I’m the proud son of a working-class single mother who had a dream of a better life for her children. Despite America’s promise of opportunity, I grew up filling out food stamp applications and working from a young age to help my mom pay the bills. During the Great Recession, the bank foreclosed on our home.

With hard work, determination, and the love, support, and grace of my family and community, I found my way. I worked at McDonald’s through high school and as a substitute teacher through college, and a scar on my arm serves as a testament to the hundreds of times I exchanged my blood at a plasma center to pay my family’s bills. I started at a community college and then slept on my friend’s couches and floors during my first semester at a public university. I then served as an economist for the US Army Corps of Engineers and became a first responder after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. I graduated from Yale Law School and made a promise to always fight for those who have been left out, left behind, or left without a voice.  A promise to ensure that everyone in America truly has a fair chance at success.

Equal opportunity starts right here in our community. We must fight to lower the cost of housing and healthcare, protect Social Security and Medicare, and defend the rights and freedoms of every Coloradan. I’m going to bring a real voice to our nation’s capital to improve the lives of everyday people so that every Coloradan has an honest opportunity to succeed.