Our Democracy

Preserving our democracy—those aren’t just words to me. My mother and her family survived the Dachau concentration camp and years as slave laborers. My father and his family were forcibly removed from Poland to a gulag in northern Russia. Theirs is a long, winding horror story that brought them to Minnesota as refugees to a better life—and American democracy.

The rise of authoritarianism here and abroad sends a chill down my spine. This is deeply personal, and we must never let the world’s bullies have power again.

Our state is a beacon of democracy. We consistently lead the nation in voter turnout. We can be proud of our secure election system. As Minnesotans, we have historically believed in doing our civic duty.

The most basic and pure form of representative government is at the local level. As a twice elected Afton City Council member, I know it is my job to represent my neighbors and our city regardless of political party. This is the basics of government: quality of life, shared community values, public safety, maintaining roads and other local infrastructure. It’s about what unites a community and its residents. I believe the Minnesota House of Representatives is the closest thing to that kind of representation at the state level—it’s why it’s called the People’s House. This is where I hope to serve my neighbors as we continue to preserve our precious democracy.

The democracy our nation's founders created is under attack from lies, "alternative facts," and abuse of the power that they tried so hard to balance among three co-equal branches of government. Old injustices are becoming the new norm, used to divide us against each other. We the people cannot rely on rules, norms, facts, judges, and law enforcement, although together they can help. Only the people can reclaim a politics that honors the voice of the people. Please join me in making that happen with your vote this fall!