“One of the negative consequences of only a small group deciding the outcomes of local elections is that it leads to a city government that is unresponsive to much of the population and fails to listen fairly and respectfully to all viewpoints. As already mentioned, promoting greater involvement in local issues is key, but the city government must do its part by being open to the diverse views and backgrounds of the local population. As a city we are extremely diverse: full of students and retirees, young professionals, growing families, professors, lawyers, conservatives and liberals and a cornucopia of other interests and ideas.

As a city commissioner, my door will always be open and I will represent the entirety of my District—not just given interests here and there—and work to serve the city as a whole. I look forward to getting to know more and more of my fellow citizens, both within District 4 and the city as a whole, and listening to their multifarious concerns during this campaign and, if the populace grants me an electoral victory and the chance to serve, my future term in the Gainesville City Commission.

Instead of seeking to play interests off of each other or spreading divisive rhetoric, I want to promote cooperation and a sense of unity—regardless of our views and backgrounds, we are all residents of Gainesville and I would like to think that we all want what is best for the community, we just have different conceptualizations of that ideal. From there, we can work to better the city in a way that strives to serve as many people as possible, but is always fair and respectful to all.”