What I Stand For

I stand for dignity, fairness, and opportunity for every person in our community.

Having grown up in Fair Oaks and Carmichael in a family that struggled after my parents’ divorce, I learned early what it feels like when systems don’t support families in crisis. Those experiences shaped my belief that every person deserves stability, safety, and the chance to build a better life. Leaving home at 17, putting myself through college, and spending 40 years serving children and families in public education taught me the power of resilience, empathy, and community. I am, at my core, a mom, a wife, an educator, and a neighbor who believes in showing up for people with compassion and integrity.

I stand for expanding access to the essentials that help people thrive: affordable housing, safe communities, accessible healthcare, and support systems that honor people’s humanity.

I know firsthand how hard it can be to secure stable housing, and I believe we must work together to create solutions that increase affordability, expand rental and homeownership pathways, and prioritize people over bureaucracy. 

I believe deeply that women deserve full autonomy, safety, and equitable opportunities.

My own experiences with sexism, limited maternity protections, and pay inequity strengthened my commitment to advocating for women’s rights, reproductive freedom, and fair workplaces where women can grow and lead without barriers.

I stand for strong, well-resourced public schools because I have witnessed for decades how education transforms lives.

Every child, regardless of race, income, language, ability/disability, or background, should have access to world-class learning opportunities that prepare them not just for careers, but for contributing meaningfully to their communities. 

I also stand for supporting people who are unsheltered with compassion, not punishment.

Having lost my brother after years of homelessness, I believe we must treat people experiencing mental illness, trauma, and housing instability with humanity, while expanding mental health care, diverse housing options, and pathways to stability.

I stand for integrity, compassion, and justice as the foundation of community life. 

My decades of work in diverse schools have shown me the ongoing need to address systemic racism, improve bias training, and ensure accountability in systems that hold power. I believe we must protect our environment, support sustainable agriculture, and acknowledge the real impacts of climate change on families, workers, and our shared future. I believe that communities are strongest when everyone has a voice, when we listen to one another, engage across differences, and commit to shared values of respect, honesty, and inclusion.