The question I get asked the most after I tell someone I am running for office is: "Why?" My motivation to become a politician can be explained by an adage that has been worded many different ways throughout history, but this is my favorite version: "A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in".

I turned 30 in 2025, I am among the first generation of Americans who will come of age in a worse position than their parents (Luhby 2020). The reason my generation is falling behind is not because of avocado toast or daily coffees, it is because the deck has been stacked against us either intentionally or not. According to the Federal Reserve in Q3 of 2025 68.1% of all wealth in the United States was held by the top 10% wealthiest Americans, 14.4% of which is held by top .1%, the highest it has been since the Federal Reserve began tracking this data in 1989. It is my belief that very few politicians want to plant the metaphorical trees for the next generations, instead they line their pockets as the ultra wealthy chop down the forests with no regard for the shade future generations will need. I want every person to have a real chance at the American dream, no matter where they come from, who they pray or don't pray to, or how they look.

My politics are simple, I am pro-education, pro-worker's rights, pro Medicare for All, anti-oligarch, and anti-fascists. These should not be radical positions, but in 2026 in the United States they are. It is time we fight back against the elite ruling class in this nation and in this state and begin to claw back worker protections and basic human rights. If you believe that South Dakota should work for South Dakotans and not the ultra wealthy who want to use the state as a tax haven, if you believe that medical decisions should be made between a person and their doctor, and if you believe that a better South Dakota is possible then I hope you will support me in this campaign.