Issues

The health of our economy shouldn’t only be measured by GDP or stock market gains — it should be measured by how well you are doing. Right now, too many working families are struggling to afford the basics, while the wealthiest individuals and corporations continue to rake in record profits. The middle class is shrinking, wages haven’t kept up with the cost of living, and more and more people are priced out of homeownership and financial stability.

We need an economy that works for the people who keep it running — not just for those at the top.

That means:

• Raising the minimum wage: No one working full-time should live in poverty. Full stop.

• Expanding access to affordable childcare and adopting paid parental leave: Parents should be able to work without going broke just to provide a safe and stable life for their children.

• Investing in small businesses and local economies: It’s time to end the corporate welfare system and redirect tax subsidies to small businesses instead of handing out tax breaks to billionaires and multinational corporations.

• Lowering taxes for the middle class and working families: In a time of soaring costs, tax relief should go to those who need it — not those who already have more than enough.

• Restructuring the Tax System to ensure wealth for the rest of us: The current tax system often rewards the haves while punishing the have-not’s. Growing the middle class starts with ensuring the ultra rich pay their fair share, giving tax money back to the people and places that need it most, reducing income tax for hard work, and closing loopholes that are exploited by big industry and mega corporations.

• Affordable Housing: Owning a home is still the best path to building wealth—but for too many, especially younger and working-class people, it's out of reach. Rents are rising, home prices are out of control, and corporate landlords are hoarding housing for profit. We need to build more affordable homes and unlock the housing we already have. That starts by Taxing corporate landlords and housing speculators who drive up prices and leave homes vacant. There should be incentives for low-rent costs for empty units, and penalties for keeping them off the market. Expanding public, cooperative, and community-owned housing. Downpayment assistance for first-time and working-class buyers, funded by taxing large landlords. We also need stronger tenant protections to stop unfair rent hikes and evictions, as well as harsher penalties for ignoring unsafe living conditions.

Revitalizing the American Dream starts with putting people first — and building an economy that rewards hard work, not just wealth.

Getting Big Money Out of Politics

How can we expect our leaders to truly represent us when their campaigns are bankrolled by special interests with profit-driven agendas? The answer is simple: we can’t.

In the 2024 election cycle, corporate PACs contributed nearly $400 million—and more than $1.9 billion in dark money from untraceable sources flooded into campaigns. Washington is awash in this money. Lobbyists, Super PACs, and wealthy donors spend billions each cycle to tilt the system in their favor. The result? Policies that too often serve Big Industry and well-connected insiders instead of hard-working families here in Virginia.

I’m running as a reformist Democrat because I believe government should be accountable to the people—not bought and paid for by corporate interests. That means changing the way campaigns are funded, limiting the power of lobbyists, and shining a light on dark money.

Here’s how we fix it:

• Ban corporate PAC contributions to federal candidates.

• Overturn Citizens United so we can set sensible limits on campaign spending.

• Require real-time transparency in political donations and outside spending.

• Promote public financing of elections, so candidates can run competitive campaigns without millionaire and billionaire donors.

• Create a new accountability standard: every member of Congress should meet with at least two constituents for every meeting they take with a corporate lobbyist.

Getting big money out of politics isn’t a partisan issue—it’s a democracy issue. Virginians deserve leaders who listen to them, not to the highest bidder. I’m committed to restoring trust in our government by putting power back where it belongs: in the hands of the people, and by designing policy from the ground up.

Each year, the U.S. funnels over almost $2 trillion in taxpayer dollars to healthcare corporations — and yet costs keep rising, coverage keeps shrinking, and millions of Americans are drowning in medical debt simply because they got sick or injured.

When a loved one falls ill, families shouldn’t have to fight with insurers or negotiate payment plans. They should be able to focus on healing.

It’s time to build a healthcare system that guarantees coverage, lowers costs, and puts patients before profits. That means:

• Ensuring access to high-quality care for everyone, regardless of income or employment status

• Banning surprise billing and slashing out-of-pocket costs

• Making prescriptions affordable by wielding the purchase power of the U.S. to negotiate drug prices

• Expanding access to mental health care and preventative services

• Eliminating the red tape and bureaucracy that puts paperwork and profit margins ahead of people’s well-being

• Additional support for rural hospitals who have been left financially strained by the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.” Rural communities already face fewer providers, longer travel times, and higher rates of chronic illness.

No one should have to hold a fundraiser to afford treatment. No parent should be afraid to take their child to the doctor because of the bill that comes after.

It’s time to stop padding corporate profits and start delivering care people can count on — when they need it most.

As the son of an educator, I know that a strong democracy and a strong economy both begin in the classroom. Yet for too long, our public education system has been underfunded, undervalued, and undermined by shortsighted cuts like those from the Trump Administration. Kneecapping our education system is the same as limiting opportunity and stifling American innovation.

That’s why I believe in:

• Fully funding public schools so every child — regardless of where they live or how much money their family makes — has access to quality education and safe learning environments.

• Establishing a universal school meals program. No child should ever go hungry, much less when they are trying to learn. I support a universal school meals program that ensures every student has access to free, nutritious breakfast and lunch, without stigma or red tape. Feeding our kids is just the right thing to do, and it’s also an investment in stronger classrooms, healthier communities, and a brighter future.

• Empowering teachers to help shape policy and curriculum, because those on the frontlines of education know best what students need to succeed.

• Universal Pre-K, giving every child the foundation they need to thrive while easing the financial strain on working families.

• Lowering the cost of higher education, so the pursuit of knowledge builds futures, not mountains of debt.

• Expanding technical and vocational education, so students have multiple pathways to opportunity, dignity, and success — whether through a degree or skilled trade.

It’s past time our leaders stopped looking at education as an expense — it’s an investment, and a promise. When we strengthen schools, we strengthen our economy, expand opportunity, and unlock the creativity and innovation that have always propelled America forward.

If America truly believes in the value of freedom, then our laws must reflect it — by bolstering justice and protecting the rights of all people. Every person deserves to live with dignity, free from discrimination, fear, and exploitation, or even being used as a political prop.

that’s why I’m committed to protecting core rights and freedoms, including:

• Reproductive Justice: Decisions about pregnancy and healthcare should be made between patients and their doctors — not politicians. I will fight to enshrine the right to choose, access contraception and reproductive care without government interference.

• Workers’ Rights: Fair pay, safe workplaces, and the right to organize are fundamental. No one working full-time should struggle in poverty or fear retaliation for standing up for their safe and fair workplaces.

• Civil Rights and Equality: Discrimination has no place in our communities. That means strengthening voting rights, protecting vulnerable groups, and expanding representation in underserved areas.

• Privacy and Freedom: In an age of mass data collection and political overreach, protecting personal privacy and individual freedom is essential to a healthy democracy.