Hope has a plan.

The truth is, we need our police. But we deserve a police force that is humane, helpful, and accountable. Police need to be trained in de-escalation strategies, but they also must be measured and rewarded for implementing those strategies. If every law enforcement officer has a camera on his or her chest, let’s start rewarding them for solving problems, not just making arrests.

Education is vital for equality, but it's treated as a luxury good. Minnesota is home to some of the most well-respected learning institutions in the world—with some four-year colleges charging more than the median household income. As congresswoman, I will push for policies that reduce tuition costs for four-year degrees and promote the value of two-year colleges and trade schools . . .

The United States' most remarkable invention is the middle class, but many experience longer work hours with stagnant pay, especially in professions like nursing and teaching. As a congresswoman, I'll advocate for middle-class relief through effective policies, like universal healthcare and pre-K, without raising taxes. We can achieve this by collecting owed taxes and redirecting funds from . . .

Affordable housing is scarce, and construction isn't keeping pace. As your congresswoman, I'll advocate for federal initiatives to reduce rent and mortgage burdens, like expanding the Housing Choice (Section 8) Voucher program. This program aids millions of struggling citizens, including single mothers. I will champion policies that will lift people out of poverty, into the middle class . . .

It costs taxpayers an average of $60,000 per year to incarcerate one person, more than providing treatment, stable housing, or a private college education. Imprisonment often leads to a cycle of limited job opportunities and reliance on government programs for those with a felony record, which taxpayers fund. Instead of perpetuating this cycle, the focus should shift toward . . .

My opioid addiction ended in July of 2015, thanks to medication-assisted treatment. But in 2017, opioid overdoses became the #1 cause of accidental death because access to treatment is so limited. Between 2017 and 2022, deadly opioid overdoses rose from 47,000 to 107,000. Eight of these casualties were people I knew and loved. One or more are likely someone that you knew and loved . . .

I’m no fool. I spend my days defending the most desperate and disenfranchised among us. The corridors of Hennepin County courts are filled with those who have wronged and been wronged . I rarely see a defendant with a private school education, a college degree, or a stable family. I rarely see a young man in the courts who was mentored by another man. I rarely see drug addicts (I was one) . . .

It's no secret that I love animals. And when I say that I will fight tirelessly for you and your family, that extends to your beloved fur babies and farm animals too. Frankly, a federal oversight agency dedicated to animal welfare is long overdue, and I will urge my colleagues to allocate the necessary funding to create one . . .

There is no doubt that unions are the gateway to the middle class. rom the Minnesota Nurses Association to Education Minnesota to the AFL-CIO, Minnesota is a strong union state. Union workers are more likely to have employer-provided healthcare, paid sick leave, and a defined benefit pension plan - three pillars of a healthy household. Union contracts raise wages by roughly 20% and overall . . .