Inflation has ravaged our economy and made life unaffordable for Minnesota families. Minnesotans need to earn $13,000 more per year to afford the same standard of living we had just a couple years ago. Groceries, gas, energy, and housing prices are all up, thanks to the Democrats’ failed economic agenda.

We must stop out-of-control federal spending that has put our country on the fiscal brink and pursue responsible, pro-growth economic policies. This includes passing tax relief for middle class families so that people and small businesses have more control over their pocketbook – not the federal government. 

We also need to root out waste, fraud, and abuse. As I saw working on the Feeding our Future scandal – where fraudsters stole $250 million of your taxpayer money – YOU are better at spending your money than the government. Let’s put more money in your pocket. 

We are a nation of immigrants. I am the proud son of an African immigrant from Sudan. My dad came to America to live the American dream, and he came here legally. Now, we are experiencing a record-setting border crisis. Millions of illegal migrants and thousands of pounds of deadly fentanyl are pouring into our country because of the Biden-Harris administration’s open border policies.

As a federal prosecutor, I prosecuted fentanyl traffickers who sold this poison into our Minnesota communities – and it all came from our Southern border. We must continue building a border wall, give more resources to our border patrol agents, revamp our broken asylum system, and reform our immigration system. We can be a nation of immigrants and a nation of law and order. 

My highest honor as a military, state, and federal prosecutor was getting to work with the brave men and women of law enforcement in order to hold criminals accountable. They don the uniform everyday to protect our kids, families, and communities – with no guarantee that it won’t cost their life. 

Sadly, toxic anti-law enforcement rhetoric has been allowed to fester in some parts of our political discourse. The fact that assaults against law enforcement have doubled year-over-year, and the fact that we have record levels of crime, is no coincidence. Crime is on the rise thanks to career politicians that want to coddle criminals and demonize cops. 

We need to hold criminals accountable – it’s just common sense. As a federal prosecutor, I worked with law enforcement to bring to justice the Feeding Our Future fraudsters. I co-led an investigation into the Bloods criminal street gang who wreaked havoc in the Twin Cities. I put a cop killer behind bars. Public safety begins with clear consequences for criminals. My priority in Congress will be to support law enforcement and give them the tools necessary to keep us safe. 

The motto of my Marine Corps is “Semper Fidelis,” or Always Faithful. As a nation, we have made a promise to our seniors and veterans that we will have their back after a life of service. I will never support any cuts to Social Security, Medicare, or veterans services that would violate promises we have made to those who have made our country what it is today. 

As a veteran, I know the sacrifice that service members and their families make to protect our country. Our suicide rate among veterans is unacceptable. I would support efforts to bolster mental health benefits and services for veterans and their families. 

This issue is personal to every woman – just like it was personal to my mom. When she found herself unexpectedly pregnant with me, she received support and resources from a pregnancy resource center. That’s why I believe we need more compassion and understanding on an issue that is all-too-often marked by judgment and political pandering.

I oppose a federal ban on abortion. The federal government should not dictate to states, especially Minnesota, what their abortion policy should be, and I would vote against any federal ban or restrictions. The federal government’s role should instead be focused on common-sense, consensus policies that support women and families, like ensuring we protect IVF and making adoption and foster care more affordable and available. We should support women, just like my mom, to get the resources they need to make reproductive decisions free from coercion and economic circumstances. 

I grew up in Windom, a small-town in rural southwest Minnesota. My dad worked at a beef processing plant in town. Half of the church I grew up in were farmers or grew up on farms. Our farmers feed our country and the world, but face unique risks and challenges like fluctuating commodity prices, weather, disease, and drought. And under the failed Biden-Harris economy, farmers must deal with elevated input prices that smother profitability. 

I will stand by farmers and help strengthen our rural communities by pushing for a robust Farm Bill, increase funding for rural broadband, and pass tax relief for our rural agriculture economy. 

I proudly graduated from Windom Area High School, a public school. During my time on active duty in the Marine Corps, I had a moonlight job as a state community college professor. Public education is vital to investing in the next generation of Americans. Unfortunately, half of Minnesota kids can’t read or do math at grade level. That is unacceptable. 

The status quo is not working. While funding should always be part of the conversation, more money will not necessarily solve the problem. We need to get back to the basics and focus on making sure our kids are excelling in reading, writing, and math. Our schools shouldn’t be a social experiment, and parents should have the right to know what their kids are being taught. We need to think creatively and give parents the ability to choose the schools that best fit their children’s needs. That means making charter schools and homeschooling real options for parents. Our country’s future depends on our children receiving the best education.

America must project strength in order to maintain world peace and protect vital American interests. Power vacuums and appeasement only allow bad actors to take advantage of weakness and cause chaos. That’s what enabled ISIS to take over large swaths of the Middle East. 

As a Marine, I was proud to deploy to Iraq to help destroy ISIS by providing up-or-down guidance on strikes against ISIS fighters and their military infrastructure. We need a strong military to deter bad actors like Iran, Russia, and North Korea. We must also stand with our allies, like Israel, as they stand against evil. Some enemies cannot be negotiated with; they can only be destroyed. Hamas is one such enemy, and we must support Israel in protecting their sovereignty.