Protecting the Place We Call Home

One of the reasons people choose to live in Carver County is the place itself.

Our lakes, rivers, wetlands, parks, trails, farmland, and open spaces are part of what makes this such a great community. They give us places to fish, bike, hunt, paddle, walk, raise our kids, and simply get outside.

Protecting those things should not be a partisan issue.

I believe we have a responsibility to take care of the land and water we inherited, grow responsibly, and make sure the decisions we make today do not leave our children paying the price tomorrow.

Clean Water Comes First

Minnesota is the Land of 10,000 Lakes, but clean water does not happen automatically.

We need to protect drinking water, groundwater, lakes, rivers, and wetlands from pollution and make sure problems are addressed before they become expensive public-health or environmental crises.

When a company pollutes, taxpayers should not be left holding the bill for the cleanup. Businesses should be able to succeed and grow, but they also have a responsibility to operate safely and honestly.

Environmental protection and accountability go together: if you cause the damage, you should help pay to fix it.

Growing Without Losing What Makes This Home

Carver County is growing quickly. That growth brings opportunity, new families, new businesses, and new investment.

But growth has to be planned.

New development should come with the roads, schools, water systems, parks, and infrastructure needed to support it. We should protect important natural areas while making thoughtful decisions about where and how communities expand.

I do not believe the answer is to stop growth. I believe the answer is to do it well.

We can build homes and businesses while preserving green space, protecting water, and keeping the qualities that made people want to live here in the first place.

Energy Independence and Lower Costs

Clean energy is also an economic opportunity.

Minnesota should produce more of its own energy, invest in technologies that make our grid more reliable, and help families and businesses reduce wasted energy and lower long-term costs.

Every dollar we do not have to send elsewhere for fuel is money that can stay in Minnesota’s economy.

I support expanding clean and renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, investing in emerging technologies, and creating good-paying jobs in the industries that will power the next generation.

We should approach that transition practically. Families need reliable electricity. Businesses need predictable energy costs. Workers need good jobs.

A cleaner energy future should make Minnesota more secure and prosperous, not make everyday life harder.

Protecting Our Outdoor Heritage

Environmental protection is also about preserving the Minnesota traditions people across the political spectrum value.

Clean lakes matter to anglers. Healthy habitat matters to hunters. Parks and trails matter to families. Farmland matters to our economy and our communities.

You do not have to call yourself an environmentalist to care about leaving clean water, healthy land, and good places to spend time outdoors to the next generation.

That is simply being a good steward.

Practical Environmental Leadership

I am not interested in environmental policy as a political identity. I am interested in whether it works.

As a psychologist, I have spent my career looking at evidence, understanding complicated problems, and trying to intervene before problems become crises. I believe government should take the same approach.

That means listening to scientists, farmers, businesses, local governments, conservationists, workers, and the people who actually live with the consequences of our decisions.

It means measuring whether policies are working and changing course when they are not.

And it means recognizing that environmental protection, economic growth, affordability, and quality of life are connected.

I want Carver County to continue being a place where people can build homes and businesses, find good jobs, drink clean water, enjoy the outdoors, and raise their children in a healthy community.

We do not have to choose between a strong economy and protecting the place we call home.

With thoughtful planning and practical leadership, we can do both.