My Path to Public Service
The 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting had a significant impact on me. When 20 innocent children and 6 staff members were tragically killed by gun violence at school, and Congress failed to pass any meaningful legislation afterward, I began to understand the amount of power the gun lobby holds in this country. A few years later, a similar tragedy took place at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. I was so inspired by the brilliant young students who courageously took on the NRA, and I participated in the March for Our Lives protest.
When I was discussing these tragic events with my son’s teammate’s dad, I was floored when he said, “The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun.” He also said that we should have armed guards everywhere, including at schools, malls, churches, concerts, and just about everywhere in society. It was then that I realized that I needed to get involved.
I support the 2nd Amendment and the right to bear arms. Full stop. I do NOT want to take guns away from responsible gun owners. However, I do think there is more we can do to keep our communities safe through safe storage and gun violence prevention programs.
In August 2023, I attended my first meeting with the Anne Arundel County Moms Demand Action*, a grassroots movement of Americans fighting for common sense gun legislation and safe gun storage laws. Within months, I was the group’s Membership Lead and then its Co-Lead for the county. Over the course of two years, my co-lead and I grew our leadership team from three of us to more than 15 amazing individuals who all bring different talents and perspectives to the table. We organized or participated in roughly 100 events.
By volunteering with this national grassroots organization, I met most of our elected delegates and senators in the county. I learned about the legislative process and how a bill becomes law in the Maryland General Assembly. I worked with numerous county departments and the Annapolis mayor’s office to increase awareness about the gun violence problem that exists in our community and throughout this country. Most of all, I had the opportunity to interact with our community, understand how gun violence has affected our citizens, and worked with others to solve this problem.
Now, I’m ready to put these skills to work for you and other Marylanders on the issues you care about!
*Organizational affiliation provided for identification purposes only and not an indication of organizational support or endorsement.
Why I’m Running
I believe that the government should provide a strong foundation for its citizens so that each person is free to live the life they want to live and pursue their dreams. Government, among other things, should provide everyone with a quality education, a safe environment, and a guarantee of fair and equal treatment.
Recently, partisan politics, along with other factors, have halted our progress toward a better future for all citizens. Worse yet, our federal government seems to be working against our citizens. I am deeply concerned about the future of our state and our country.
I never expected to be running for office. However, extraordinary times call for extraordinary actions. So here I am, an ordinary citizen throwing my hat in the ring. I’m ready and willing to work to get our state and country back on track!
My Leadership Values
Open-Minded and Collaborative - I value listening over talking and am a team player. I believe bringing diverse perspectives together is the best to identify and implement lasting solutions.
Compassionate - Our humanity is at the core of each of us. We need to treat each other with kindness and respect. I try to put myself in other people’s shoes and make things better whenever I can.
Integrity - I keep my word. I follow through and am accountable for my actions.
Focused on Continuous Improvement - We can’t let perfection stand in the way of progress. Even small improvements can make a big difference.
Practical - I keep things simple, stay focused, and let common sense be my guide.