California Assembly District 50

I support Proposition 39 and requiring identification to vote. The measure on the November 3, 2026 ballot requires government-issued identification for in-person voting and identifying information for voting by mail. To me, this is about common sense and confidence in our elections. We show identification for many important things in everyday life, and I don't believe asking voters to verify who they are is unreasonable. At the same time, I don't want an identification requirement to prevent an eligible citizen from voting. The measure provides for the state to make voter ID cards available at no charge upon request. Every legal vote should count, regardless of whether that vote is Republican, Democrat, or independent. Election security should not be a partisan issue. We should make it easy for eligible citizens to vote and difficult for anyone to abuse the system.

An Assemblymember has a responsibility to remember that the money Sacramento spends belongs to taxpayers. California has faced ongoing budget problems, and the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office has warned that the state's fiscal challenges are structural, with spending growth continuing to outpace revenue growth. As a manager, I understand something Sacramento sometimes seems to forget: you cannot continually spend more money than you bring in. I would go through the budget, identify waste and duplication, demand measurable results from state programs, and prioritize necessities before creating new programs. I would also work to rebuild reserves and reduce our reliance on borrowing and temporary budget fixes. My first answer to every deficit would not be another tax increase. California already asks a lot from working families and businesses. Government needs to live within its means just like the families it represents.

I support America's relationship with Israel and believe Israel has the right to defend itself and protect its citizens. As a Christian who reads and values the Bible, Israel has special significance to my faith. But my support is also based on America's national interests and our longstanding relationship with Israel. At the same time, I believe every innocent human life has value. We should pray and work for peace and for the protection of innocent civilians caught in conflict. As a State Assembly candidate, I also recognize the limits of the office I am seeking. Foreign policy is primarily the responsibility of our federal government. My job in Sacramento would be to focus on California and the needs of the people I represent. My guiding principles would remain the same: stand with our allies, oppose terrorism and antisemitism, protect innocent life, and always hope and pray for lasting peace.

I support President Donald Trump's efforts to secure our border and enforce our immigration laws. His administration has pursued measures including additional border enforcement resources, expanded wall construction and changes to enforcement policies. I believe a country has both the right and the responsibility to know who is entering. Securing the border is about public safety, stopping drugs and human trafficking, and respecting the rule of law. I also believe we can enforce our immigration laws while treating people with dignity and compassion. Those two things do not have to be opposites. I have tremendous respect for immigrants who came here legally, worked hard, raised families and contributed to their communities. We should have a legal immigration system that works and doesn't punish people who follow the rules. Secure the border, enforce the law, improve the legal immigration process, and treat people humanely. To me, that's common sense.

I respect the decision California voters made on Proposition 3 in 2024. The measure passed and amended the California Constitution to recognize the right to marry as a fundamental right. Personally, my Christian faith shapes my beliefs about marriage, and I will never hide my faith simply because I am running for office. At the same time, if I am elected, I will represent people of every background, including people who do not share my religious beliefs. I believe every person should be treated with dignity and respect. California voters have spoken, and elected officials have a responsibility to respect the Constitution and the law. I also believe strongly in protecting religious liberty. Churches, pastors, religious organizations and individuals should not be forced by government to abandon sincerely held religious beliefs. We can disagree about deeply personal issues without treating one another as enemies. That is the kind of leadership I want to bring to Sacramento.

I am pro-life. My faith teaches me that every human life has value, including the unborn, and that belief is important to me. I support the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization to return abortion policy to the people and their elected representatives. The Court held that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion and returned authority over abortion regulation to the democratic process. But being pro-life has to mean more than talking about abortion. We should support women facing difficult pregnancies, strengthen adoption, help families who are struggling, and make sure mothers know they are not alone. This is an emotional and deeply personal issue, and I understand that good people have very different views about it. I won't compromise my values, but I will treat people who disagree with me with respect. My goal is to protect life while showing compassion to women and families facing difficult circumstances.

As a school board member, I strongly support parental rights. Parents should not be treated like outsiders when it comes to important issues affecting their own children. The Supreme Court on March 2, 2026 lifted a stay as to the parent plaintiffs involving California policies that restricted disclosure to parents about a child's gender transition at school. The Court concluded that the parents seeking religious exemptions were likely to succeed on their constitutional claims. I support that decision. Teachers and counselors play an important role, but they should be partners with parents, not replacements for them. When a child is struggling emotionally, socially, or with questions about identity, parents should generally be involved so they can provide love, guidance and appropriate care. There can be exceptional situations involving genuine threats to a child's safety, and those situations should be handled carefully. Schools should never build a wall of secrecy for children.

As a school board member, I take the health and safety of students seriously. California currently requires specific immunizations for students entering school, including vaccines for diseases such as polio, measles, hepatitis B and chickenpox, along with additional requirements at certain grade levels. I believe vaccines have played an important role in protecting children from serious diseases. At the same time, I believe parents should have a meaningful voice in medical decisions involving their children. Government should be very careful when it mandates medical treatment. Any requirement should be based on strong medical evidence, transparency and a clear public-health need, and legitimate medical exemptions must be respected. My approach is simple: protect children's health, respect parents, follow the evidence, and make decisions based on what is best for students rather than politics.