The most frequent question I get is, “Why?” The short answer is, when I see an area to help, I jump in. The long answer…well, isn’t that why you’re reading?

I’m a public school educator, a union member, a husband, son, and brother, a dad of two boys, a foster parent to 13 children and counting, and a pet adopter (multiple times over). In all of these capacities, I have the duty to care and protect. I am running for Congress because as a middle-class teacher and parent, I know that the worries we face after class and after bedtime don’t stop when the sun rises. I want to find solutions to our biggest concerns as parents, children of aging adults, and Americans. I don’t have every solution, but I know how to ask questions, listen closely, and motivate groups to work together to get closer to the right answers. 

Growing up in New Jersey in a single-parent household, there were some tough times. When I was five years old, my father died by suicide after battling drug and alcohol addiction. My mother struggled to make ends meet. I started working as soon as I could get a job to help support myself and my family. I began teaching in 2003 and after some breaks for graduate degrees, found my way back to the classroom, while also raising a family. 

When our eldest son was 2, he was diagnosed with a serious kidney disease. Being insured through the ACA meant he was able to receive the care he needed. This insurance was afforded to us as I was working for several jobs that did not provide benefits. As a parent, the relief I felt knowing that he would be able to see the specialists he needed was one of the only comforts I had during that terrifying period. As your representative, I will work to expand access, accessibility, and affordability to all types of healthcare, especially for those who need it most. The promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness should not depend upon your ability to afford it. 

As a late Gen x’er, like many of my generation, we are staring down college tuition for our children and the eventuality of elder care for our parents. With rising costs for both and threats to cut Social Security and Medicare, we are worried about how to make decisions that care for both our parents and our children. As your representative, I will work to make college affordable, elder care manageable, and Social Security a viable retirement plan for everyday Americans. 

As a music educator, I meet my students where they are and work hard to inspire them as they find their voice and develop the confidence to express that voice. I know how to work with a disparate group of people toward a goal and I am confident that I can bring that to Washington for New Jersey’s 3rd District.

The time is now – let’s keep the incredible forward motion that Andy Kim created representing the 3rd District. Don’t let us slide back into career politicians or yet another lawyer – join me in as we continue to build a movement that is truly grassroots, from the people up.