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We Live in a Global Neighborhood I believe the world is more like a neighborhood than we admit. Different cultures. Different histories. Different ways of life. But still connected. And like any neighborhood, how we treat each other matters. I’m running for Congress because the United States should be a good neighbor in the world. That doesn’t mean doing the same thing in every situation. It means knowing what the moment requires. Because being a good neighbor isn’t passive.

Keep Our Promise to Veterans When someone signs up to serve, they’re making a commitment to this country. They’re putting their life on hold. They’re accepting risk most of us will never face. They’re stepping into something bigger than themselves. We ask a lot of them. The least we can do is keep our promise when they come home. I’m running for Congress because too many veterans are still fighting—just in a different way. They’re fighting to get an appointment. Fighting to a

Strengthening Mental Health I’ve sat with people on some of the hardest days of their lives. Not on stages. Not in meetings. In living rooms. In hospital rooms. In quiet moments when everything feels like it’s falling apart. And one thing shows up again and again: People are carrying more than they can carry on their own. Sometimes it’s anxiety that won’t let up. Sometimes it’s depression that drains the energy out of everything. Sometimes it’s grief, stress, or burnout that

Protecting Public Education I’ve spent a lot of time around schools. Not just as a parent, but as a pastor, sitting with families and listening to what they’re carrying. I’ve talked with parents who are worried about their kids falling behind. I’ve listened to teachers who are exhausted but still showing up every day because they care. And I’ve seen something clearly: Public schools are holding a lot more than just lesson plans. They’re holding the future of our communities.

If You’re Working Hard, You Shouldn’t Be Falling Behind Most people don’t expect the system to be perfect. But they do expect it to be fair. If you’re working hard to support your family, you shouldn’t feel like you’re falling behind while others get ahead. And you definitely shouldn’t feel like the rules are tilted against you. Right now, too many families do. They’re paying for groceries, gas, rent, childcare. They’re doing everything they can to stay on top of it all. And

Learning to Trust Each Other Again I say this a lot when I speak: faith doesn’t mean we all believe the same thing. It means we believe in each other. That might sound simple. But right now, it feels almost radical. Because everywhere we turn, we’re being pushed to divide. Turn on the TV, scroll social media, listen to political ads, and you’ll hear the same message: be afraid of them. Blame them. Don’t trust them. It’s constant. And it’s not an accident. Division has become

Faith Should Be Free—Not Forced I’ve been a pastor for three decades. I’ve preached in churches, coffee shops, living rooms, and city parks. I’ve walked with people of deep faith, people questioning their beliefs, and people who have walked away from religion entirely. And I believe this with all my heart: Faith should be free. I’m running for Congress because true religious freedom means everyone has the right to believe, or not believe, without pressure from the government.

Justice Should Mean More Than Punishment One of the most important things I’ve learned in 30 years as a pastor is this: People are more than their worst decision. Our justice system doesn’t always see it that way. I’m running for Congress because justice should be about fairness, accountability, and the chance to rebuild—not just punishment. Right now, our system is out of balance. And the people who pay the highest price are often the ones with the fewest resources. Too many

Every time there’s another mass shooting, we go through the same pattern. Shock. Grief. Anger. Then nothing changes. I’ve stood in the pulpit the Sunday after one of those tragedies, trying to find words. I’ve talked to parents who are afraid to send their kids to school. I’ve watched teachers turn their classrooms into fortresses. And I’ve asked the same question a lot of people are asking: Why are we still living like this? I’m running for Congress because we should be free

I’ve pastored churches where LGBTQ+ people were afraid to be fully seen. I’ve met teenagers kicked out of their homes for coming out. I’ve listened to people share their stories in whispers, worried about how their family, their job, or their community would respond. And I’ve also seen what happens when people choose to live openly, love fully, and speak freely, even when it comes at a cost. That’s the difference freedom makes. I’m running for Congress because if we say we be

Let People Make Their Own Decisions Abortion. Gender-affirming care. Personal medical choices. These are real decisions people are making right now. Not in theory. Not in politics. In their own lives. I’ve sat with people in those moments. Parents trying to figure out what’s best for their child. Women facing decisions they never expected to have to make. People of faith who don’t all agree, but who are trying to do what’s right. These aren’t easy situations. But they are per

The Freedom to Get Care For many years, my family got our health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. We were self-employed, raising kids, doing work we believed in, and hoping we didn’t get sick. Every year, we’d wait to see how much premiums would go up. We’d try to guess what we could afford. And we’d ask the same question over and over: What happens if something really goes wrong? I know what that feels like. And I know we can do better. I’m running for Congress bec

Why Does It Cost So Much Just to Live? In my work with people who have lost their housing, I’ve sat with folks who never imagined it would happen to them. They had jobs. They had families. They were doing their best. Then something shifted. Rent went up. Hours got cut. A medical bill hit. And suddenly, everything was at risk. What I’ve learned is simple: Stability is more fragile than we think. I’m running for Congress because right now, too many families are doing everything

No One Should Be Punished for Caring When our kids were little, Vanessa and I made a decision—we’d figure out a way for her to stay home...

When Life Happens, You Shouldn’t Be On Your Own My grandfather died when my mom was just nine years old. That left my grandmother, Pauline Valentine, to raise her kids on her own. She worked hard. She carried the weight of her family for years. She didn’t ask for much. When she finally retired, it wasn’t because she had a big savings account. It was because of Social Security. That monthly check gave her stability. It gave her rest. It gave her dignity. I’ve seen that same ki

A Clear Plan for Immigrant Families I’ve been to the U.S.-Mexico border several times. I’ve stood next to the wall. I’ve walked through migrant shelters. I’ve looked into the eyes of people who traveled hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles just to find safety for their families. And here’s the truth: What politicians say to score points is not what’s actually happening. They talk about chaos and danger. What I’ve seen are families. Mothers holding their children. Fathers t

Work Shouldn’t Break You My first job was as a paperboy. I rode my bike through the neighborhood each afternoon, tossing newspapers onto porches and getting to know the people who lived behind those front doors. Once a week, I’d go house to house, collecting their subscription money in person. It taught me a lot. Responsibility. Showing up. Pride in earning something of my own. What I didn’t understand then was that for a lot of adults, work doesn’t just bring pride. It bring

This Is the Only Earth We Get I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, less than a mile from Lake Erie. Every summer, we’d head down to the water. Swim. Sit in the sun. Not think too much about anything beyond that moment. We didn’t worry about pollution or water quality. We just knew it was there. Clean enough. Safe enough. Ours. Now I think about that differently. Because not everyone has that experience anymore. And not everyone will. I’m running for Congress because freedom doesn’t

Who Gets Heard? When I first ran for Congress in 2018, I made a decision: I wouldn’t take any corporate PAC money. People told me I was crazy. They said I’d never raise enough to compete. And they were mostly right. I didn’t raise as much as the big-name candidates. But something else happened. I got to look every donor in the eye. I got to hear their stories. I got to remember who I was running for. And it wasn’t corporations. I believe our democracy works best when regular

Telling the Truth Shouldn’t Be Brave I remember the first time I stood behind a pulpit as a pastor. I was nervous. Not because I didn’t know what to say, but because I knew I had to say something true. That’s what preaching is. Not telling people what they want to hear. Telling the truth, even when it’s hard. That same idea should guide our politics. But too often, it doesn’t. Too many politicians are more focused on keeping power than serving people. They say what polls tell