Roads and Bridges That Work
Our roads are the arteries of this community. When they deteriorate, everyone pays, in vehicle damage, longer commutes, and real safety risks. The 2026 state transportation budget committed $1.5 billion statewide for maintenance and preservation, but LD 2 needs to make sure we get our fair share. I’ll fight for fully funded road and bridge repair, and I’ll push to advance specific projects our region has been waiting on, including improvements in Yelm along 2nd Street and the Yelm Ave & SR 507 corridor that local planners have already identified and prioritized.

Broadband as Essential Infrastructure
High-speed internet is no longer a luxury, it’s how people work, learn, access healthcare, and run small businesses. Work is already underway to bring fiber to the Nisqually region, connecting over 3,500 homes along the Highway 702 and Highway 7 corridors. That’s progress worth celebrating, but it’s also proof of what’s possible when the state and counties work together. I’ll fight to keep that momentum going and make sure every corner of LD 2 is connected, not just the areas closest to urban centers.

Transit That Connects People to Opportunity
As a Pierce Transit operator and supervisor, I’ve seen firsthand what public transit actually means for working families. It’s how people get to jobs, medical appointments, and grocery stores. Transit isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a lifeline for residents who don’t have the option of sitting in traffic in a personal vehicle. I’ll advocate for sustained transit funding and fight against cuts that leave rural and working families stranded.

Flood and Storm Resilience
The flooding that damaged communities across our region in late 2025 was a wake-up call. We can’t keep treating disaster response as a substitute for smart infrastructure planning. That means investing in drainage systems, levees, and community preparedness before the next storm, not after. It also means protecting the environmental health of the Nisqually Delta and our salmon streams, because our long-term resilience depends on working with our natural systems, not against them.

Ready for Rail
Thurston County has made it clear: our region wants to be ready for rail. Expanding high-capacity transit connections, whether light rail, commuter rail, or other options, is how we reduce congestion, cut emissions, and link our communities to the broader region. I’ll support planning and investment that positions LD 2 to benefit from those future connections, not be left behind when they arrive.