As a proud graduate of Georgia’s public schools, I understand that they are the foundation of our future, but too many are being asked to do more with less. We need to fully fund our education system and ensure teachers and school staff are paid fair, competitive wages that reflect the importance of the work they do every day. For years, pay increases have been small and inconsistent, while many educators still spend their own money on basic classroom supplies and in some cases, even support students’ basic needs out of pocket.

At the same time, student performance is slipping. In Georgia, about one in three fourth graders is not reading at a proficient level, leaving too many students unprepared for the next step in life, whether that’s work, training, or college.

Even with programs like the HOPE Scholarship, higher education remains out of reach for many working families once the full cost of living is taken into account.

I support stronger investment in public education, better support for teachers, and expanded access to affordable college and technical training so every student in Georgia has a real opportunity to succeed, regardless of income or zip code.

Georgia’s working families are being squeezed by rising prices while wages have stayed stuck in the past. The last time Georgia raised its minimum wage was in 1997, nearly 30 years ago. Since then, the cost of living has gone up, but paychecks haven’t kept up. I will introduce legislation in my first year to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, so that anyone working full-time in Georgia can afford to live in the communities they call home.

Our communities deserve living wages if they work a full-time job!

Out-of-state corporations and hedge funds are buying up homes across our rural communities and turning them into permanent rentals. Driving up prices and locking hardworking Georgians out of the dream of owning a home.

For the first time, young people in Georgia are being priced out of the very towns they grew up in. That’s not the free market, that’s market manipulation.

I will fight for legislation that puts Georgia families first by limiting corporate ownership of single-family homes, increasing access to affordable homeownership, and restoring a fair shot at finding their home in their communities.

Local businesses and the shops that define our communities shouldn’t be forced to compete against corporations backed by special tax breaks and incentives.

That’s not real competition, it puts local businesses at a disadvantage in their own hometowns.

I will fight to prioritize and invest in local businesses, ensure fair competition, and direct state support toward the small businesses that keep our communities strong.

In Georgia, too many hardworking people are doing everything right, putting in long hours, providing for their families, yet still feel like they have no real say over their pay, their safety, or their future at work. For decades, the balance of power has shifted away from workers, leaving too many afraid to speak up about unfair wages, unsafe conditions, or mistreatment on the job.

Hard work should come with dignity, stability, and respect, not fear.

If elected, I will introduce legislation that protects every Georgian’s right to stand together, speak up, and advocate for fair pay, safe working conditions, and honest treatment without retaliation. As State Senator, I will fight to ensure Georgia workers have a voice, are treated fairly, and can build a stable life through honest work.

Healthcare shouldn’t be a privilege for the wealthy, it should be a basic part of living and working in Georgia. Too many families are one medical emergency away from financial crisis, and too many rural communities have lost access to care altogether.

In 2013, Glenwood lost its hospital, forcing residents to travel nearly an hour for emergency care. That’s not an isolated story, it reflects a broader pattern of neglect toward rural Georgia, where hospitals have closed and state investment has lagged behind need.

We need to reverse that course. I support rebuilding and reopening rural hospitals where communities have been left behind, and investing in new access points for care across underserved areas.

I also support expanding Medicaid so more working families can get coverage, and creating a state program to lower the cost of life-saving medications like insulin and inhalers, because no Georgian should go without the medicine they need to survive.