City or town of residence: Denver, previously Evergreen (Colorado since 2005)
Profession: Lieutenant governor and chief operating officer of Colorado.
Related elected-office or public-service experience: I have worked in both the public and private sector for the past 42 years. I worked for the City of New York in many senior-level positions, including senior vice president for the safety net hospital in New York and was also the director of operations in New York City.
Why are you seeking this office?
This state needs a governor who understands how to manage billion-dollar budgets and who is willing to do the hard work to get things done. I have been to all 64 counties and visited with working families who are struggling to afford health care and housing. I have the experience to tackle these tough issues.
What makes you the most qualified person for the position?
I have spent the last 42 years working in both the private and public sectors. I earned a doctorate in public health and spent 11 years as the executive vice president of Kaiser Permanente managing 16,000 employees and a $9 billion budget. I fought back against Washington last year to protect access to health care for 76,000 children from working families. I worked very hard to increase our state's investment in education, transportation and broadband this past session. We need a strong governor to stand up for our public lands and who will protect our water and wild spaces. I will fight for Colorado.
What would your top two priorities be if elected?
My top two priorities will be reducing the cost of health care and affordable housing. I support universal health care but feel we must address the outsized profits the health care and pharmaceutical industries are making on the backs of working families. We must reduce those profits if we want to significantly reduce health-care costs and expand access. The lack of affordable housing is impacting families across Colorado. I will treat that lack of access like the crisis it is. I will immediately create a Cabinet-level position to begin working with cities and counties across the state to address this issue. The governor can and should be a leader to ensure everyone has access to affordable housing.
What else should the voters know about you?
My parents both served in the Navy during World War II — so I have appreciation for our veterans and their value to our communities. I paid my own way through college, and I raised three kids as a single mom. I know what families are going through because I have lived it. Throughout my career, I have been a consensus-builder and problem-solver. That's what I will do as your governor.
