Issues

Stop Skyrocketing Utility Bills

Working families should not be stuck paying higher utility bills so massive corporations can power energy-hungry data centers. But that is exactly the direction we are heading. These projects threaten our water, our power grid, and our quality of life while giving back very little. I’m committed to making sure our communities come first.

I started speaking out about AI data centers because I saw what was at stake, not just on paper, but in the lives of the people around me. I’ve talked to neighbors worried about their wells running dry, families already stretched thin wondering how they could handle higher utility bills, and people who just want to protect the quiet, safe communities they’ve built their lives in. This isn’t abstract. This is about whether people can afford to stay in their homes, whether they can turn on the heat, whether they can trust that their water will still be there tomorrow.

That’s why I didn’t stay quiet. I worked alongside local leaders to strengthen zoning protections, close loopholes, and make sure these projects cannot move forward without real accountability. I’ve pushed for strict requirements that any developer must complete independent environmental and economic impact studies before a single shovel hits the ground, and that those costs are not passed on to taxpayers.

Because we have lived through this before in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Coal companies came in, took what they could, and left behind polluted waterways, damaged land, and communities forced to pick up the pieces. To this day, we are still paying to treat acid mine drainage and repair the damage they walked away from. That failure was not just environmental. It was a failure of policy, a failure to hold corporations accountable before the damage was done.

We cannot make that mistake again.

A single large data center can use as much electricity as tens of thousands of homes and millions of gallons of water every day. In Pennsylvania, rising demand from these projects is already driving up energy costs and straining our grid. Those costs do not disappear. They are passed directly onto working families through higher utility bills. That is unacceptable.

That is why I will put clear, enforceable protections in place. I will act to prohibit utility companies from shifting infrastructure and capacity costs onto ratepayers. I will require full transparency from the Public Utility Commission so decisions are made in the open, not behind closed doors. I will support policies that ensure developers prove, before approval, that their projects will not harm our water supply, overwhelm our grid, or burden our communities. And I will stand for local control, so the people who live here, not outside interests, have the final say.

This is about learning from our past and protecting our future. Our communities are not sacrifice zones. Our water, our homes, and our way of life are not bargaining chips.

And I will make sure they never are.

Let Hard Work Pay Off

I haven’t waited for a title to start doing this work, because for me, it has never been about a title. It’s about people. I’ve shown up at Public Utility Commission meetings because I’ve seen what rising utility bills are doing to families who are already stretched thin. I’ve stood alongside the Food Dignity Movement because no one should have to wonder where their next meal is coming from. And I spent years helping lead the effort to pass the Lymphedema Treatment Act, because I know what it feels like to be told care is out of reach and to refuse to accept that as the answer. This work is personal to me. I don’t just talk about these issues. I’ve lived them, and I’ve stayed committed to creating real change every step of the way.

Right now, too many people are doing everything right and still falling behind. Groceries cost more. Rent keeps going up. Utility bills, childcare, and healthcare are stretching families to the limit. Meanwhile, wages are not keeping up. People are working longer hours, picking up second jobs, and still wondering how they are going to make it through the month. And on top of all of that, too many companies are making it worse through hidden fees, misleading pricing, subscription traps, and price increases that families never see coming until it hits their bank account. That is not how this is supposed to work.

Lina Khan said it best. Markets should work for everyone, not just the powerful. Right now, they don’t. And that is not an accident. It is the result of policy choices that have left working families exposed while allowing others to take advantage. Pennsylvania is falling behind. In other states, there are clear limits on price increases, automatic protections during emergencies, and real enforcement when companies try to exploit people. Here, companies can raise prices up to 20 percent before it is even considered price gouging, and those protections only apply during a declared emergency. That means families are left unprotected in the moments they need help the most, and everyday practices like junk fees, drip pricing, and misleading billing continue to quietly drain people’s wallets.

We can do better, and we should. I will advance real, enforceable protections that put people first. That means banning junk fees and requiring clear, all-in pricing so families know exactly what they are paying upfront. It means strengthening consumer protection laws so deceptive practices like hidden fees, subscription traps, and algorithm-driven price manipulation are clearly prohibited, with automatic penalties when companies violate the rules. It means stronger utility protections, including transparent billing, advance notice of rate increases, and limits on excessive fees that push families further into debt. And it means making sure people can cancel subscriptions easily, without being trapped in charges they don’t want or can’t afford.

It also means finally fixing our price gouging laws so they actually protect people in real time. I will lower the threshold for what counts as price gouging from 20 percent to 10 percent so action can be taken sooner. I will expand protections beyond declared emergencies so families are not left on their own during ongoing affordability crises. And I will ensure essential goods like housing, groceries, utilities, fuel, childcare, and healthcare are always covered, because those are the costs that matter most. Businesses will be required to justify price increases in real time, and penalties will be strong enough to hold even the largest corporations accountable, with refunds going back to the people who were overcharged.

That is why I will move forward legislation that will strengthen our existing laws, close loopholes, and give the Attorney General the authority to act whenever families are being taken advantage of, not just during emergencies. Policy that creates stronger transparency and reporting requirements so the public can see what is happening, empowers consumers to take action, protects renters and homeowners from exploitative increases, and allows local communities to enforce stronger protections when needed.

This is about more than policy. It is about dignity. It is about making sure that if you work hard, you can afford to live. It is about giving families the ability to plan for the future instead of just surviving week to week. Hard work should mean something again. And I will make sure it does.

Real Relief for Homeowners

I was knocking doors and met a woman who has lived in her home for decades. She raised her family there. Every room held a memory, every corner a piece of her life. It wasn’t just a house. It was everything she had built.

But she told me that now, every month has become a choice. Not a budget, a choice. Do I pay my property taxes, or do I buy groceries? Do I keep the heat on, or do I fall behind? She keeps her house colder now just to get by. And then she looked at me and said something I will never forget. “I did everything right.”

That stayed with me. Because no one who did everything right should be put in that position. No one should have to choose between food, heat, and staying in their home.

And yet, that is exactly what is happening across Pennsylvania.

Property taxes keep rising while incomes stay the same. Seniors on fixed incomes and working families are being squeezed from every direction, forced to make impossible decisions just to hold onto what they have built. This is not a failure of effort. It is a failure of policy.

At the heart of the problem is a system that relies too heavily on local property taxes to fund our schools. When school budgets go up, homeowners get the bill. And because state funding has not kept pace, the burden keeps falling on the same people over and over again, while others avoid paying their fair share.

Whether you live in Exeter, Exeter Township, Forty Fort, Dallas Township, Kingston Township, Kingston, Courtdale, Pringle, Luzerne, Swoyersville, Wyoming, West Wyoming, Jackson Township, or Franklin Township, you are feeling it. And without real reform, it is only going to get worse.

We can fix this, and we can do it the right way.

I will work to deliver real property tax relief that puts people first while keeping our schools strong. That means increasing state investment in public education so local communities are not forced to rely so heavily on property taxes. It means closing loopholes, prioritizing education in the state budget, and making sure every district has the resources it needs without overburdening homeowners.

It also means putting real protections in place for the people who need it most. I will support caps on year-to-year property tax increases so families are not hit with sudden spikes. I will work to expand homestead relief so primary residences receive meaningful, consistent reductions. I will work to create a statewide property tax freeze for seniors and residents on fixed incomes, and tie relief to income so no one is taxed out of their home simply because they cannot keep up with rising costs.

We also need to fix the system itself. That means standardizing reassessments across counties so homeowners are not overtaxed due to outdated valuations, and ensuring that high-burden communities receive the state support they need. It means making sure the system is fair, predictable, and no longer stacked against the people who have done everything right.

This is about stability. It is about making sure people can age in place, raise their families, and hold onto the homes they worked their whole lives to keep.

Hard work should not cost you your home. I will work to make sure it doesn’t.

End Pay-to-Play Politics

I’m not wealthy, and I didn’t get here with connections or shortcuts. Everything I know comes from showing up, doing the work, and gaining real-world experience. I come from a blue-collar life where you work with your hands, you solve problems as they come, and you don’t quit just because something gets tough.

And I’m proud of that.

Because that kind of life doesn’t just build character. It builds discipline. It builds grit. It teaches you that nothing is handed to you, and if something matters, you stay with it until it’s done. You learn to take pride in doing things the honest way, even when it’s challenging.

I carried that with me when I spent years advocating for the Lymphedema Treatment Act. I wasn’t a politician. I didn’t have connections. I was someone who refused to accept that people should be denied the care they need to live. So I showed up. Again and again. I spoke with anyone who would listen, across the aisle, across differences, because this wasn’t about politics. It was about people.

And after ten years of persistence, that work helped lead to real change. The Lymphedema Treatment Act was passed, setting a precedent that is now helping people across the country access the care they need.

That’s what a blue-collar work ethic looks like. It’s not about titles. It’s not about status. It’s about staying in the room, doing the work, and refusing to give up on people.

That’s a real experience. That’s real leadership.

And when everything you have has been earned, not given, you don’t sell that out for an easier path.

That’s why I don’t take corporate PAC money.

This campaign isn’t backed by powerful interests or big checks. It’s powered by people who work hard every day and are tired of being overlooked. People who feel like no matter how hard they work, the system isn’t built for them.

Turning down that money means this path is more demanding. It means fewer resources, longer days, and more uphill battles. But I’m not afraid of that. Hard work is what built me. And I would rather run this campaign the honest way than win by owing anything to the same interests that have been holding working people back for years.

Because this isn’t just about an election. It’s about proving that people like us belong in these rooms. That you don’t need wealth or connections to stand up for what’s right. That you can build something real, the same way so many of us have built our lives, through grit, persistence, and doing the work. And that is something I will never compromise.

But the truth is, the system itself is broken.

Our government is supposed to work for us, but too often it is being bought and sold by the highest bidder. Powerful interests pour money into campaigns, lobby behind closed doors, and expect something in return. Meanwhile, working people are left footing the bill and struggling just to be heard.

That is not how a democracy is supposed to work.

And it doesn’t have to be this way. Other states have already taken steps to fix it. In places like California, campaign money is disclosed in real time so voters know exactly who is trying to influence them. States like New York and Connecticut have created systems that match small donations, giving everyday people a real voice and making it possible to run without relying on big money. And states like Florida have put stronger limits on lobbying after officials leave office, helping shut down the revolving door between government and special interests.

Pennsylvania is falling behind.

Right now, we still allow elected officials to accept gifts from lobbyists. Most people would agree that it has no place in a government that is supposed to serve the public. That is why I support a full gift ban, because no one should be able to buy access or influence with perks and favors.

We also need stronger transparency, real limits on big money, and clear ethics rules that restore trust in government. And we need to make it possible for everyday people, not just the wealthy, to run for office and be heard.

Because this is not just about politics. It is about power.

And it is time to put that power back where it belongs, in the hands of working families.

We don’t just need better leaders. We need a system that can’t be bought in the first place.