Responses to the 2026 Wisconsin Young Voter Candidate Questionnaire,
published exactly as submitted, in the candidate's own words.
Submitted October 2026.
01
Why are you running for office, and how does your background and experience shape your ability to be an effective public servant, specifically when it comes to serving young people, specifically under the age of 35, in BIPOC, working-class, rural, and immigrant communities of Wisconsin?
I’m running for governor because young people deserve to build a secure future in Wisconsin. You should be able to afford a home, find meaningful work, and get health care without one unexpected expense putting everything at risk.
I grew up in Milwaukee facing eviction, financial insecurity, and parents struggling with addiction and mental health. Those experiences taught me how decisions made in government reach directly into a child’s life. Youth organizing through Urban Underground helped me see that I could help change those decisions.
I went on to serve in the State Assembly and became Milwaukee County’s youngest and first Black County Executive. After that election, I went back to school to earn my college degree. I spent nights and weekends writing papers, because I believe education is important. Many of the wonderful opportunities in my life I had to create for myself.
I understand that my experience does not represent every community. Serving rural, immigrant, working-class, and BIPOC young people means listening to their experiences and giving them a meaningful role in shaping policy. As governor, I will bring both that commitment and the practical experience of running a government that people depend on.
02
What do you believe to be the top concerns and specific challenges facing young people under the age of 35, in communities across Wisconsin? How would you prioritize and advance these priorities once in office?
Young people are trying to establish themselves, while the cost of independence keeps rising. Rent, child care, health care, and transportation can consume a paycheck before someone can save for the future. With AI radically reshaping the future workforce, it is harder than ever for graduates to find a job and build a career.
My first budget would prioritize lowering everyday costs, particularly rent and gas, as we improve access to quality health care, affordable child care, home ownership and family-supporting jobs.
We need to build an affordable, accessible mental health system that can meet modern needs. The current system cannot meet the need, especially among young people. We must do better, which means training more mental health professionals and expanding access to them.
We also must protect our fundamental rights. I will champion a constitutional amendment to protect reproductive rights and abortion access, because these decisions belong with patients, not politicians. I have also proposed a constitutional amendment to protect essential voting rights, including early voting and vote by mail.
We should measure whether these investments help people establish stable lives. That means tracking housing costs relative to income, access to care, and earnings after workforce training.
03
How do you assess the current state of housing affordability in Wisconsin as it relates to residents under the age of 35? What factors do you believe are contributing to rising housing and rental costs, and what specific policies or actions would you support to make housing more affordable and accessible?
For many young adults, housing costs delay every other goal: completing school, starting a family, or saving for a home. High rent also makes it harder to save up the down payment needed to buy a home.
Too little housing, restrictive zoning, construction costs, and competition for starter homes all contribute. Wisconsin needs more homes people can afford and stronger tools to help people remain housed.
I support allowing more duplexes and smaller apartment buildings, converting unused commercial space, expanding down payment assistance, and strengthening eviction prevention.
We should judge housing investments by what they deliver: homes completed, rents and purchase prices, and access for people earning ordinary wages. Public investment should come with clear affordability expectations.
Rural communities need a meaningful place in this work. Smaller developments and rehabilitation projects can make a substantial difference in a community where financing is difficult to secure.
Young renters and prospective buyers should have a voice in housing decisions alongside developers and existing homeowners.
04
Climate and environmental decisions made today will have long-term impacts on Wisconsin residents under the age of 35, including energy costs, public health, infrastructure, and economic opportunity. As Wisconsin sees growth in large-scale developments, including data centers and other energy-intensive projects, how would you balance economic development with environmental sustainability and affordability? What specific policies or actions would you support, and how would you measure their impact on young adults?
Economic development should improve the lives of the people who already live here. A project that creates jobs while increasing household utility bills or straining local water resources needs serious scrutiny.
I support requiring data centers to cover their grid and infrastructure costs, establishing water quality and environment safeguards, and investing in cleaner energy.
Before committing public resources, Wisconsin should require a clear accounting of a project’s demands, benefits, and risks. Communities need understandable information about water consumption, energy demand, permanent employment, and public costs. Bottomline: local communities should have the final say.
Agreements should establish measurable obligations and consequences when developers fail to deliver. We also need to plan for what happens if a facility closes or uses less power than projected.
For young adults, I would measure success through household energy costs, access to training and permanent jobs, and environmental conditions in affected communities. Those results should be public.
Young people will live longest with the infrastructure decisions we make today. They deserve an opportunity to shape those decisions before agreements are finalized.
05
How do you assess the current state of employment, education, and workforce training opportunities for Wisconsin residents and what actions would you support to improve outcomes specifically for young adults under the age of 35?
Wisconsin has strong universities, technical colleges, and employers. The challenge is making those opportunities accessible to someone who needs a paycheck now and cannot afford years of uncertainty. I lived this challenge personally.
I support expanding paid apprenticeships and dual enrollment, with targeted loan repayment for high-need professions.
A successful workforce program must lead to a recognized credential and a job that supports a person or family. I would evaluate programs by completion, job placement, and earnings after participants leave—not simply the number enrolled.
We also need to address why people leave programs before finishing. Transportation, child care, unpredictable schedules, and an unexpected expense can derail a capable student. Investments should account for those practical barriers.
Employers receiving public support should participate in designing useful training and make clear commitments to hiring.
Young adults should be able to choose college, skilled trades, or another career pathway with reliable information about costs and likely outcomes. Each route deserves respect and a realistic opportunity to succeed.
06
Rural communities across Wisconsin face unique challenges in accessing education, training, and career opportunities. How do you assess these barriers for residents under the age of 35 in rural communities, and what specific policies would you support to improve access to technical education and workforce pathways?
Distance can turn an available opportunity into an inaccessible one. A training program does little good if someone cannot reach campus, find child care, or attend classes around a work schedule.
I would bring technical colleges, employers, school districts, and local leaders together to identify the specific gaps in each region. Solutions could include shared training sites, mobile labs, transportation assistance, and courses scheduled around working adults.
Online instruction can help, but hands-on careers still require equipment and supervised experience. We should combine remote learning with accessible local instruction rather than assume every student can travel regularly to a distant campus.
I support regional transportation options and stronger connections between education and local employment.
Rural workforce investments should give young people a realistic opportunity to stay in their communities. We should track whether participants complete training, secure employment nearby, and earn enough to establish a household.
Young adults, including young parents, should help design these programs so schedules and services reflect their actual lives.
07
Wisconsin’s statewide safety net - including healthcare access, unemployment benefits, housing assistance, and education or job training opportunities - helps people navigate periods of transition and hardship. How well do these systems meet the needs of Wisconsin residents specifically under the age of 35, what gaps exist, and what specific policies would you support to make these resources more accessible and effective for young adults?
Young adults often navigate several transitions at once: leaving school, changing jobs, becoming parents, or moving into their own housing. Assistance should help people regain stability during those transitions.
Too often, accessing help becomes another job. Applicants must understand separate programs, repeat their story, and fit appointments around work or school.
I support a No Wrong Door approach and broader access to BadgerCare.
I would also direct agencies to review application burdens, processing delays, and coordination between benefits and workforce programs. People should receive clear notices, understandable eligibility information, and assistance in the language they use.
Where legally permitted, agencies should reuse verified information rather than repeatedly request the same paperwork. Online access should be paired with telephone and in-person help.
For unemployment benefits, housing assistance, and training support, accountability should include how long people wait and whether they successfully receive help.
A young person reaching out during a difficult transition should encounter a system organized around helping them move forward.
08
What do you believe are the primary drivers of affordability challenges for Wisconsin residents under the age of 35, and what specific policy solutions would you pursue to lower costs and improve economic security for young adults?
Fundamentally, affordability is the relationship between what you earn and what you have to spend. Today, young adults have very little room to build savings as basic bills eat up their income.
I support raising wages, restoring collective bargaining rights, expanding affordable child care, and reducing housing and energy costs.
These policies should work together. A parent cannot benefit from a better job if child care costs absorb the additional income. A lower rent payment means less if transportation to work becomes unaffordable.
My administration would evaluate affordability measures against realistic household budgets, including those of renters, students, single parents, and rural workers.
We should also examine how assistance changes as earnings rise. Where state policy creates an abrupt loss of support, I would work to make those transitions more manageable.
Economic security means having enough left after paying the bills to handle an emergency and plan ahead. That is the outcome I want Wisconsin to deliver to the next generation.
09
As governor, what steps would you take to engage young adults under the age of 35, outside of electoral cycles to strengthen year-round participation in community and civic life?
I began in youth organizing. I know young people have the knowledge and ability to shape their communities when they have access to the people making decisions.
As governor, I would establish a standing young adult advisory group with representation from rural communities, tribal nations, campuses, organized labor, and immigrant and BIPOC communities. Membership should include people who are working, parenting, or seeking employment, alongside students.
I would hold regular regional listening sessions and publish follow-up reports identifying what we heard, what agencies will do, and where action requires legislation.
Participation must be practical. Evening and virtual options, accessible locations, and language access would help more people take part.
I would also recruit young adults for state boards and commissions and expand access to paid public-service opportunities.
The test is whether participation changes decisions. Young people deserve a clear explanation of how their recommendations influenced a budget, program, or policy—and an honest answer when government cannot act.
10
If Wisconsin residents between the ages of 18 and 35 take away just one message from your responses, what do you hope it is, and why?
You deserve to build a future in Wisconsin, and you deserve a voice in shaping it.
Whether you want to finish school, learn a trade, start a business, raise a family, or put down roots in your hometown, the government should help make that possible.
I know what it feels like to grow up without stability. I also know how much can change when someone sees your potential and gives you an opportunity to lead.
As governor, I want young people to see tangible progress in their lives: a home they can afford, care they can access, and work that lets them get ahead.
You should expect clear commitments and measurable results from me. You should also expect to be heard throughout my administration.
Wisconsin’s future depends on whether young people can see a place for themselves here. I’m running to help make that future attainable.
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