Issues & Platform

Strong Public Education

This is Ben’s top priority, and it is personal. He teaches freshman math at Pueblo High School every day. He sees what chronic underfunding does to students and teachers up close. Arizona’s public schools need a permanent, dedicated funding stream from the general fund. Not patchwork fixes and not vouchers that drain the system.

“Vouchers are the massive hole at the bottom of the ship capsizing everything in public education.”

• Dedicated permanent funding for the overall per-pupil formula, special education, gifted programs, counselors and mental health specialists, and pre-K and full-day kindergarten
• Reduce class sizes, raise teacher pay, and fund full-time mentor teacher programs
• Oppose book bans, content censorship, and policies that target LGBTQ+ students
• Oppose universal ESA vouchers
• Support instituting the same accountability standards for all publicly funded schools: district, charter, and voucher-receiving private schools

Affordability

Rent, groceries, gas, and utility bills are rising while wages stay flat. Working families in District 20 are doing everything right and still falling behind. Ben supports policies that address immediate hardship while tackling the structural causes, including reducing corporate and billionaire influence over wages and prices, and supporting unions and collective action.

“Policies that lift the burden off working families and ensure their hard work leads to the success they have earned.”

Healthcare and Reproductive Justice

Healthcare should be accessible, not a financial crisis waiting to happen. Reproductive justice means having real choices, with the resources to make every choice realistic. Ben will fight to remove the barriers that prevent people from getting the care they need.

• Take every opportunity to expand access to healthcare while working toward the goal of universal healthcare
• Mandate age-appropriate, inclusive sex education statewide
• Eliminate religious-refusal exemptions for healthcare providers and pharmacists
• Firewall between healthcare and law enforcement. People must be able to seek care without fear of legal consequences

Immigration and Community Safety

Ben has been preparing his school community. Know Your Rights materials, school-level preparation, and community organizing are happening right now because families in District 20 need it. At the state level, Ben will push back with every legal lever Arizona has, document illegal enforcement actions for future accountability, and ensure no one is denied healthcare, education, or due process on the basis of immigration status.

LGBTQ+ Rights

Equal protections under the law in employment, housing, education, and every facet of society are not negotiable. He will fight every restrictive bill at every stage and help build the coalitions needed for lasting progress. Every person deserves to live with dignity free from persecution and prying eyes.

Environmental Justice

Climate and environment do not follow city or county lines, which means local ordinances alone cannot solve regional problems. Ben supports state-level restrictions on data centers, which are quietly consuming enormous amounts of water and electricity in Arizona, precisely because local communities cannot defend against industry venue shopping on their own. The environment needs a 10,000-foot view.

“Are you willing to sacrifice 50% of your town’s water for 100 jobs? Then a data center is for you. If not, it isn’t.”

Democracy and Voting Rights

Ben is a precinct committee person. He registers voters. He educates people on their rights. He believes the best defense against attacks on democracy is an informed, activated voter base. That starts at the ground level, neighborhood by neighborhood. He will bring that same commitment to the legislature.

Clean Elections

This is not just a campaign finance position. It is the foundation of every position above. Ben is running as a publicly financed Clean Elections candidate. He has not taken and will not take money from wealthy donors, corporations, or special interest groups. That means no favors owed, no calls to return, no influence to protect.

“The only voices I want in my ears are those of my constituents, not those of the wealthy donors. I will only be beholden to the voters.”

The Clean Elections system works when enough district voters participate. A $5 contribution from a registered District 20 voter qualifies this campaign for public funding. That is how a teacher with a J.D. and a commitment to his community runs a competitive race without selling access to win it.