Why are you running for mayor?

“To put St. Paul back on track: safer neighborhoods, a stronger tax base, and real upward mobility. I’m a scientist and a small-business owner who fixes things by finding root causes and measuring results. City Hall keeps repeating costly mistakes—especially on development subsidies—while services lag. I’m running to deliver basic competence, transparency, and outcomes residents can feel.”

As mayor, how will you advocate for immigrants and communities of color?

“Immigrants should be treated like every other resident in our city—with fairness, dignity, and equal opportunity. To achieve that, we must expand language access across all city services so every resident can fully participate.

“Like many low-income residents, immigrant families face barriers to opportunity. That’s why I will work to cut red tape for small entrepreneurs, expand job-training opportunities, and promote pathways to homeownership.

“Equally important, I will enforce strong civil-rights protections and ensure bias-free policing with clear accountability. Every community deserves safety, respect, and a fair chance to thrive.”

How can the city revive downtown, which is home to several vacant offices?

“The core of your proposal is revitalization through safety, organic growth, small-business support, and responsible use of taxpayer dollars—instead of repeating decades of failed subsidy-driven strategies”

How can the city best prevent another cyberattack?

“To prevent future cyberattacks, we need to lock our systems with the best security, train city staff to spot threats, back up our data, and work with state and federal experts. In short: protect, train, back up, and stay ahead.”

The corridor in Midway starting at Snelling Ave and University Ave has lost or is losing several businesses. What should the mayor do to revive this corridor, which is home to many communities of color?

“First, secure the Midway and improve transit safety so businesses stop leaving. At the same time, fill storefronts quickly to restore foot traffic, while planning long-term development.”

Do you support the city’s sanctuary policy, and should it be expanded?

“I support St. Paul’s sanctuary policy: residents should be able to report crimes, use schools, libraries, and clinics without fear of immigration enforcement. I favor clarifying and strengthening it where needed (training, data-privacy, complaint channels) while maintaining compliance with state and federal law and prioritizing serious public-safety threats.”

How can the city make up for lost federal grants and revenue due to cuts from the Trump administration?

“We need a clear plan to use our current local funding more effectively while also identifying why federal funding is critical for real reform. For example, if our goal is to help more renters become homeowners, then federal policies must change. Too many families are trapped in long-term renting because of how federal programs are structured.

“True equity comes when families can build generational wealth through homeownership, not when they are locked into renting. Once residents understand this reasoning, we can rally them to push for changes in the federal funding structure.”