am requesting the endorsement because I believe that this is a campaign that unites all parts of the Democratic Party, and the Hays County Young Democrats are an integral piece of our local community.

I’m a dad and attorney here in Hays County, and I’m proud to serve my family's community. I graduated from Texas A&M and earned my law degree from the University of Texas School of Law. Since 2018, I’ve served as a prosecutor in the Hays County District Attorney’s Office, where I’ve worked in every section of the office and gained a broad understanding of how our justice system serves our community from all angles.

I’ve also had the honor of serving twice as a staff attorney for judges on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, giving me experience at the highest level of our state’s criminal justice system. District Attorney Kelly Higgins selected me as Misdemeanor Division Chief, where I oversee a large team of attorneys and staff, train new prosecutors, and manage the county’s diversion courts and programs. These roles have prepared me to lead with fairness, accountability, and a focus on practical solutions that keep our community safe while using resources wisely.

I believe that we need to 1) double down on diversion; 2) focus on violent and particularly egregious crimes; and 3) fight for our community.

First, I will invest additional resources into our existing diversion courts, including Mental Health Court, and continue expanding into new areas such as Drug Court and DWI Court. These programs address the root causes of low-level, non-violent offenses and have proven to reduce recidivism, save taxpayer dollars, and improve long-term public safety. By strengthening and expanding these evidence-based programs, we can hold people accountable while also helping them get back on track.

Second, we must be able to walk and chew gum at the same time — expanding diversion while also aggressively prioritizing violent and serious offenses. I will build on the model of our new Family Justice Unit, which dedicates early investigative resources to crimes against children, high-risk family violence cases, and intimate partner sexual assaults. This proactive approach ensures that our most experienced staff and investigative resources are focused on the cases that pose the greatest risk to public safety and have the most serious impact on victims and families.

Finally, I will use the civil authority of the District Attorney’s Office to stand up for Hays County residents when our community’s interests are at stake. This includes taking appropriate legal action, consistent with the law, to protect public health, local control, and the rights of our community — similar to steps taken by other Texas counties when state or federal actions threaten local priorities. If other large counties can use these tools to advocate for their communities, Hays County should be prepared to do the same when necessary.

'This is Me' - Greatest Showman Cast

No, I do not support the current state of ICE in the United States. I believe there is a role for reasonable and lawful border protection in some form, but the actions of ICE in today's America undermine due process and weaken confidence in the fairness of our legal system.

As a prosecutor, I work every day to strengthen respect for the rule of law. That respect is damaged when people see enforcement that appears inconsistent with basic principles of fairness and equal treatment. These practices also harm public safety by degrading trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement.

In Hays County, I have advocated for the least-involved 287(g) agreement allowed under state law, both as a moral issue and as a responsible use of taxpayer resources. I have also raised concerns directly with local law enforcement leaders about the impact of ICE actions on our courts and our community. For instance, witnesses and victims are increasingly afraid to come forward or appear in court, and that fear makes it harder to prosecute serious and violent crimes.

My priority is to protect due process, preserve trust between law enforcement and the community, and ensure that our limited local resources are focused on prosecuting serious crime and protecting victims, not on policies that undermine the integrity of our justice system.

I support strict oversight of automated license plate readers in Hays County to ensure that data collection is limited to specific, legitimate, and trackable local law enforcement purposes. That information cannot be broadly shared with private companies or with non-local state or federal agencies, and it should not be stored or used beyond what is necessary for public safety. Especially given the issues currently spawning from federal 'law enforcement' efforts. I believe the Commissioner’s Court and local City Councils have an important role in setting clear limits on how these systems are used and in closely scrutinizing any related contracts. Consistent with other local leaders, I want local law enforcement to be able to have useful tools to further investigations; however, that need must be viewed in the extremely heightened spectrum of what is occurring at the national level.

With respect to AI technology in policing, I believe there are reasonable uses and clear lines that should not be crossed. For example, AI tools may be appropriate for limited, supportive functions such as preliminary translation services or identifying patterns in lawfully obtained data such as voluminous medical or financial records. However, I do not support using AI for more complex or judgment-based police functions, such as drafting or supplementing offense reports, where there is a higher risk to due process and accuracy.

In my role, I have worked directly with stakeholders to identify risks and develop solutions that balance public safety with privacy and civil liberties.

No, I do not support the development of AI data centers in Hays County or in San Marcos due to the strain they would place on our already limited environmental and utility resources, particularly water and energy.

As part of our modernization efforts, the District Attorney’s Office has launched a new Environmental Enforcement division. When fully developed, this division will serve as a central point of coordination between the county and local municipalities to address environmental compliance and ensure that development is responsible, lawful, and sustainable.

While the Texas Legislature has limited the tools available to counties to directly block certain types of development, there are still meaningful legal and regulatory tools that can be used when subject-matter experts work together. I believe projects that threaten our limited natural resources are exactly the types of developments that should receive heightened scrutiny through these coordinated efforts.

YI’m not an international law lawyer; I rely on experts where my experience is limited. The International Federation for Human Rights, Amnesty International, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, among others, have determined that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute a genocide.

What is beyond dispute is the immense loss of civilian life, the humanitarian catastrophe, and the unacceptable harm to innocent families. The international community, including the United States, must take these findings seriously, demand the protection of civilians, expand humanitarian aid, and support real accountability for violations of international law.

Ultimately, I believe in consistent application of the rule of law and the protection of human life in all circumstances. Any violations of international humanitarian law, by any party, should be fully investigated and addressed in the appropriate international legal forum. We as an international community must care about the rule of law, the same as we must on the local and national level.