Qualifications
What training, experience, and characteristics qualify you for this position?
My experience as a lifelong public servant, community advocate, and state legislator has prepared me to serve effectively in this position. I understand the challenges facing HD 143 because I have spent years listening to and working alongside the families, workers, seniors, and small businesses that make our community strong. As a member of the Texas House and Vice Chair of the House Committee on State Affairs, I have gained firsthand experience developing legislation, navigating the legislative process, and holding state agencies accountable. I have worked on issues including public education, environmental protection, healthcare, energy and water reliability, and economic opportunity.
Healthcare
Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the nation. What steps would you take as a state representative to ensure access to affordable healthcare, including mental health services, for residents who are currently uninsured or underserved in your district?
I support expanding access to Medicaid and pursuing every available opportunity to bring federal healthcare resources back to Texas. I also support policies that lower prescription drug costs, strengthen access to community health centers, and make it easier for uninsured residents to connect with affordable primary and preventive care. I will continue working with local healthcare providers, community organizations, and advocates to identify gaps in care and bring resources directly into underserved neighborhoods. Healthcare should not depend on your ZIP code or your ability to afford an unexpected medical bill. Everyone deserves access to quality healthcare, and I will continue fighting for that principle in the Texas Legislature.
Education
What measures would you support to ensure adequate state funding for public schools and accountability for taxpayer funds used in voucher or education savings account programs?
I believe every child deserves access to a high-quality public education, regardless of their ZIP code or family income. As a state representative, I fight to ensure Texas adequately funds our public schools. We must also invest in the people who make our schools work: supporting competitive teacher and paraprofessional pay, expanding access to counselors and mental health services, and providing schools with the resources they need to meet the needs of every student. For vouchers, there must be meaningful accountability and transparency. Schools receiving voucher funds should be subject to clear reporting requirements, financial oversight, and safeguards against fraud, waste, and abuse.
Issues
What are the two most pressing issues unique to your district, and what specific, measurable actions would you take to address them during your term?
First, environmental protection and meaningful community participation. District 143 is home to communities that have lived alongside industrial facilities for generations, and residents deserve a meaningful voice when decisions are made that could affect their health, property, and quality of life. Second, protecting and strengthening public education. Four of the recent HISD school closures were in District 143. As a state representative, I advocate for restoring local control to HISD and ensuring that decisions about our schools are driven by the needs of students and families. In both areas, my goal is the same: government should listen to the people it serves and be accountable to the people for the decisions it makes.
