I would love to shut down NWDC. However, I do not think we have any legal grounds to do so. If elected Mayor, I will do everything in my power to ensure that any individual incarcerated there is treated with dignity and respect, and to advocate for their release. This includes supporting the recently passed bill intended to increase the amount of oversight by the Health Department, L&I, and others. It also includes addressing the lack of support for individuals if they are released and for respectfully managing and allowing peaceful protests out front. 

I support every effort possible to restrict City cooperation with ICE. We need to make it as difficult as possible for ICE to do any targeting of individuals in our community. Immigrants are not criminals and they should not be kidnapped from out community. We must have strong relationships with other agencies and jurisdictions. Actions we take can and will ripple beyond our City, just as actions taken by other jurisdictions will similarly have impact. We need to be sure we are lock-step with our allies so as to create a united front. We also must be strategic in supporting each other, from legal action to passing legislation to sharing of information. 

When Sheriff Keith Swank publicly expressed support for ICE activities, I immediately reached out to the City of Tacoma about their contract with the Jail. My question - what steps would the City take to ensure that ICE was not allowed access to people detained by Tacoma Police in the Pierce County Jail? This is the type of forward thinking we must infuse into our approach to everything. As the Chair of the 27th Dems, I have advocated for concerned members to contact their elected officials with specific questions and messages to protect members of our community from ICE.

Tacoma's strength lies in its diversity, but we must acknowledge that historically marginalized communities continue to face systemic barriers to education and economic opportunity. As mayor, I will always take a comprehensive, data-driven approach to tackling these issues. 

I'll prioritize collaboration with our community colleges and unions to develop targeted job training programs specifically designed to connect underrepresented residents with growing industries where family-wage jobs are available. Additionally, I support efforts to expand apprenticeship programs that partner with unions and technical programs for city infrastructure projects, ensuring that public investments create pathways to careers with living wages, benefits, and advancement opportunities for communities that have historically been excluded from these sectors.

Creating lasting, meaningful change requires clear pathways from education to employment. I will work with our school district, community colleges, and local businesses to establish transparent career pathways that guide students from high school through technical or higher education and into quality jobs. This work must be intentional and focused, with specific outreach and support systems for BIPOC communities, immigrants, people with disabilities, and others who face additional barriers. These pathways should include wraparound services addressing challenges like childcare, transportation, and financial aid that often prevent talented individuals from accessing educational opportunities and completing programs that lead to family-supporting careers.

My administration will implement accountability measures including shared metrics across institutions, regular public reporting through accessible dashboards, and comprehensive economic impact analyses that measure the return on investment for each initiative. Most importantly, we should track student success from K-12 through college to employment, with particular attention to outcomes for historically marginalized groups.

The ultimate measure of our success will be improvements in quality of life for all Tacomans, particularly those from communities that have faced historic barriers. I will ensure that educational improvements are directly connected to broader community outcomes including health indicators, housing stability, wealth building, and civic engagement. By taking a holistic approach and maintaining consistent focus on equity in both process and outcomes, we can build a Tacoma where everyone has genuine access to the education and employment opportunities they need to thrive, regardless of their background, neighborhood, or circumstances.

I would like to invest CCA funding into credible climate solutions to suit Tacoma’s needs:

Transportation is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in Tacoma. It is paramount that we utilize CCA funds to sponsor more sustainable transportation systems. Those who would like to walk, roll, bike, or take transit for a trip need connected sidewalks, better bike routes, and safe crossings. In the Puget Sound region, 23% of trips are one mile or less, and 63% are five miles or less. These short trips are the easiest to reduce. However, the number of people killed or seriously injured in crashes on Tacoma roadways is at the highest level in over a decade, indicating a tremendous need to improve the safety of our streets. Strong and sustainable public transit is also vital to improve our emissions. In 2023, Pierce Transit delivered more than 6.8 million rides. They have a goal of having a 20% zero-emission bus fleet by 2030 and recently completed its Zero Emissions Bus Plan, which outlines how the agency’s fleet will be 100% zero emission by 2042, pending adequate funding. Putting Climate Commitment Act funds into efforts like this means the dollars can instantly make a difference for the planet and Tacomans.

Additionally, I would utilize CCA funding to incentivize the greater use of Solar panels (ensuring their presence on all government building, including schools, where sun exposure is well suited), creating programs to update energy and appliances for low income residents so that their utility bill and carbon footprint is smaller, and finally, planting additional street trees (which are vital for improving air quality, reducing the heat island effect, and providing habitat for urban wildlife) in Tacoma’s neighborhoods and throughways.

As Mayor of Tacoma, I would leverage my position and years long relationships with elected leaders to become a powerful advocate for fully funding education and reforming Washington's regressive tax system. While education funding is primarily a state responsibility, mayors have significant platforms to shape policy discussions and build coalitions for change. I would use my office to consistently highlight how Tacoma's schools are impacted by funding shortfalls, and document the real consequences of underfunding. By amplifying these stories and data, we can create compelling narratives that demonstrate the urgent need for reform to state legislators, the media, and the broader public.

The Mayor's office can also coordinate direct advocacy efforts, organizing delegations of civic leaders, business representatives, and education stakeholders to lobby Olympia. I would work closely with the Association of Washington Cities, the Washington State School Directors' Association, and WEA to develop a unified municipal position on education funding and tax reform. 

As we all know, Washington's tax system remains one of the most regressive in the nation, placing disproportionate burdens on lower and middle-income families while limiting funding for essential services like education. As Mayor, I would advocate for comprehensive reform including exploring capital gains taxes and implementing more progressive revenue options. I would use my platform to educate voters about how our current system disadvantages both Tacoma's schools and our most vulnerable residents. By framing tax reform as an investment in both educational excellence and economic opportunity, we can build broader support for these necessary changes.

By demonstrating that these issues transcend individual communities and impact the entire state's future, we create the political momentum necessary for fundamental reform. As Mayor, I would ensure Tacoma is on the front of this critical conversation, fighting for a funding system that provides every student with an excellent education while creating a more equitable tax structure for all Washington residents.

Gun violence is preventable. I support common sense gun laws and efforts to get guns off our streets. Centering children is paramount to creating a better future for our city. My initiative on childcare is not just for small children; childcare is caring for children of all ages, because all children deserve to reach adulthood.

In 2022, Dr. Joshua Garcia, the superintendent of Tacoma Public Schools, went to local government agencies with a message that ten students were lost to gun violence during the school year. In response, Garcia collaborated with multiple agencies to confront this tragedy, creating the Summer Late Night program. The program served teens on weeknights from June through August, granting them places to be themselves, eat, and most of all, be safe.

To protect our children, Tacoma needs to expand on Dr. Joshua Garcia’s efforts, increasing the accessibility of childcare for children of all ages. As your Mayor, I will spearhead a no-excuses effort to ensure that every child in Tacoma has a safe place to be all summer, so our kids can remain happy, healthy, and safe.