May 1 Announcement Speech Excerpts
If you had asked me not long ago whether I would ever run for office, I probably would’ve laughed. As a working mom of five, an attorney, and a small business owner, life was already full — overflowing, actually. Politics wasn’t part of the plan.
Sometimes, you look around at what’s happening — in your community, in your state, in your country — and you feel like something has to change. That’s where I found myself.
Like so many of you, I’ve watched the system we depend on — our schools, our healthcare, our economy — fail to meet this moment. And all the while, the chaos in our politics just keeps getting louder.
Let’s be honest — it’s all noise, all drama. And, while they bicker – and enact some truly absurd policies– Georgia families are footing the bill. The cost of that dysfunction isn’t abstract — it’s not a talking point. It’s showing up in our grocery receipts. In our power bills. In our property taxes. In the stress we carry when we put our kids to bed at night.
Today, I’m announcing my candidacy for the Georgia State Senate in the upcoming special election to represent our 21st District. From Roswell to Ball Ground, from Milton to Canton, all the way to Waleska. I’m running because I believe the American Dream should still be possible.
I’m running because we need a different kind of leadership — and a different kind of candidate. I’m not a career politician. I’m a mom. I’ve been a lawyer, and a small business owner.
For me, this is deeply personal.
My story started in the living room of my family home. My parents were public school teachers. They believed deeply in the promise of education. My father, an immigrant from Jamaica, and my mother, a Jewish girl from Great Neck, NY, came from completely different worlds — but they shared the same belief: Zip code should not determine destiny and every child should get a fair shot.
My dad would sit me down with a bingo card full of Dolch sight words, holding a collapsible stick that looked like it came off a broken TV antenna. Thanks to his and my mom’s commitment to early literacy, I was reading fluently by age three. At sixteen, I graduated from public high school.
And soon after, I stepped onto the campus of Harvard University — a world away from where I started, but built on the values that raised me. That promise guided their lives — and it drives mine today. But, that promise is fading for too many families in Georgia.
Our public schools are underfunded. Our teachers are underpaid. Our classrooms are overcrowded. And our children are being left behind.
The wealthiest families have options. They always will. But working parents are stuck navigating a broken system, with fewer and fewer choices.
I see it every day. I serve on the School Governance Council at our local public school, where all five of my kids are enrolled. I see how hard our teachers work. I see how much more they could do if we invested in them like our future depends on it — because it does.
Let me say it clearly: Public dollars should support public schools. Period.
And, when it comes to our economy — we need leadership that knows what it takes to actually run something. I know what it’s like to stretch every dollar, plan every week, and make tough calls. Not just in theory — in real life.
I’ve built a career as a lawyer and entrepreneur, navigating systems that too often work against working people. I’ve seen what happens when our institutions fail — and I’ve fought to create opportunity anyway.
That’s the voice I’ll bring to the State Senate:
- A voice that knows what it’s like to juggle diaper changes with Zoom calls and soccer practice.
- A voice that understands struggle, believes in solutions, and refuses to give up on Georgia families.
Because, while some folks in power chase headlines, the rest of us are chasing grocery deals — and trying to give our kids a better life.
We need leadership that’s grounded in reality — not obsessed with the next press release. We need leadership that brings compassion, honesty, and accountability back into public life.
This campaign isn’t about party lines. It’s about priorities. I believe in lifting up every member of our community — not just the ones who can afford to be heard. That starts with education, yes. But it also means lower costs. Better healthcare. It means safer communities. And it means good-paying jobs that don’t require a four-year degree.
I may not have started my career in politics — but I have always believed in service. And that’s what this campaign is about. It’s about our future — not just for this election, but for the kind of Georgia we want our kids to grow up in. Because if we don’t fight for it — who will?
So, I’m asking you: join me. Join me in building something better.
Let’s show Georgia what real leadership looks like. For our families, and for our futures!
Thank you.