What actions would you take as a state legislator to protect and strengthen Washington’s food security safety net, including both public nutrition programs and the food banks and food pantries serving communities across the state?

Everyone in Washington should be able to put nutritious food on the table, regardless of their income or ZIP code. As a child, my parents taught me and my siblings important lessons about community and service, including a particular saying in Spanish: “Donde come uno, comen dos o tres.” This means, “where there is enough for one person to eat, there is enough for two or three” – when community shows up for each other, there is always enough. Today, it seems like there’s hardly ever enough. The cost of putting a meal on your family’s table is painfully high. And at the same time, the federal government is intentionally making matters worse by attacking our communities and withholding food benefits. In the Senate, I will work to protect and strengthen food assistance programs such as SNAP and other nutrition programs against the federal cuts and policy changes that are leaving people hungry and in need. I would also continue investing in the community organizations that meet people where they are. Food banks and food pantries are an essential part of our safety net, and they need reliable resources to respond to increasing demand. I was proud to help secure $103,000 in the state Capital Budget for the BIPOC Farm Fresh Hub at Eloise’s Cooking Pot Food Bank on Tacoma’s Eastside, and I would look for additional opportunities to strengthen food access infrastructure in our communities. At the state level, I would support funding for food assistance, school nutrition, and programs that connect families with locally available food. I would also work to make these programs easier to access, because a benefit that is difficult to navigate or apply for does not fully serve the people who need it.

What have you done to understand food insecurity in the communities you seek to represent—including engaging with people experiencing hunger or local hunger-relief organizations—and what policies would you prioritize to address the root causes of hunger and ensure Washington residents can afford and access the food they need?

Food insecurity is personal for me. Growing up in Pasco, I relied on free and reduced-price school lunch – square pizza day was my favorite – and I know what it is like to work two jobs in an expensive city while trying to pay rent and buy groceries. Those experiences shape the way I think about affordability and economic security. I have also worked with and listened to community organizations addressing food insecurity, including supporting the BIPOC Farm Fresh Hub at Eloise’s Cooking Pot Food Bank. That investment reflects something I believe strongly: we need to listen to the organizations and residents who are already doing this work and understand what resources they need. However, hunger cannot be addressed only by expanding emergency food distribution. That is why I was so proud to cast my vote to pass the Millionaire’s Tax in the 2026 Legislative Session that will expand the Working Families Tax Credit to hundreds of thousands more Washington households and make free and reduced-cost school lunch a reality all across Washington. We must address the underlying costs that make it difficult for families to afford food in the first place so that families no longer face an impossible choice between putting nutritious food on the table or paying the rent, finding childcare, or getting the medication they need for their health. I would also prioritize policies that make it easier for families to access nutrition programs without unnecessary administrative barriers. In the 2026 session, I supported state funding for food assistance in response to reductions in federal support, and my constituent survey showed that food assistance programs such as SNAP and WIC were among the areas residents wanted the state to prioritize.

What policies or investments would you support to strengthen Washington’s food system, increase access to locally produced food, support Washington farmers and producers, and reduce food waste?

I would support investments that connect Washington’s agricultural producers with the communities that need access to healthy, affordable food. That includes strengthening local food hubs, supporting farmers and producers who sell into local markets, expanding opportunities for institutions and public programs to purchase Washington-grown food, and investing in the infrastructure needed to store, process, distribute, and preserve locally produced food. My support for the BIPOC Farm Fresh Hub is one example of the type of investment I believe can strengthen both sides of the food system: supporting local producers while increasing access to fresh food for families who may otherwise struggle to afford it. I would also support efforts to reduce food waste by improving food recovery and distribution infrastructure and helping surplus food reach food banks, schools, and community organizations rather than going to waste. Ultimately, a strong food system should accomplish several things at once: help Washington farmers and producers succeed, keep more food dollars in our communities, make nutritious food more accessible and affordable, and ensure that good food is not unnecessarily wasted. I would work with farmers, food banks, Tribes, local governments, community organizations, and consumers to develop policies that accomplish those goals.