True Democracy in America

We are going to create a true democracy in our government, where every American has a say in how our society is governed.

End Gerrymandering

Republicans have used the massively undemocratic practice of gerrymandering to draw districts that disenfranchise people of color and working class people in an attempt to maintain a stranglehold on power. Here in Central Texas, we are at the center of some of the worst gerrymandering in the nation. I will fight to establish a transparent committee that will draw district lines in a fair, nonpartisan manner.

Restore the Voting Rights Act

The Voting Rights Act was a landmark bill in American history that guaranteed the rights for people of all races to vote. It was a travesty when the Supreme Court gutted core provisions designed to stop voter disenfranchisement in states that have historically found ways to keep people of color from voting. We will restore the Voting Rights Act and end discrimination in our elections.

DC Statehood

It is not democratic that residents of Washington D.C. do not have equal representation in Congress. We will pass H.R. 51 to finally grant D.C. statehood.

Self-Determination for Puerto Ricans

I support allowing the people of Puerto Rico to vote on determining their relationship with the United States, whether that means admitting Puerto Rico as a US state, granting the colony independence, or some other arrangement.

Re-enfranchise Felons and Prisoners

Police target people of color and charge them with felonies, which causes them to lose their voting rights. This has the effect of taking away the voting rights Black people fought for in the Civil Rights Movement. One out of every 13 Black Americans has lost their voting rights due to felony convictions. All felons and prisoners must have their voting rights restored. Democracy means that all people have a vote.

Remove Barriers to Voting

I will fight to ban racist and classist state voter ID laws at the federal level, which have disproportionately prevented working-class people, people of color and seniors from voting. I support automatic voter registration, universal vote-by-mail, and making Election Day a national holiday. Because runoff and special elections generally have lower turnout than regularly scheduled elections, I support moving to a ranked choice voting system that eliminates the need for run offs and allows people to rank the candidates they prefer, so no one has to worry about wasting their vote or handing an electoral victory to their least desired candidate by casting a vote for their first choice.

Lower Voting Age to 16

Sixteen year olds can work full-time, pay taxes, and are affected by the political decisions that our elected officials make. Young people have been at the forefront of social movements that have remade our society for the better for generations and we should actively encourage their participation in our political process by guaranteeing they have a democratic voice in our elections. We should fight for a constitutional amendment to expand voting rights which sets the voting age at 16 for all Federal, state and local elections.

Get Money Out of Politics

I support Bernie Sanders’s comprehensive plan to remove money from politics. I will fight to pass a constitutional amendment that overturns Citizens United and makes it clear once and for all in our political system that money is not speech and corporations are not people. We will ban super PACs and eliminate election spending by 501(c)(4)s that do not disclose their donors. We will publicly fund elections with universal small dollar vouchers that allow any American to decide which candidate they want to receive public funding. We will also give all elected federal officials a lifetime ban from taking lobbying jobs.

Voting Rights to Non-Citizen Residents

Everyone who lives in the United States and pays taxes should have a democratic voice in how our government functions and how our tax money is spent, non citizens included. I will fight to pass a constitutional amendment to expand voting rights which makes it clear that if you live, work, and pay taxes in the United States and are above the age of 16, you have the right to vote in federal, state, and local elections, no exceptions.

Abolish the Electoral College

The Electoral College is a relic of the days of slavery system and should be abolished. I believe in the principle of one person one vote—no one’s vote should count more than someone else’s just because of which state they live in.