ON THE

Issues

Open Schools and Businesses Safely

Our public schools should be open — now — five days a week. The continued closure of schools has wreaked havoc upon families and students, particularly families already struggling and students with special needs. All the evidence points towards re-opening the schools. Private schools have been open and functioning — it can be done safely. We must open all schools immediately, for the sake of our kids and families.

Our businesses should be open — now. It is time to safely re-open our businesses and get our economy moving again. The Governor’s shutdowns and restrictions have decimated our economy. People should be allowed to get back to work so they can provide for their families and enjoy the dignity of good work.

Of course, accommodations should be made for vulnerable populations.



Economic Climate, Small Business, and Lower Taxes

Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy. We must resist the government urge to constantly increase taxes and regulation on businesses. Taxes on families and businesses should be lowered, not raised.

Especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to be lifting burdens on businesses, not adding them. Both Mark and his wife Mary work in small businesses, so they understand the challenges and needs that need to be addressed. We need policies that actually work for working-class folks.



Public Safety

Ensuring public safety is a core function of government. We must support and fund law enforcement to ensure responsiveness, effectiveness, and safe communities. Our law enforcement must have the resources, training, and personal to do their jobs well and ensure public safety.

While we should always seek to improve and innovate our policing, we should never bend to the calls to defund the police. Instead, we must re-build and ensure trust between police departments and communities.



Education — Support and Choice

We need to support and improve our public schools. Better pay for teachers, smaller class sizes, and improving school infrastructure — all should be priorities.

At the same time we’re strengthening our public schools, we should encourage a diversity of education options. If the school closures of the last year have shown us anything, it’s that working families deserve choices when it comes to the education of their kids. Every family has their own circumstances, and they should have the freedom to pursue the best option they see fit.

Public, private, charter, home — parents and families should have the opportunity to choose the education style best for their children. Parents know that children aren’t one-size-fits-all, so our our education system shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all either.



Life and Care of Children

Mark is pro-life. Every human life is worthy of respect. Whether the orphan, the child in the womb, or the elderly, Mark holds to a consistent ethic that every human life is sacred.

Mark and Mary are foster parents, having housed several children in need of a home. They know there is no such thing as an unwanted child. We must create a climate of support around women, men, and communities in need.

Being a foster-dad, Mark will work to improve our foster care system with policies that stabilize families and increase the number of foster families.



1st Amendment

Religious freedom is a bedrock constitutional value that should always be defended. We need not only a robust legal framework for free speech, but a robust culture of free speech. We must push back against corporations and big tech constantly seeking to shut down and chill free speech. We should have open and civil dialogue, without fear of legal or social retribution. For many years, Mark co-facilitated a community gathering focused on civil and constructive dialogue across many tough issues. He understands that a culture of civil dialogue is critical to solving our problems.



2nd Amendment

Mark is an avid hunter and shooter. He understands that the right to bear arms is a constitutional right and that government should protect that right, not erode it.

We need to focus our efforts on keeping guns out of the wrong hands and building a culture of gun safety. Mark will relentlessly pursue safe communities, without taking away guns from law-abiding citizens.



Investigate and Reform the Parole Board

We need a real investigation of what’s going on at the Parole Board. We need reforms to ensure accountability and transparency.



Election Integrity

Public trust in our elections is integral to a thriving democratic republic. The rules for our election system should be transparent and effective. They should both optimize access to the ballot and shut out any opportunity for fraud.

Everyone — Republicans, Democrats, or Independents — should be able to look upon our election system and have full confidence.



Family Stability, Healthcare, & Working Class Goals

Without strong families, we cannot have a strong Commonwealth.

We need to focus on real solutions to healthcare. We need easier access, better quality, and far more transparency, achieved through a market driven approach that drives down cost. Giving choice to consumers should always be a top priority.

We need a renewed effort of partnerships between state government, non-profits, the faith community, and local governments to ensure the strength and stabilities of our families. Alleviating hunger, driving down the cost of healthcare and childcare, ensuring good family/maternal leave policies, lowering tax burdens — all must be a part of a robust effort to support the bedrock of our society — working families.



No Casino

Richmond does not need a casino. Period. This would not be a healthy thing for our community — no matter where the project would go. While perhaps well-intentioned, the efforts to bring a casino to Richmond are misguided. Whether it be increased addiction, crime, decreased property values, traffic concerns, environmental issues, or hurting local businesses — this casino would be an overall hit to the quality of life — not good for our communities. I oppose the efforts to bring a casino to Richmond. Richmond certainly needs more revenue, but there are far better ways to pursue that goal than plopping down a casino in our community.