Issues

The health of our economy shouldn’t only be measured by GDP or stock market gains — it should be measured by how well you are doing. Right now, too many working families are struggling to afford the basics, while the wealthiest individuals and corporations continue to rake in record profits. The middle class is shrinking, wages haven’t kept up with the cost of living, and more and more people are priced out of homeownership and financial stability.

We need an economy that works for the people who keep it running — not just for those at the top.

That means:

• Raising the minimum wage: No one working full-time should live in poverty. Full stop.

• Expanding access to affordable childcare and adopting paid parental leave: Parents should be able to work without going broke just to provide a safe and stable life for their children.

• Investing in small businesses and local economies: It’s time to end the corporate welfare system and redirect tax subsidies to small businesses instead of handing out tax breaks to billionaires and multinational corporations.

• Lowering taxes for the middle class and working families: In a time of soaring costs, tax relief should go to those who need it — not those who already have more than enough.

• Restructuring the Tax System to ensure wealth for the rest of us: The current tax system often rewards the haves while punishing the have-not’s. Growing the middle class starts with ensuring the ultra rich pay their fair share, giving tax money back to the people and places that need it most, reducing income tax for hard work, and closing loopholes that are exploited by big industry and mega corporations.

• Affordable Housing: Owning a home is still the best path to building wealth—but for too many, especially younger and working-class people, it's out of reach. Rents are rising, home prices are out of control, and corporate landlords are hoarding housing for profit. We need to build more affordable homes and unlock the housing we already have. That starts by Taxing corporate landlords and housing speculators who drive up prices and leave homes vacant. There should be incentives for low-rent costs for empty units, and penalties for keeping them off the market. Expanding public, cooperative, and community-owned housing. Downpayment assistance for first-time and working-class buyers, funded by taxing large landlords. We also need stronger tenant protections to stop unfair rent hikes and evictions, as well as harsher penalties for ignoring unsafe living conditions.

Revitalizing the American Dream starts with putting people first — and building an economy that rewards hard work, not just wealth.

Tim knows what happens when a healthcare system built on profit meets a family in crisis. His brother was born with a serious heart condition. The insurance company called it a pre-existing condition and refused to cover the care. His mother — a lawyer — fought back and forced them to pay.

The system worked. And it still almost wasn't enough.

Even with coverage, the bills became unaffordable. At some point the choice became simple and brutal: pay the medical expenses, or keep the house.

That wasn't a failure of the system. That was the system working exactly as designed — and still failing the people it was supposed to protect.

When a loved one falls ill, families shouldn’t have to fight with insurers or negotiate payment plans. They should be able to focus on healing.

Healthcare is a right, not a commodity. The current model — where insurance company profits determine who gets care and who doesn't — is a failure by design. Tim is running to change it. That means:

Take out the middleman — starting now. The immediate step is a public option: a nonprofit plan that every American can access, forcing for-profit insurance companies to actually compete on price and quality instead of rationing care for profit. When a nonprofit is in the market, prices drop and quality goes up — because they have to. That's the first move. The end goal is simpler: cut out the middleman entirely. No insurance company standing between you and your doctor. No claims denied to protect a quarterly earnings report. Just care. That's what Medicare for All actually means — and Tim is done pretending it's a radical idea.

• One care. Full care. Healthcare coverage should include dental, vision, and hearing — not as add-ons or luxuries, but as standard. A cavity, a pair of glasses, or a hearing aid shouldn't bankrupt a family. If it's part of your health, it's part of your coverage.

• Protect and expand Medicaid. Tim has spent years organizing for Medicaid expansion because he has seen firsthand what happens when working families fall through the cracks. Medicaid isn't a handout — it's a lifeline for millions of Virginians who are working hard and still can't afford private coverage. It should be protected, not gutted.

• End healthcare monopolies. "Vertical integration" is a fancy term for monopoly — and the healthcare industry has been consolidating for decades. When a single corporation owns the insurance company, the pharmacy, and the clinic, patients lose. Tim will fight to break up healthcare monopolies and restore real competition that actually serves patients.

• End the healthcare repayment trap for farmers. More than a quarter of the agricultural workforce buys insurance through the ACA marketplace — and under current law, a good harvest year can trigger thousands of dollars in surprise repayments at tax time. A public option fixes this by giving farm families stable coverage that doesn't fluctuate with their income.

• Ban surprise billing and slash out-of-pocket costs. The bill that arrives weeks after treatment shouldn't be the thing that breaks a family. No more hidden charges, no more out-of-network ambushes.

• Negotiate prescription drug prices. The United States pays the highest drug prices in the world — not because it has to, but because Congress has allowed pharmaceutical companies to write their own rules. That ends.

• Expand mental health care and preventative services. Mental health is healthcare. Preventative care saves lives and saves money. Both should be fully accessible — not rationed by what an insurer decides to cover.

• Cut the red tape that puts paperwork ahead of patients. Doctors should be focused on care, not navigating bureaucracy designed to delay and deny coverage.

• Protect rural hospitals from the Big Beautiful Bill. Rural communities already face fewer providers, longer travel times, and higher rates of chronic illness. The so-called Big Beautiful Bill puts 24,467 district residents at risk of losing coverage and could saddle Virginia hospitals with $216 million in new losses. Tim will fight to reverse it.

No one should have to hold a fundraiser to afford treatment. No parent should be afraid to take their child to the doctor because of the bill that comes after.

Virginia has become the data center capital of the world — and regular people are paying the price. Big Tech is building massive industrial facilities near homes and schools, draining water supplies, polluting the air, and driving up electric bills, all while local communities are shut out of the decision-making process. That’s not progress — it’s corporate overreach.

My plan to fix it

• Put communities first
  No data centers near homes, schools, or neighborhoods — period.

• Make Big Tech pay their fair share
  If data centers need new power plants, transmission lines, or water infrastructure, they should pay — not families and small businesses.

• Lower electric bills, not raise them
  Stop utilities from using data centers as an excuse to jack up rates on everyday customers.

• Protect water and public health
  Set strong limits on water use, diesel generators, and air pollution — with real enforcement.

• Restore local control and transparency
  Give communities a real voice, public hearings, and clear information before projects are approved.

• Build smarter, cleaner alternatives
  Prioritize energy efficiency, clean energy, and responsible development — not reckless expansion.

Technology should not come at the cost of bulldozing communities or raising our electric bills. I’ll stand up to Big Tech, protect Virginia families, and demand development that’s fair, responsible, and community-driven.

If America truly believes in the value of freedom, then our laws must reflect it — by bolstering justice and protecting the rights of all people. Every person deserves to live with dignity, free from discrimination, fear, and exploitation, or even being used as a political prop.

that’s why I’m committed to protecting core rights and freedoms, including:

• Reproductive Justice: Decisions about pregnancy and healthcare should be made between patients and their doctors — not politicians. I will fight to enshrine the right to choose, access contraception and reproductive care without government interference.

• Workers’ Rights: Fair pay, safe workplaces, and the right to organize are fundamental. No one working full-time should struggle in poverty or fear retaliation for standing up for their safe and fair workplaces.

• Civil Rights and Equality: Discrimination has no place in our communities. That means strengthening voting rights, protecting vulnerable groups, and expanding representation in underserved areas.

• Expanding Disability Rights Beyond Minimum Compliance: The Americans with Disabilities Act was a landmark step, but too often institutions treat it as a box-checking exercise instead of a living promise. True inclusion means going beyond the bare minimum — ensuring accessible infrastructure, technology, healthcare, and workplaces that empower people with disabilities to thrive with dignity, independence, and full participation in our society.

• Privacy and Freedom: In an age of mass data collection and political overreach, protecting personal privacy and individual freedom is essential to a healthy democracy.

Tim didn't serve. He'll tell you that plainly. But he believes anyone willing to sacrifice everything for this country deserves everything from it in return — and that Congress has fallen far short of that obligation for far too long.

For decades, open-ended military authorizations have sent Americans into harm's way without real debate or accountability — because Congress handed the executive branch a blank check on war. That ends here. And for the veterans who have already served, Tim believes the obligation doesn't stop when they come home.

That means:

• Repealing and replacing outdated AUMFs so that any new military engagement requires a specific, time-limited authorization from Congress — with real debate, real votes, and real accountability.

• Requiring congressional approval before any military action against Iran or any other nation not posing an imminent, direct threat to the United States.

• Ensuring our veterans receive the care their due — not the care that's cheapest to provide. That means fully funding the VA, ending DOGE-driven cuts to mental health services, and closing access gaps in underserved rural communities across VA-01.

• Expanding community care options for veterans so that those who can't easily reach a VA facility — especially in rural parts of this district — can access quality care close to home, without bureaucratic barriers standing between them and treatment.

• Passing the GUARD VA Benefits Act — because the only battle veterans should have to fight for their disability benefits is the one they already fought. Right now there are no criminal penalties for predatory companies that charge veterans unauthorized fees to file disability claims — a loophole Congress created in 2006 that bad actors have exploited for twenty years. This bipartisan bill closes it and puts real teeth back into the law.

The people who sign up to defend this country deserve a government that takes that obligation seriously — both before they deploy and long after they come home.

As the son of an educator, I know that a strong democracy and a strong economy both begin in the classroom. Yet for too long, our public education system has been underfunded, undervalued, and undermined by shortsighted cuts like those from the Trump Administration. Kneecapping our education system is the same as limiting opportunity and stifling American innovation.

That’s why I believe in:

• Fully funding public schools so every child — regardless of where they live or how much money their family makes — has access to quality education and safe learning environments.

• Establishing a universal school meals program. No child should ever go hungry, much less when they are trying to learn. I support a universal school meals program that ensures every student has access to free, nutritious breakfast and lunch, without stigma or red tape. Feeding our kids is just the right thing to do, and it’s also an investment in stronger classrooms, healthier communities, and a brighter future.

• Empowering teachers to help shape policy and curriculum, because those on the frontlines of education know best what students need to succeed.

• Universal Pre-K, giving every child the foundation they need to thrive while easing the financial strain on working families.

• Lowering the cost of higher education, so the pursuit of knowledge builds futures, not mountains of debt.

• Expanding technical and vocational education, so students have multiple pathways to opportunity, dignity, and success — whether through a degree or skilled trade.

It’s past time our leaders stopped looking at education as an expense — it’s an investment, and a promise. When we strengthen schools, we strengthen our economy, expand opportunity, and unlock the creativity and innovation that have always propelled America forward.

From the farmers working the land across the rural communities of this district to the watermen harvesting rockfish, blue crab, and Virginia oyster on the Chesapeake — agriculture and fishing aren't just livelihoods. They are the economic and cultural foundation of this region. Washington has asked more of these communities than it has given back — and reckless tariff policies have only made that worse.

These industries and the environment they depend on are not in conflict. Healthy land and clean water are the foundation of a sustainable agricultural and fishing economy. The goal isn't to choose between the two — it's to build policy that supports both.

Tim believes that if the government writes the rules, it should help pay for them. That's not a radical idea — it's basic fairness. And it's the standard he'll apply across every agricultural and fishing policy he touches.

Here it is:

That means:

• End reckless tariffs and restore stable export markets for Virginia farmers. The farmers of VA-01 didn't start the trade war — they're absorbing the losses. Retaliatory tariffs have slashed export markets for Virginia's agricultural products and driven economic uncertainty that hits hardest at the farm level. Trade policy should open markets, not close them.

• Strengthen crop insurance and disaster relief programs so that a bad season, a market shock, or a weather event doesn't mean losing a farm that's been in the family for generations.

• Bolster subsidies for small and mid-size family farms — not large agricultural corporations — so the people actually working the land can afford to keep working it.

• End the healthcare repayment trap for farmers. More than a quarter of the agricultural workforce buys health insurance through the ACA marketplace — and under current law, a good harvest year can trigger thousands of dollars in surprise repayments at tax time. Farmers shouldn't be penalized for a profitable season. Tim supports a public option that gives farm families stable, affordable coverage that doesn't fluctuate with their harvest — and eliminating the income cliff that turns a good year into a tax bill.

• Simplify regulatory compliance and fund it fairly. When the federal government writes new rules, it should provide the resources and technical assistance to help farmers and watermen meet them — not hand down mandates and walk away.

• Partner with watermen to design policy that protects both their livelihoods and the Bay they depend on. The people who work these waters every day understand the health of the Chesapeake better than anyone in Washington. Tim is committed to bringing watermen to the table — not just as stakeholders to be consulted, but as partners in building policy that actually works.

• Take the rural mental health crisis seriously. Farmers are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. Financial stress, isolation, and the pressure of keeping a generational farm alive are driving a quiet public health emergency that Congress has largely ignored. Tim is committed to expanding rural mental health services and reducing the stigma that keeps farmers from asking for help.

The First District plays a vital role in growing the food on our tables and pulling the catch from our waters. Our farmers and watermen deserve a government that shows up for them too — with stable markets, fair rules, and real resources. Not as an empty promise. As a standard.

Fiscal responsibility shouldn’t mean cutting education, healthcare, or retirement security — or asking working families to pay more while billionaires and corporations pay less. But that’s exactly how Washington has handled the deficit for decades.

Spending as investment in our communities is an investment in our nation’s future and prosperity. Unfortunately our tax code is places undue burdens on people who work for their income.

Every year, corporations and the billionaire class exploit loopholes that let them avoid paying what they owe, shifting the burden onto everyone else. According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, the federal government loses over $1.7 trillion annually to tax loopholes and special breaks — nearly the size of the annual deficit itself.

We can reduce the deficit without raising taxes on the majority of Americans or cutting necessary programs and support systems by reforming that system.

That means:

• Closing corporate tax loopholes: End the special breaks that reward offshoring jobs, monopolization, and price-gouging — and make profitable corporations pay what they owe.
  

• Making billionaires pay their fair share: A minimum tax on the billionaire class would raise hundreds of billions of dollars according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, while strengthening our long-term fiscal health.
  

• Balancing the budget the right way: At Every economic downturn, everyday families are asked to tighten their belts, but corporations and billionaires are not asked the same. Deficit reduction shouldn’t come at the expense of working families, seniors, or students. It should come from reforming a system that’s been captured by special interests — and restoring basic fairness.

Getting Big Money Out of Politics

How can we expect our leaders to truly represent us when their campaigns are bankrolled by special interests with profit-driven agendas? The answer is simple: we can’t.

In the 2024 election cycle, corporate PACs contributed nearly $400 million—and more than $1.9 billion in dark money from untraceable sources flooded into campaigns. Washington is awash in this money. Lobbyists, Super PACs, and wealthy donors spend billions each cycle to tilt the system in their favor. The result? Policies that too often serve Big Industry and well-connected insiders instead of hard-working families here in Virginia.

I’m running as a reformist Democrat because I believe government should be accountable to the people—not bought and paid for by corporate interests. That means changing the way campaigns are funded, limiting the power of lobbyists, and shining a light on dark money.

Here’s how we fix it:

• Ban corporate PAC contributions to federal candidates.

• Overturn Citizens United so we can set sensible limits on campaign spending.

• Ban insider trading of congressional members because public servants should be focused on supporting the people, not enriching themselves.

• Require real-time transparency in political donations and outside spending.

• Promote public financing of elections, so candidates can run competitive campaigns without millionaire and billionaire donors.

• Create a new accountability standard: every member of Congress should meet with at least two constituents for every meeting they take with a corporate lobbyist and hold quarterly town halls with constituents.

Getting big money out of politics isn’t a partisan issue—it’s a democracy issue. Virginians deserve leaders who listen to them, not to the highest bidder. I’m committed to restoring trust in our government by putting power back where it belongs: in the hands of the people, and by designing policy from the ground up.

The American people deserve transparency and accountability in the handling of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes and any associated investigations. Justice must not depend on wealth, status, or political influence — and survivors deserve answers.

Here’s what that requires:

• Lawful release of all appropriate investigative and court records, consistent with protecting victims and due process.

• Independent oversight to ensure investigations are free from political interference.

• Full support, protection, and resources for survivors of trafficking and abuse.

• A clear reaffirmation that no one — no matter how powerful — is beyond the reach of federal law.

Public trust erodes when accountability feels selective. In a democracy, justice cannot operate behind closed doors for the powerful and in full view for everyone else.

No one is above the law. It’s time to prove it.