I grew up in Oregon and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area after getting a degree in electrical engineering at Oregon State. I’ve lived in the Bay Area all of my working life and in Mountain View since 2002 and I absolutely love what California and our special region in the bay have to offer. After a successful 30 year career in technology, most recently with Apple, I realized that my passion was not in technology, but in helping my coworkers fix problems and teaching them how to do it themselves. With that insight, I decided to take the risky and unusual leap to step away from my job and find a better way to pursue my passion.
California is one of the most regulated states in the country. Businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic and will continue to suffer under burdensome regulations, excessive fees, and permitting delays. Many companies have closed with little hope of reopening, while others simply choose to leave the state altogether. To make our state ‘golden’ again, our businesses and consumers need relief from over-regulation. With over 400,000 rules on the books, we exceed the national average of most states by over 3X.
We can retain our neighborhoods' existing character and provide additional affordable housing in California if we choose innovative options to expand. We should continue to support the building of ADUs (Accessory Dwelling Units) alongside the existing homes in suburban communities. We should streamline permitting of high-density housing near mass transit hubs utilizing walkable services in the area to minimize traffic congestion. Above all, cities and townships must retain local control of planning to best consider all impacts of new developments.
Mental health and drug abuse issues make it hard for individuals to transition to a housed situation successfully. Those issues must be addressed along with access to available and affordable housing. We should support and expand organizations like LifeMoves to manage those experiencing homelessness by providing a temporary place to call home with intensive, customized case management through site-based programs and community outreach.
Our golden state continues to endure almost year-round devastating wildfires, increasingly unhealthy air quality, and ongoing drought. California became a climate leader under Governor Schwarzenegger, demonstrating that Republicans have the ideas and political will for climate solutions. Since then, conservatives have ceded most policy direction. But with a market-based, small government, non-regulatory approach to addressing climate risk, we can become a global leader in environmentally effective and economically responsible climate policies.
Parents need more schools to choose from and students more opportunities to discover and develop their unique skills, passions, and identities. Nonprofit charter schools and new options that harness diversity can serve California’s diverse student communities.


Additionally, college may not be the best track for all students. We need to introduce students to more vocational education options, many of which provide high-value, personally, and financially rewarding careers in job areas where there is a great need for skilled professionals.
As we work to resolve critical issues, we must reject the toxic political tone that has become increasingly harsh in this state and the nation. Californians are fed-up with the constant finger-pointing and labeling that has become the norm. We need to focus on problem-solving, not posturing.
In politics today, each party stakes out its issues and frames them as either/or, all or none. For example, progressives talk DEI (diversity equity and inclusion), voting rights, and immigration reform. Conservatives talk CRT (critical race theory), voting integrity, and secure borders. But both parties need to acknowledge that these issues aren’t binary. They live on a spectrum. Conservatives should support more authentic instruction around our racial history in the US while trying to assure no group is demonized. Progressives should discuss the need for secure borders while looking for sensible ways to address our large undocumented immigrant population. Both parties talk past each other on their ‘winning’ issues without acknowledging the valid points (slivers of truth) of the opposing arguments. We must work together with mutual respect towards sensible solutions.
Traditionally California struggles to meet its budget, but because the state relies heavily on capital gains taxes for funding, we have benefited from budget surpluses for the last two years. That doesn’t mean we should lock ourselves into expanding existing programs or new long-term programs that will handicap California when revenues are light. We should return as much of these surplus tax dollars as possible to Californians and strategically allocate the rest to crucial areas of need in the state. Budgeting is never as easy as spending but must be done to regain our financial solvency. I’m also an advocate of incremental budget reductions in bloated areas of state government.
My first action will be to join the Assembly Problem Solvers Caucus
As we work to resolve critical issues, we must reject the toxic political tone that has become increasingly harsh in this state and the nation. Californians are fed-up with the constant finger-pointing and labeling that has become the norm. We need to focus on problem-solving, not posturing.
In politics today, each party stakes out its issues and frames them as either/or, all or none. For example, progressives talk DEI (diversity equity and inclusion), voting rights, and immigration reform. Conservatives talk CRT (critical race theory), voting integrity, and secure borders. But both parties need to acknowledge that these issues aren’t binary. They live on a spectrum. Conservatives should support more authentic instruction around our racial history in the US while trying to assure no group is demonized. Progressives should discuss the need for secure borders while looking for sensible ways to address our large undocumented immigrant population. Both parties talk past each other on their ‘winning’ issues without acknowledging the valid points (slivers of truth) of the opposing arguments. We must work together with mutual respect towards sensible solutions.