Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completedBallotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Survey responses from candidates in this race
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The number one issue facing Florida Families is the cost of living. We need safe, secure, affordable housing. Families cannot thrive if they are constantly worried about eviction, and 73% of Floridians say rent and housing costs are unaffordable. Meanwhile, many houses are used only for short-term rentals. They stand empty for months at a time and aren't available to local families As a member of the Walton County Affordable Housing Advisory Committee, I've worked directly on this issue and I see what needs to be done. But when the funds approved by voters to solve the problem are misappropriated, our efforts are handcuffed.
My second priority is Healthcare. As a physician, I know that every Floridian should have access to the care they need to improve their physical and mental well being. A good healthcare system will help Floridians manage many health problems before they become health emergencies.
My third priority is conservation. Our lives and livelihood rely on safe drinking water, and conservation of God's creation as a destination for visitors around the world. Over the past 2 decades and at a cost of millions of dollars, we have studied the causes of blue-green algae choked waterways, manatee die-off, red tide, flooding , wildfires and more. We need to implement the steps that have already been identified to address these issues.
As a Physician, my passion is in physical and emotional well being. We must improve access to healthcare while addressing the inequities in our system. Ensuring that all workers are receiving a living wage as passed by voters in 2020 will help families navigate the stresses of an increased cost of living. And Families want a quality education for their children: we must ensure that schools and teachers have all the resources necessary to help every Child thrive.We need reliable, affordable public transportation. As a member of the Walton County Transportation Disadvantaged Council, I know that public transportation is a significant need across District 2. As a physician, I see many benefits: increased mobility and freedom to travel when and where you want. Improved mental and physical health from increased activity through the day. It also increases access to healthier food options and to medical care. Public transportation improves air quality by getting more cars off the road and improves safety from less risk of car crashes. For families, there are cost savings from not having car payments, insurance, maintenance, and bridge tolls. For businesses, reliable transportation means attracting and retaining employees will be easier. Finally, supporting public transportation is a net win for taxpayers. When our money is used for public transportation, it reduces the need for new roads and additional lanes to be expanded which costs us billions of dollars.
I believe the quality that will help me the most is empathy. Working in the Emergency Department you have a chance to serve people from all walks of life. It takes someone with a heart for people to be able to understand each person's issues, even though you personally may have never had that experience. It's my opinion that too often our current Legislators discount the suffering of their constituents because they are insulated and isolated from those experiences.
Another quality that will help is creativity. Too often our Legislators just show up to vote, and follow the directives of their party without any genuine desire to find common ground or think outside the box of possibilities.
But my superpower is an excellent work ethic. I enjoy working, and I will not be out-worked. I love meeting new people and interacting with a diverse mix of people. This will give me the experiences and stories from my neighbors so that I can find creative solutions to our most challenging problems.
I believe the most important responsibility of an elected official is to serve your constituents. In order to serve, you must be in the Community. You must be accessible, your must be involved. It's hard for everyday folks to take time from work to go and find you. As State Senator for District 2, I will continue all the important volunteer work that I do in the Community. I will ensure that I am accessible, and I will listen to the concerns and struggles of my neighbors across the District.
As a State Senator, I also understand that my decisions can affect folks across the State. So I will ensure that I am accessible to any Floridian who has concerns and wants to access a Legislator to confer and converse. Always keeping foremost in my mind that I am there to serve and to do that I must remain accessible.
Other responsibilities are similar to the Oath that I swore as a Physician. To be honest, truthful and ethical, and to not act in a way that harms others.
But the foremost responsibility is to serve, and I will do that with caring and compassion. My experience working as an Emergency Physician has allowed me to serve people from all walks of life and to understand their struggles from their perspective. This ability will help me unite us, and heal the divisiveness that we see in our politics, so we can work together for Florida Families.
I was 7 years old and sitting in my second grade classroom. It was November 22, 1963. The Principal came over the loudspeaker to announce that President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated. I remember an overwhelming feeling of sadness. In addition to shock and disbelief, teachers and classmates alike were crying.I am answering this question in the week following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. I cannot imagine the unfathomable fear in their classrooms that day. I will always carry the memory of these children, and the hearts of their families, with me as I serve District 2 in Florida.
When I was in high school I worked for a little over a year for our local McDonald's franchise. Even though this was a fast food restaurant, I felt it was an opportunity to help people and I learned so much about customer service and communicating in a caring and respectful way. Even though I was a teenager, I rose to the level of Assistant Store Manager and was sent to Leadership Training at the McDonald's Corporation World Headquarters. Even though many of my co-workers were much older than me, I was able to develop rapport with everyone on my team.Working at McDonald's I learned how to manage time effectively. I was a high school student, involved in sports and clubs. I had hopes of attending medical school, and I wanted to maintain a high GPA. I feel the experiences gained and the lessons learned were invaluable to my growth.
Over the past decade we have witnessed in Florida that our Hurricanes and Tropical Storms are much larger, more intense, and more catastrophic. We are known as the Sunshine State and should be leading the Nation in renewable energy sources. I believe that the switch to renewables and less reliance on fossil fuels, is the biggest challenge.However, along with this is the increasing temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico and rising sea level along over 900 miles of coastland. Addressing these climate changes head on will help ease the strain on our property insurance companies. I would create something similar to ISO ratings for Communities that would be an incentive to be proactive about implementing local building code, flood zone and storm water modifications that could prevent costly claims after storms.
As a physician I believe it is so important to try and heal the divisive and confrontational environment that we are in as a Nation and in our Legislature. No matter what we look like, where we come from, who we love, or how we define Family, we all want the same things. Safe neighborhoods, secure, affordable housing, a quality education for our Children, access to care that improves both our physical and emotional well-being. I look forward to reaching across the aisle and befriending my fellow Senators. Just like the people we represent, we are all yearning for the American dream: that our hard work will allow us to build a good life for ourselves, our Family and our Community. But right now many Florida families are struggling to cover the bare necessities . We can seek to first understand, and then to find creative solutions. Together, we can build a beloved Community where everyone can have the freedom to thrive and prosper.
I hope we all agree that compromise is a necessary skill to possess when making policy. Unfortunately, we see very little of this in our Legislature today. The party in control seems to only desire to assert it's ideological will, even at the expense of Florida's Constitution, and often at considerable expense to taxpayers who must foot the bill for million dollar special sessions. Too often the work done there is overturned in the courts as it is unconstitutional.
I will see each question or bill that I evaluate through three lenses. How will this affect Florida Families? Will this lead to improved physical and mental well being? How does this impact the environment? I believe if you have Florida Families as your priority, finding common ground is much easier than if you only serving your wealthy donors.
I've spent a career navigating compromises on behalf of individuals and organizations. I am steeped in a service mentality and want to see compassion and caring return. By modeling good behavior and practicing compromise, we can help heal the Nation from our current divisive and confrontation state.
