As the daughter of union workers, Sarah knows personally how access to good paying jobs can lead to a brighter future for our children and grandchildren. She’s worked with local small businesses to create climate technology and develop local jobs. This experience gives her a strong grasp of our regional job market and skill gaps. In Congress, Sarah is ready to use her practical experience to create policies that support our local workers, businesses, and economy by:

• Bringing manufacturing and technology jobs to Central New York while advocating for localities to get the resources they need
• Relieving local tax burdens (SALT) on our workers and their families, so the benefits of these jobs are felt by workers and returned to our local economy
• Developing our transportation infrastructure, particularly through rail and regional mass transit so it is easier for workers and goods to get around Central New York – and be connected across the country
• Standing with local Labor unions as they bargain for fair contracts

As both a woman and a mother of two young daughters, abortion and reproductive freedom are deeply personal to Sarah – she doesn’t need her staffers to hand her talking points about abortion rights because she is the only candidate running for NY-22 who is personally affected by restrictions on reproductive freedom. The loss of rights that came with the 2022 Dobbs decision has life-or-death consequences for women, girls, and families, and we can trust Sarah to be a relentless advocate for us.

Sarah has never wavered on her position that personal reproductive healthcare decisions are between a woman and her doctor. In Congress, Sarah will be a fighter for our reproductive freedoms by:

• Championing the codification of Roe v. Wade so abortion is safe and legal
• Advocating for an end to the Hyde Amendment, which prevents usage of federal funding for abortion, so military families on Tricare and individuals on Medicaid can access abortion care
• Supporting funding for family planning programs, Planned Parenthood, and abortion and reproductive health providers across NY-22
• Fighting for resources for maternal healthcare, including the “fourth trimester” – the first few months after childbirth – and tackling Black maternal mortality

Sarah is an environmental and climate policy expert and the Congresswoman we need to combat climate change. We can build a livable future and protect our way of life here in Central New York by creating good-paying, union jobs in a clean energy economy. Sarah has seen this firsthand: she directed two programs with state and federal agencies to address climate change through technology, while developing local CNY jobs. In Congress, Sarah will use this experience and be an advocate for our communities by:

• Standing up against big polluters and advocating for a livable future for our children and grandchildren
• Investing in the fight against the climate crisis with a focus on bringing clean energy jobs to Central New York
• Funding localities in tackling issues with lead pipes
• Protecting our clean air and clean water by requiring outdated federal policies to be aligned with our current climate needs
• Advocating for a Farm Bill that addresses weather-related vulnerabilities

Gun safety is public safety. Sarah grew up in rural Madison County, NY and knows that guns are considered a tool by many, including her childhood neighbors and farmers. Her dad used his gun to hunt deer for dinner. And also, as a mother and the only candidate with school aged children, Sarah has had enough of politicians failing to act in the best interest of our children and grandchildren, who have to endure active shooter drills at school. Additionally, Sarah recognizes that our youth across urban, suburban, and rural communities each have different experiences with gun violence, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to the crisis of gun violence.

While in the Air Force, Sarah handled and target trained with M-16s and knows that these weapons – more powerful than any gun held by a police officer – should not be on our streets. That’s why, in Congress, Sarah will be a strong advocate for keeping guns out of the hands of those who misuse guns, advocating for gun safety reforms such as:

• Comprehensive background checks
• Red flag laws
• Closing the boyfriend loophole
• Funding violence intervention programs to address root causes of gun violence

Because of her commitment to middle class families of Central New York and the Mohawk Valley, Sarah is the only elected candidate running for this Congressional seat who has never accepted a dollar of corporate PAC money in any campaign for public office. When greedy corporations buy off politicians, they are no longer serving the American people – they are serving Big Ag, Big Oil and Big Pharma instead of family farmers, working people, children, and seniors.

Democracy requires that people trust that their government is serving them, and the first step to securing it is by ensuring that the people’s interests come first – not corporate bottom lines. In Congress, Sarah will advocate for:

• Banning former members of Congress from working as federal lobbyists and prohibition of corporate PACs and LLCs from contributing to political campaigns
• Prohibiting members of Congress from trading individual stocks while holding office
• Protection of voting rights, including provisions for early voting, so that working people have the chance to make their voices heard at the ballot box
• Policies that require billionaires and big corporations to pay their fair share
• Passage of the For the People Act, which she will proudly co-sponsor

Big corporations are making record profits by ripping off working people at the grocery store and the gas pump. This is because big corporations have gobbled up small companies, to the detriment of consumers. In Congress, Sarah will fight for policies that will lower costs for New York families because she has had enough of Wall Street lining its pockets by making everyday Americans pay more for basic needs. This will look like:

• Advocating for anti-trust policies that break up big corporations, which increases competition and lowers prices
• Supporting Right-to-Repair legislation to stand up against corporations forcing Americans to buy more by making it harder for Americans to fix their own stuff
• Funding the Federal Trade Commission so they have the personnel and resources to do their job: protecting consumers from corporate greed and monopolies

Sarah is the daughter of two union workers, a retired IBEW electrician and a former SEIU nurse. Her dad’s union fought for a safe work environment at the Niagara Mohawk nuclear power plant, which protected his health and longevity – it’s why she values the union way of life. She grew up walking picket lines with her mom when the nurses were fighting for better wages and working conditions – and that was just the start! Recently, Sarah walked pickets with Starbucks workers in their effort to unionize. She knows that there’s more to be done for workers and unions. In Congress, Sarah will be an unwavering advocate for organized Labor by:

• Proudly co-sponsoring the PRO Act so that all workers be able to exercise their right to organize, just as her parents did
• Raising the minimum wage to a livable wage – because workers who put in a day’s work should be able to pay their bills
• Advocating for funds towards the National Labor Relations Board so that workers who are organizing have a partner against union-busting
• Partnering with trades in our transition towards a clean energy economy – so that the path towards cleaner air and cleaner water will be via apprenticeship and union jobs for our electricians, pipefitters, and all tradespeople, without the loss of seniority, benefits, and wages
• Strengthening and protecting DBRA Prevailing Wage requirements so federal construction and infrastructure projects in NY-22 bring good paying jobs to local workers and Project Labor Agreements

Healthcare is a human right, not a privilege. Sarah wants all Americans to access healthcare that is just as good as the care she received in the military – full coverage for vision, dental, hearing, and mental and physical health without copays, deductibles, and network issues. Sarah has been a patient under military, public, and private healthcare systems. She has experienced the advantages and disadvantages of each type of health care system, which will inform how she will make healthcare policy. In Congress, Sarah will support our right to healthcare by:

• Expanding Medicare to cover vision, dental, hearing and mental health – the same services Sarah received while in the military
• Empowering Medicare to negotiate prices on prescription drugs and holding Big Pharma accountable – so our seniors and families are not saddled with high drug prices
• Giving consumers choice by addressing the healthcare system’s corporate monopolies that put the power in Big Pharma and insurance
• Working to improve healthcare exchange by providing more tax credits to lower premiums, creating more options on the exchange, and simplifying the process to make the process of getting health insurance less confusing

As a working mom, Sarah knows that our childcare system is not working for anyone: the parent, the childcare worker, or the childcare provider. Childcare is too expensive for our families, and it is essential infrastructure, like our roads and bridges. Childcare ensures our working parents can provide for their families and contribute to our economy. In Congress, Sarah will advocate for:

• Wage-driven affordable childcare
• Childcare that extends beyond traditional hours to supports parents and guardians who are shift workers
• Increasing federal funding and support for Pre-K programs, with provided meals adhering to USDA guidelines
• Prioritizing childcare funding just as much as we prioritize road funding

Sarah will fight to ensure every person has access to paid family leave. No American should ever lose their job or fear reprisal for taking care of themselves or a loved one during their time of need. In Congress, Sarah will protect the dignity of working people by advocating for:

• Paid Sick Leave
• Paid Parental Leave
• Paid Family and Medical leave
• Finding solutions for our smallest businesses to subsidize paid leave because while our big corporations can afford it, we need to help our small businesses stay afloat as they compete for the best employees

Sarah believes that every American should have a path to the middle class, just as the military provided her and her family. Like many young people today, Sarah is a millennial and has student loan debt from her higher education; it was the only way she could afford to go to school. She also believes that a four year college education should not be the only way to a good-paying job – because when people have good paying jobs, local economies thrive.

Sarah wants every student who works hard to graduate from college debt-free, so one of her top priorities is making college more affordable. In Congress, Sarah will continue to advocate better opportunities by:

• Supporting better access to community college
• Advocating for higher education financial support in fields with identified skills gaps such as nursing and teaching
• Partnering with Labor so their programs have the resources to increase membership
• Holding the banks and student loan providers accountable for predatory practices such as increasing interest rates, loan consolidation, and interest capitalization without borrowers’ consent

Sarah was raised in rural Madison County and still drives down a dirt road to get to her parent’s family home. Sarah understands that rural living is a choice for many across NY-22 – she’s dedicated to preserving it while fighting for the resources that bring a good quality of life.

The fight to protect our family farmers is the fight for the community that raised her. Family farmers are facing multiple threats as they struggle to put food on their own table: the changing soil conditions and lower crop yields, the increasing costs to maintain livestock, and the challenges to compete against Big Ag. In Congress, Sarah will fight for policies that stand up to Big Ag and corporations who are hurting the way of life we hold dear in our rural communities by:

• Advocating for a Farm Bill that puts family farmers first
• Fighting for Right-to-Repair legislation, so that farmers can repair their equipment at the repair shop of their choosing
• Making sure our Farm Bureau pipeline programs such as 4-H and the NY Young Farmers & Ranchers Program have adequate federal support
• Supporting legislation that empowers rural broadband providers to make sure that houses on dirt roads have internet access, so family farmers can do business, kids can do their homework, and rural households will be connected to resources in their communities
• Championing funding for assistance programs to families that want to transition away from gas and fossil fuel heating
• Prioritizing the connection of rural areas to larger cities by adequate and reliable transportation

Sarah understands that Social Security and Medicare are lifelines for families and seniors in Central New York and across the country. In Congress, she will fight to ensure that Medicare and Social Security remain funded and that adjustments keep pace with rising daily costs. This will look like:

• Protecting Social Security and Medicare funding
• Standing up against attempts to raise the retirement age to access Social Security and Medicare
• Protecting Social Security benefits for people with disabilities
• Ensuring that Medicare can negotiate price reductions on prescription drugs
• Supporting legislation that would hold drug companies accountable for price hikes on medicines relied upon by our seniors – as well as Americans of all ages

Sarah is committed to an America where all can live their authentic lives, free from discrimination and hate. This includes the LGBTQ community, who have been facing unprecedented attacks around the country. As an elected town councilor, Sarah sponsored and passed LGTBQ-affirming legislation in her town. In Congress, Sarah will always be an advocate for laws that protect LGBTQ people. This will look like:

• Co-sponsoring the Equality Act
• Advocating for equality in housing, employment, senior services, and healthcare for LGBTQ people
• Championing the safety of LGBTQ youth and families in rural communities and urban centers alike

Sarah is a proud product of public schools here in Central New York. She graduated from Chittenango High School in Madison County, and she’s a public school parent. From bus drivers to cafeteria workers to teachers, school staff are underpaid, to the detriment of our students. As a local elected official who has seen how education funding can be better executed at the federal level, Sarah will fight for our teachers and paraprofessionals so that they are paid what they deserve and will be an advocate for their right to organize. In Congress, she will advocate for our public school teachers and public school students by:

• Protecting and expanding teachers’ right to organize by co-sponsoring the PRO Act
• Being a loud and proud voice for fair union contracts for our educators and paraprofessionals – no educator should have to wonder if they will be able to return to work getting paid what they deserve
• Listening to local school boards’ resource needs to combat the teacher shortage
• Fighting for localities to have the resources to ensure that our public school facilities are great places for our kids to learn and our educators to work

For too long, politicians have taken money from big corporations and allowed these very corporations to price gouge our housing – Sarah’s commitment to tackling this problem is why she has never taken corporate PAC money. The lack of affordable homes for purchase and rent in Central New York is quickly reaching crisis levels – the Syracuse metro area saw an 8% rent increase for a one-bedroom apartment over the last year, one of the highest rent increases in New York State. Our housing crisis is compounded by the legacy of redlining and a lack of urgency around replacing lead pipes and outdated infrastructure.

Ultimately, working families in Central New York and the Mohawk Valley should not have to compete with Wall Street hedge funds and short term rental companies whose practices artificially inflate the market cost of housing. Renters have seen long-term rental supplies dwindle and monthly rents skyrocket to pad profits for big corporations. In Congress, Sarah will fight for policies that will make housing and home ownership affordable for Central New York families, putting people over Wall Street. This will look like:

• Co-sponsoring the American Neighborhoods Act, so big corporations who own over 70 properties pay their fair share
• Tackling the lead pipe issues and fossil fuel reliance in old housing by fighting for federal funding and incentives
• Ensuring short-term rental corporations and their partners adhere to local laws, including the enforcement of locally enacted short-term rental bans
• Improving programs aimed at assisting families and veterans purchasing affordable homes, particularly first-time home buyers
• Preserving incentives for rehabilitation of affordable rental properties along with incentives for new builds to increase the supply of safe and affordable rental properties

While serving on the Police Commission for the Town of DeWitt, chaired by the Police Chief, Sarah has been a leader for smart and effective public safety. She has seen firsthand that police departments across Central New York and the Mohawk Valley have staff shortages and many officers working overtime, which puts both officers and community members at risk in situations of duress. In Congress, Sarah’s goal is to tackle the root causes of crime by:

• Holistically addressing municipal public safety by funding both the hiring of first responders and preventative measures, including addressing poverty
• Supporting the hiring of mental health first responders, addiction counselors, and social workers to assist in response events
• Ensuring local public safety departments have resources for community policing
• Addressing the school-to-prison pipeline by fighting for funding mental health professionals in schools
• Advocating for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault – including advocating for support services and shelter for Domestic Violence survivors

As a former U.S. Air Force Captain and now a veteran who utilizes the VA Healthcare System, Sarah will fight to ensure our troops, their families, and our veterans have access to the support and services they need – because she’s personally invested. In Congress, she will fight to protect those who fought for our great nation and earned their benefits. This will look like:

• Advocating for proper funding for the VA, to include long-term general medical support, mental health, addiction care, homelessness support, re-entry programs, assisted living, and the many more essential services our VA system provides
• Making sure that we fund services for active duty troops, veterans, and families
• Engaging our local community organizations that support veterans as they re-enter civilian life

Sarah has seen American national security up close – both through policy development and strategic actions when she served in the Air Force and now through her work in the non-partisan Truman National Security Project. She believes that America’s place as a world leader is secured by protecting and uplifting democracy around the world. Because of her military experience, Sarah knows firsthand the pain of losing fellow troops in the line of duty. That’s why she approaches national security with a diplomacy-first approach. In Congress, Sarah will advocate for:

• Addressing geopolitical crises at their root – before they fester into wars, pandemics, and refugee crises – by supporting foreign aid programs, which make up under 1% of our US budget and saves our country money in the long run
• Adhering to our Constitution by re-asserting Congress’ role in our foreign policy, including the Authorization of the Use of Military Force
• Supporting international programs that address climate change by promoting and implementing renewable energy sources around the world
• Strengthening the funding allocation our International Affairs budget, so American embassies around the world have the resources to use our diplomatic might