Families in northern Fort Collins and Larimer County are getting squeezed—and too many are wondering how much longer they can afford to stay. Costs continue to rise, and families are feeling the pinch get and more painful.

For me, this isn’t theoretical. It’s personal.

My stepdaughter Carissa was permanently disabled in a hit-and-run crash. That tragedy forced my wife Patti to move to Parker to care for her full-time, while I stayed in Fort Collins to raise my kids. For over a year, we haven’t been able to live under the same roof as a family.

On top of the emotional toll, we’ve lived the financial reality so many families face—managing two households, navigating medical care, and dealing with a system that too often adds cost and stress instead of helping. The justice system failed Carissa, with delays, quick releases, and no real accountability for lifelong harm.

I’ve seen similar challenges caring for my own son through Medicaid. The red tape, the inefficiencies, and the wasted spending don’t just frustrate families—they make it harder to get real help while costs continue to rise everywhere else.

At the same time, housing prices are skyrocketing, rents keep climbing, and taxes and fees from Denver continue to add up. Families are cutting back, delaying plans, or leaving communities they love because they simply can’t afford it anymore.

I’m running because I refuse to accept that this is the new normal.

We need practical, responsible leadership that focuses on lowering costs, fixing broken systems, and making sure families—not government—come first. I want to help create a future where people can afford to live, work, and raise their families right here in District 53.