect absolute transparency, uncompromising accountability, and rigorous oversight from their elected leaders. When political gatekeepers make decisions behind closed doors, create secret carve-outs for friends, or protect insider networks at the expense of everyday citizens, community progress stalls and local families pay the price. Rebuilding public trust requires dismantling the cliqueness that has held Northern Ohio communities back, opening government decisions to full public scrutiny, and ensuring Columbus and local bodies answer directly to the people.

Restoring integrity to Ohio government begins by holding decision-makers accountable at every level. Our region relies on honest, transparent stewardship of public tax dollars to support our communities and protect essential public education. When political cliques and quasi-public agencies operate without meaningful public oversight, tax dollars get funneled away from local priorities into dark-money funds and unvetted corporate giveaways. Bringing true accountability to state and local government means ending insider political loops, preserving independent board oversight, enforcing total transparency in state spending, and keeping governing power where it belongs: in the hands of local citizens.

Our Action Plan:

Restoring trust through strong transparency, strict accountability, and independent oversight requires targeted structural reforms:

•  Breaking Up Political Cliques and Restoring Open Governance

Challenging political gatekeeping and insider deal-making that exclude everyday citizens from local governance. Streamlining public participation guidelines, protecting community whistleblowers, and promoting competitive, transparent appointment processes for public boards ensures municipal, township, and county leadership reflects the whole community rather than an entrenched inner circle.

•  Demanding Full Oversight and Transparency for JobsOhio

Enacting strict statutory oversight that subjects JobsOhio and state economic development grants to regular, open-book audits by the Auditor of State. Requiring complete public reporting on all incentive programs ensures state-backed projects undergo total financial transparency and deliver verified, high-wage local jobs across Northern Ohio rather than hiding behind non-disclosure agreements.

•  Ensuring Member Oversight and Accountability on the STRS Board

Opposing legislative efforts to strip elected seats from active teachers and retirees on the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) board. Preserving a board majority composed of directly elected educators protects member oversight, stops political interference, and mandates full public disclosure of all investment management fees to keep fund managers accountable to public employees.

•  Ending Dark-Money Influence with Full Campaign Transparency

Enacting comprehensive campaign finance reforms that outlaw dark-money political groups and require full public disclosure of all independent political spending. Banning corporate influence loops, closing lobbying loopholes, and enforcing strict reporting standards ensures state policy remains transparent and accountable to everyday citizens rather than anonymous donors.

•  Protecting Local Home Rule and Community Decision-Making

Defending the constitutional right of local home rule for municipal governments, township trustees, and county commissioners. Stopping state-level preemptions ensures local officials across Sandusky, Port Clinton, and surrounding townships retain direct oversight over local decisions, keeping government accountable to the people who live there.

•  Enforcing Strict Ethics Rules and Mandatory Conflict Recusals

Reforming Ohio ethics statutes to prohibit former state officials and legislators from lobbying state government immediately upon leaving office. Closing revolving-door loopholes, banning personal financial conflicts of interest, and enforcing mandatory recusal standards restores ethical oversight and personal accountability to the legislative process.

•  Mandating Public Records Access and Legislative Transparency

Expanding public records laws to eliminate broad statutory exemptions that allow state agencies and legislative committees to hide internal communications, budget negotiations, and draft bills from public view. Broadening public access to state records ensures complete visibility into how laws are drafted and how public funds are spent.

Farming is the backbone of Northern Ohio, and I’ve seen firsthand how hard our farmers work to feed families while facing rising costs, unpredictable markets, and regulatory challenges. Our state government has a responsibility to support agriculture, from investing in local infrastructure and fair pricing policies to protecting farmland and promoting sustainable practices. I am committed to standing with our farmers, ensuring their voices are heard in Columbus, and helping Northern Ohio remain a place where agriculture—and the communities it sustains—can thrive.

Supporting agriculture requires practical, results-driven policies that strengthen the long-term viability of family farms and rural communities across Erie, Ottawa, and Huron counties. Beyond economic policy, state leaders must address the crushing physical, financial, and mental burdens that agricultural families carry. Volatile commodity markets, skyrocketing input costs for fertilizer and fuel, equipment repairs, unpredictable weather, and the stress of preserving generational farms take a heavy toll. Bringing real relief to local agriculture means reducing bureaucratic hurdles, offering direct financial safeguards, expanding rural health and stress-relief resources through initiatives like Ohio’s “Got Your Back” network, and ensuring our farm families never have to face these pressures alone.

Our Action Plan:

Protecting prime agricultural land, alleviating daily farm burdens, and strengthening local family farms across District 89 requires targeted state policies and practical investments:

•  Alleviating Daily Financial and Operational Burdens on Farm Families

Reducing state regulatory complexity and lowering operational overhead for local agricultural producers. Partnering with state network initiatives, including the Ohio Agricultural Mental Health Alliance and “Got Your Back” resources, expands confidential mental health support, stress-management programs, and financial counseling tailored specifically to farm families facing market uncertainty or crop loss.

•  Investing in Essential Rural Infrastructure

Expanding state capital investments in rural infrastructure, including local farm-to-market roads, rural bridges, high-speed broadband through BroadbandOhio, and municipal water systems that support agricultural operations and product distribution across our rural townships.

•  Supporting Next-Generation Farmers and Agricultural Succession

Establishing state programs, tax incentives, and low-interest loan options that help beginning farmers access land, capital, equipment, and technical assistance. Providing farm transition guidance ensures local farmland stays under family ownership and secures generational continuity in Ohio agriculture.

•  Strengthening Farmland Preservation Against Unnecessary Development

Expanding voluntary farmland preservation grants through the Ohio Department of Agriculture Farmland Preservation Program to help landowners permanently protect prime soils from commercial sprawl, out-of-state land speculation, and energy-intensive corporate developments.

•  Improving Access to Agricultural Grants and Risk Management Tools

Streamlining access to state agricultural grants, voluntary H2Ohio cost-share conservation programs, and risk management tools. Supporting voluntary nutrient management plans, cover crops, and subsurface drainage assistance protects soil and water quality without imposing heavy regulatory burdens on family farms.

•  Promoting Local Supply Chains and Regional Food Markets

Strengthening local and regional food supply chains to increase market stability for Ohio producers. Connecting local growers directly with regional schools, hospitals, municipal markets, and Lake Erie tourism hubs keeps agricultural revenue circulating within our local economy.

•  Protecting CAUV Property Tax Safeguards for Farm Families

Defending and modernizing the Current Agricultural Use Value (CAUV) program so farmland is taxed based on its agricultural productivity rather than speculative commercial market value. Protecting CAUV rules prevents sudden tax spikes from squeezing family farms and forcing premature land sales.

•  Supporting Agricultural Research and Land-Grant Extension Services

Funding research, technical assistance, and extension services through Ohio’s land-grant institutions, including OSU Extension and Central State University. Investing in soil health research and modern crop technologies improves long-term productivity and environmental sustainability for local growers.

Clean air and clean water are fundamental to the health, safety, and future of our communities. In Northern Ohio, we are fortunate to live near some of the most important freshwater resources in the world, but they must be protected and responsibly managed for future generations. I am committed to ensuring that families have access to safe drinking water, that our air quality meets strong health standards, and that environmental protections are enforced in a way that prioritizes public health and long-term sustainability.

That means holding polluters accountable, supporting efforts to reduce harmful emissions, and ensuring that state agencies have the resources they need to monitor and enforce environmental standards. It also means investing in infrastructure that protects water systems, prevents contamination, and modernizes aging public utilities that communities rely on every day.

Protecting our environment also means making smart, practical decisions that balance economic growth with long-term public health. Strong environmental standards should not be viewed as obstacles to development, but as essential safeguards that ensure our communities across Erie, Ottawa, and Huron counties remain safe, vibrant, and livable for generations to come.

Our Action Plan:

To protect clean air and clean water across Northern Ohio, I will support practical, enforcement-focused environmental policies:

•  Banning and Strictly Regulating Industrial Waste Dumping into Waterways

Enacting strict state statutory bans against dumping untreated chemical runoff, toxic industrial waste, thermal discharge, and untreated wastewater into local streams, rivers, Sandusky Bay, or Lake Erie. Requiring strict, site-specific individual permits rather than blanket general permits ensures mega-data centers and heavy manufacturing facilities cannot compromise municipal water intakes or public health.

•  Strengthening Regulatory Enforcement and Environmental Oversight

Ensuring state agencies like the Ohio EPA and Ohio Department of Natural Resources have the legislative backing, staff, and resources needed to enforce existing state and federal air and water quality standards. Holding chronic industrial polluters accountable stops illegal emissions and prevents untreated runoff from entering local waterways.

•  Investing in Water Infrastructure and Lead Service Line Replacement

Securing state capital grants and Water Supply Revolving Loan funds to replace outdated lead pipes and modernize aging municipal water treatment facilities in Sandusky, Port Clinton, Oak Harbor, and rural townships. Replacing aging service lines protects homes, schools, and local businesses from heavy metal contamination.

•  Expanding Water Testing and Monitoring for Public Systems

Increasing state funding for routine water sampling, source water testing, and real-time monitoring of municipal drinking water systems. Broadening early-detection protocols ensures microcystin toxins, industrial chemicals, and agricultural runoff are identified and treated long before reaching public taps.

•  Cleaning Up Brownfields and Remediating Contaminated Sites

Directing Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program grants to restore contaminated industrial properties, abandoned commercial land, and hazardous sites across District 89. Decontaminating brownfields protects regional groundwater aquifers and converts idle sites into safe commercial or recreational space.

•  Targeting Industrial Emissions While Safeguarding Economic Stability

Promoting practical emissions reduction strategies that target major sources of air pollution near industrial corridors and high-traffic freight routes. Enforcing clean air safeguards reduces localized respiratory health risks without penalizing compliant local employers or disrupting regional supply chains.

•  Expanding Transparency in Environmental Reporting

Mandating accessible, open-data reporting platforms where residents can access clear, real-time information regarding local air quality indices, municipal drinking water tests, and watershed health. Public transparency empowers communities and ensures state agencies remain accountable to the citizens they serve.

•  Protecting Coastal Ecosystems and Combating Toxic Algae

Expanding H2Ohio program grants for coastal wetland restoration, natural filter beds, and shoreline stabilization along Lake Erie and Sandusky Bay. Rebuilding natural wetland buffers traps excess nutrients before they fuel toxic algae blooms, safeguarding our multi-billion-dollar coastal boating, fishing, and tourism economy.

While talking to voters across District 89, I have heard from many veterans who feel forgotten by the very decisions that are supposed to protect and support them. Too often, the benefits they rely on do not cover the injuries or challenges caused by their service, leaving them to navigate a complex system that falls short. I am committed to listening, advocating, and fighting for policies that ensure veterans receive the care, resources, and respect they have earned. Our community thrives when those who served are supported, valued, and never left behind.

That means strengthening state-level support systems that complement federal veterans programs and ensure veterans in Ohio can access the services they are entitled to without unnecessary barriers. It also means improving coordination between state agencies, local healthcare providers, and veterans service organizations to ensure benefits are delivered efficiently and effectively across Erie, Ottawa, and Huron counties. Standing with our military families requires making sure our local county veterans service offices have the resources needed to deliver direct relief and quality care close to home.

Our Action Plan:

To better support veterans at the state level across District 89, I will advocate for practical, veteran-centered policies:

•  Expanding Funding for Ohio Veterans Services and Benefits Navigation

Increasing state investment in programs administered through the Ohio Department of Veterans Services and local County Veterans Service Commissions. Directing state resources toward benefit application assistance, direct emergency grants, and housing support ensures veterans receive full access to their earned state and federal benefits without delays.

•  Strengthening Partnerships with County Veterans Service Offices

Formalizing coordination between state agencies and county veterans service offices in Erie, Ottawa, and Huron counties. Streamlining communication channels and updating digital case-management tools cuts red tape, reduces claim processing times, and ensures local officers can quickly resolve benefit disputes.

•  Increasing Access to Tailored Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment

Expanding state behavioral health grants for specialized, veteran-centric mental health care, Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) treatment, and substance use recovery programs. Partnering with regional healthcare networks and local veterans posts improves access to peer-to-peer support networks and rural crisis intervention teams.

•  Supporting Veteran Job Training and Workforce Transition Programs

Expanding state workforce initiatives that translate military occupational training into civilian licenses, trade certifications, and academic credits. Partnering with local building trades, manufacturers, and OhioMeansJobs centers connects transitioning service members directly to well-paying careers in our regional economy.

•  Improving Housing Security and Eliminating Veteran Homelessness

Strengthening coordination between the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, local public housing authorities, and veteran support organizations. Expanding emergency rental assistance, transitional housing grants, and supportive services ensures homeless or at-risk veterans secure safe, permanent housing.

•  Ensuring Timely Processing and Systemic Accountability

Mandating performance tracking and clear communication standards within state-level veterans support systems. Requiring routine state audits of benefit response times guarantees that inquiry calls, emergency assistance requests, and healthcare referrals are addressed promptly.

•  Supporting Long-Term Care Infrastructure at the Ohio Veterans Home

Securing state capital funding to support and modernize long-term care facilities, including the historic Ohio Veterans Home in Sandusky. Investing in nursing care, memory support units, and facility upgrades ensures aging and disabled veterans receive high-quality residential care in our district.