Husband. Father. Veteran. Detective. Small Business Owner. Fourth-Generation Whatcom County Resident.

 

This is personal to me.

 

Whatcom County has always been a place where hard work meant something.

 

It was a place where a person could build a career, buy a home, raise a family, and retire with dignity.

 

For generations, families put down roots here. They built businesses. Worked the farms. Served their communities. Raised their children believing that if they worked hard, the future would be better than the past.

 

Today, too many people are no longer sure that promise still exists.

​

Every week, I hear from parents worried their children may never be able to afford a home in the community where they grew up.

​

I hear from young adults who love Whatcom County but are considering leaving because they feel opportunities are easier to find elsewhere.

​

I hear from seniors who spent a lifetime working and saving, yet now find themselves choosing between prescriptions, groceries, and utility bills.

​

I see small business owners working longer hours while costs continue to rise.

​

I see farmers struggling to preserve a way of life that helped build this county.

​

And I see families asking a question that should concern everyone of us:

Will the next generation be able to build their future here?

​

I believe they should.

​

I believe the people who grow up here should have the opportunity to stay here.

​

Across Whatcom County, from Bellingham and Ferndale to Lynden,

 

Blaine, our rural farming communities, and the sovereign nations of the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe, people are asking many of the same questions:

​

Can I afford to stay here?

​

Will my children have opportunities here?

​​

Is the government listening?

​​

These concerns are not political talking points. They are real challenges facing real people.

​​

That is why I am running for State Representative.

​​

My campaign is focused on three priorities that matter most to the people of Whatcom County.

​​

​

Affordability in Whatcom County

 

Families, farmers, and small businesses are being squeezed by rising costs.

 

Housing is becoming less affordable. Energy bills and grocery prices continue to climb. Small businesses face growing expenses and regulations, while farmers are struggling with higher fuel, feed, labor, and operating costs.

 

I talk every day with hardworking people who are doing everything right and still feel like they are falling behind.

​

When you have lived here, worked here, and raised a family here, you do not see voters. You see neighbors.

​

Affordability is about more than lowering costs. It is also about creating opportunity.

​

We need family-wage jobs, stronger career pathways, support for local businesses, and partnerships between education and industry that allow our young people to build successful careers without leaving Whatcom County.

​

Agriculture has always been the backbone of Whatcom County. When farming struggles, our entire community feels the impact.

​

The Lummi Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe are also important partners in the future of Whatcom County. Their contributions to our economy, workforce, culture, and communities help strengthen our region. Having served as a police officer for the Lummi Nation, I have seen firsthand the value of strong relationships built on trust, respect, and partnership.

​

As your State Representative, I will:

• Push back on policies that increase the cost of living.

• Carefully scrutinize new taxes and fees before they are passed.

• Reduce unnecessary regulations that drive up housing and construction costs.

• Support workforce training, apprenticeships, and career pathways that connect local students to local jobs.

• Support policies that encourage family-wage job growth and economic opportunity.

• Support farmers, small businesses, and local industries that help drive our economy.

​

Public Safety Through Behavioral Health

 

People deserve communities that are safe, secure, and supported.

After nearly two decades in law enforcement and public service, I have learned that public safety is about more than responding to crime.

Every shift is a reminder that behind every call for service is a real person who is scared, frustrated, overwhelmed, or hurting.

I meet people struggling with untreated mental illness who do not know where to turn. Families are exhausted from trying to help a loved one battling addiction. Neighbors feel like no one is listening.

Too often, the first real intervention happens only after someone hits rock bottom.

By then, families are exhausted. First responders are stretched thin. The human and financial costs are far greater than they need to be.

Too often, what I see is not simply criminal behavior. It is untreated pain.

We should not wait until someone is homeless, addicted, in jail, or in the emergency room before offering help.

We can, and we must step in sooner.

Public safety is about compassion paired with accountability. It is about early intervention, accessible behavioral health care, and support systems that help prevent crises before they happen.

As your State Representative, I will:

• Support law enforcement, firefighters, paramedics, and dispatchers with clear laws and adequate staffing.

• Prioritize victims' rights and public safety.

• Expand access to mental health and addiction treatment services.

• Reduce waiting times for treatment and recovery services.

• Improve coordination between behavioral health providers, public safety agencies, and local communities.

• Support local behavioral health providers and recovery programs.

• Promote solutions focused on treatment, recovery, accountability, and long-term success.

​

​

Government Accountability and Transparency

 

Government works best when it listens, communicates openly, and remains accountable to the people it serves.

 

Taxpayers deserve to know how their money is being spent, whether programs are producing results, and who is responsible when government falls short.

 

In the military and in law enforcement, you do not get to blame someone else when things go wrong. You step up. You take responsibility. You fix what you can. And you learn from what you cannot.

 

That mindset is missing in too much of today's politics.

Accountability means measuring results, being honest about what is working and what is not and making decisions based on outcomes rather than politics.

 

Transparency means keeping the public informed, explaining decisions openly, and ensuring government remains accessible to the people it represents.

​

As your State Representative, I will:

• Stay connected to communities throughout Whatcom County.

• Listen to residents, business owners, farmers, local leaders, and tribal governments.

• Bring Whatcom County's voice to Olympia.

• Promote transparency in government spending and decision-making.

• Focus on practical solutions instead of partisan politics.

• Be accountable for results and responsive to the people I represent.

 

A Clear Vision for Whatcom County

 

The question facing Whatcom County is bigger than politics.

It is about the kind of community we want to leave behind.

​

Will we become a place where only a few can afford to live?

​

Or will we remain a place where working families can build a life, buy a home, raise children, start businesses, work the land, and retire with dignity?

​

I believe our best days are still ahead of us.

​

Most importantly, I believe we can build a future in which our children and grandchildren have the same opportunities as previous generations.

​

A future where a young family can afford their first home.

​

A future where seniors can remain in the communities they helped build.

​

A future where local businesses can thrive.

​

A future where farmers can continue passing their operations on to the next generation.

​

​