Candidate Q&A
Why are you running?
I decided to run after the 2024 election, when I learned that Mary Miller had run unopposed in Illinois’ 15th Congressional District. I knew that couldn’t happen again. People deserve a choice.
I’m a second-generation nurse, a mom, and the daughter of a veteran raised in a union home right here in Illinois. I’ve worked night shifts. I’ve been on Medicaid and SNAP to feed my child. I know what it feels like to work hard and still worry about whether there is enough money left at the end of the month.
Over the past year, I’ve traveled throughout this district and talked to farmers, teachers, nurses, veterans, small business owners, parents, seniors, and working families. I’ve been to all 35 counties, and while every community is different, I keep hearing the same things: people are worried about the cost of groceries and gas, healthcare and prescription drugs, keeping their farms in the family, the future of their schools, and whether anyone in Washington is actually listening.
That’s why I’m running.
I believe IL-15 deserves a representative who will show up, listen, and do the work. Someone who understands what it is like to live here, work here, raise a family here, and worry about the same things our neighbors worry about.
That’s the kind of representative I intend to be.
What do you think is the most pressing issue facing your constituents and how do you plan on addressing it?
The issue I hear about most is affordability.
From working families to farmers, people are working hard, but their paychecks aren’t going as far as they used to or should.
Groceries cost more. Gas costs more. Prescription drugs cost more. Housing and childcare cost more. And when something unexpected happens, a lot of families don’t have much room left to absorb it.
I know that feeling. I’ve lived it.
Healthcare is a big part of that problem, especially in a rural district like ours. Families, seniors, and veterans shouldn’t have to drive hours to see a specialist or choose between filling a prescription and paying another bill. Our rural hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, and healthcare providers are under enormous pressure.
The 2025 reconciliation law made those concerns even more serious. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the law will reduce federal Medicaid spending by about $1.2 trillion from 2026 through 2035 and reduce Medicaid enrollment by 13.1 million people by 2035. It also estimates that changes to SNAP will reduce federal spending on the program by $211 billion through 2035.
In Congress, I’ll focus on lowering costs, protecting Medicare and Medicaid, lowering prescription drug prices, strengthening rural healthcare, supporting working families, and making sure our communities have the resources they need.
What is one unique challenge your district faces and how do you plan to address it?
IL-15 is huge. We have 35 counties across 17,000 square miles, which is one-third of the state geographically. Small towns and rural communities, farms, manufacturing communities, suburbs, and everything in between.
That means there is no one-size-fits-all answer for this district.
A farmer in one part of the district may be worried about commodity prices and whether their children will be able to take over the family farm. A senior in another community may be worried about prescription costs or whether their local hospital will still be there when they need it. A young family may be worried about childcare, groceries, or whether they can afford to stay in the community where they grew up.
That’s why I’ve spent this campaign showing up and listening.
And that’s what I’ll continue to do as a member of Congress. I’ll hold town halls and office hours throughout the district. I’ll visit communities instead of expecting everyone to come to me. And if someone calls my office, they should get an answer.
I don’t believe being a member of Congress means you get to stop listening once the election is over.
What do you think federal immigration reform should look like?
Just saying the word immigration can turn a conversation into a confrontation these days.
I don’t believe it has to.
We can secure our borders, enforce our immigration laws, and still treat people with fairness and basic human dignity.
We can believe people who are here without legal status must follow our laws and believe everyone deserves due process.
We can expect law enforcement to focus on dangerous criminals, cartels, trafficking, and fentanyl while recognizing that many immigrants are people who work hard, raise families, run businesses, and contribute to our communities.
We also need a legal immigration system that actually works. That means dealing with the enormous backlog in our immigration courts, making sure there are enough judges and resources to process cases, and maintaining lawful pathways for people who qualify to come here.
I believe we can have secure borders and enforce our laws without abandoning our Constitution or our basic humanity.
How should Congress address the rising costs of health care?
As a nurse, I’ve seen what happens when people delay care because they’re worried about what it will cost.
And in IL-15, getting care can be difficult even when you have insurance. We have rural hospitals that are stretched thin, fewer providers in some communities, and families who may have to travel a long way to get the care they need.
We need to bring down the cost of prescription drugs and make sure people know what they are going to pay before they receive care. We also need to invest in preventive care and mental health services, because taking care of a problem early is better for the patient and better for the healthcare system.
And we have to protect Medicare and Medicaid.
These are not abstract programs to the people I talk to. They are how a senior gets their medications. They are how a family gets their child to the doctor. They are how rural hospitals keep their doors open.
The 2025 reconciliation law is projected by CBO to reduce Medicaid enrollment substantially and increase the number of people without health insurance.
I’ll fight to make healthcare more affordable and make sure people in this district can get care close to home.
What approach would you take on tax policy and what is your top priority?
My first question is always going to be: What does this mean for working people?
Because people in IL-15 are already doing the math every time they go to the grocery store or fill up their tank. They’re figuring out how to pay for childcare, prescriptions, utilities, and everything else that comes with raising a family.
I believe people who work hard should be able to afford their lives.
I want a tax system that is fair to working families and small businesses, and that doesn’t give special advantages to people who already have more than enough.
I also think we have to be honest about the whole picture. You can’t talk about taxes without talking about what people are paying for healthcare, housing, childcare, education, and basic necessities.
My priority is making sure working families and local businesses have a fair shot to get ahead.
Is the House currently using its oversight powers in the way it should be? What areas of government need more or less oversight?
Congress has a responsibility to ask questions and make sure the government is doing what it is supposed to do.
As a nurse, I learned pretty quickly that you don’t solve a problem by ignoring it. You look at what is happening, you ask questions, you listen to the people involved, and then you fix what isn’t working.
I would want strong oversight of federal spending, government contracts, waste and fraud, veterans’ services, Medicare and Medicaid, rural healthcare, agriculture programs, and immigration enforcement.
I also want Congress to look at whether federal programs are actually working for the people they are supposed to serve.
And oversight should not just be an excuse to hold another hearing and move on. If something is wrong, we should do something about it.
People deserve answers. They deserve to know where their tax dollars are going. And they deserve a government that works.
What is the most pressing foreign policy issue facing the country and what role should the House play in dealing with it?
There are several serious national security challenges facing the United States right now, including China, Russia, Iran, and instability in the Middle East, cybersecurity threats, and the security of our supply chains.
The House has a responsibility to take those threats seriously, support our military, work with our allies, and make sure taxpayer dollars are being spent responsibly.
I also believe Congress has a responsibility to ask what our goals are and whether the policies we are funding are actually achieving them.
My father is a veteran, so I’ve always understood that decisions made in Washington have real consequences for military families and for the people who serve.
We need a strong national defense, strong alliances, and responsible oversight. And we need to make sure that when we send our service members into harm’s way, Congress has done its job and understands the mission.
How do you view AI and the role the government should play in its regulation?
AI is going to change a lot of things, and I don’t think government should pretend it isn’t happening.
There are good things that can come from it. It could help small businesses, improve healthcare, expand telehealth, and make some kinds of work more efficient.
But there are real risks too.
We need to protect people from AI-generated scams, deepfakes, fraud, and the misuse of personal information. And when AI is being used to make important decisions about someone’s healthcare, employment, insurance, or other parts of their life, there needs to be accountability.
As a nurse, I also want to see medical decisions grounded in medical evidence and human judgment. Technology can be a tool, but it should not replace the people responsible for caring for patients.
And we need to make sure workers aren’t simply left behind as technology changes. That means investing in education, job training, and opportunities for people to learn new skills.
I’m not interested in regulating something just for the sake of regulating it. I want to make sure new technology works for people and doesn’t leave working families behind.
How would you describe the current state of your party and what changes or new approaches would you like to see your party adopt?
I think Democrats need to keep listening.
Not just to people who already agree with us. Everybody.
This district includes Democrats, Independents, and Republicans, and I’ve spent this campaign talking to all of them. We may not agree on everything, but people have a lot more in common than Washington sometimes makes it seem.
People want to be able to afford their groceries. They want good healthcare. They want their kids to have good schools. Farmers want to keep farming. Veterans want the benefits they earned. People want to be able to work hard and know that their family will be okay.
Those are the things we need to focus on.
I also think Democrats need to be willing to go places where we aren’t automatically the favorite. You can’t just show up when it’s election time. You have to build trust over time.
That’s what I’ve tried to do in this campaign. I’ve gone to all 35 counties. I’ve sat down with farmers, teachers, nurses, veterans, small business owners, parents, seniors, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. I’ve listened to people who agree with me and people who don’t.
That’s how I think government should work too.
I’ll stand by what I believe in, but I’ll also work with anyone who is willing to work with me to get something done for the people of IL-15.
I’m not running to be a celebrity in Washington. I’m running to serve, represent, and legislate.
That’s what I’ve done as a nurse.
That’s what I’ve done as a mom.
And that’s what I’ll do in Congress