What do I mean by the “Politics of Care” that I talk about all the time?

Since my first campaign, I’ve talked a lot about the #PoliticsOfCare. This philosophy influences how I make decisions as a candidate, as an entrusted leader, and as a public servant. I have a master’s degree in political leadership, and this was a phrase that a founder of my grad school program said all the time. It stuck with me, and I have made it a priority to share it far and wide with the hopes of bringing us together to do the most good for the most people with compassion and care at the forefront.

Politics can sometimes be messy or even mean. It can be overwhelming and intimidating. Some people feel fear, anger, assertiveness, or confidence, and every emotion has its place in politics because we are all people with human emotions. I welcome all emotions in our conversations and want you to know that - whether you vote for me or support me or not - I still work for you, and I care what you think. Having big feelings about politics is OK. Feeling overwhelmed by politics is OK. Getting angry about our state of politics is OK as long as the anger does not fuel violence or harm to another.

No matter what you are feeling, I will always talk with you, because politics impacts our entire lives, and I find it entirely rational to feel strongly about it. It is very impactful to feel passionate about it too because it is in that passion where we often find solutions that can make ripples for generations.

As your representative, it is my goal to do the most good for the most people in ways that align with our MN values. That means that we are kind to one another, honest in our conversations, intentional in our actions, and that we show humility and integrity in our efforts to discuss and create the change we want to see in the world.

I represent over 40,000 people in our community, and that is not a responsibility I take lightly. It is important to me that you know your elected leaders are here to work for you and not simply chase or abuse power. Candidates should be willing to tell you what they plan to work on and how their work will improve the lives of our friends, family, and neighbors. Too often, candidates tend to be very focused on running against someone who is in their way rather than for something that will improve your life. I encourage you to care about this and ask the questions of myself and any other candidates for all offices.

The #PoliticsOfCare means bringing your feelings, cares, and passions into politics - not keeping them out. Politics is how we express moral values, reinforce social norms, and build a world and society we’ll be proud to leave to the next seven generations. We must believe that everyone deserves to be treated as equals and commit ourselves to building better systems than those that have held back so many people because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or age. It means treating people like people and applying the gold and platinum rules of treating others how you would want to be treated and treating others how they ask to be treated. The Politics of Care means that we work hard for the WE over the me.

I’ve knocked on thousands upon thousands of doors in our community, and I hear over and over that people want me to keep this at the forefront because it aligns with their politics too. Join me in spreading the word! We do not need fear, violence, and threats to build a world we can be proud of. We just need good, old-fashioned compassion, humility, and each other.