Reason for Seeking Public Office:

I am running for state representative in Michigan's 40th district, which serves the cities of Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, and a portion of West Bloomfield. The choice to run was a decision I made as a culmination of several powerful and unexpected "a-ha" moments. I have always been a socially-conscious individual, but the issues of poverty, wealth disparity, and social injustice in our communities increasingly troubled me and made me feel that I needed to do more. Then, in January 2015, my friend and colleague Dr. Michael Davidson was shot and killed by the disgruntled son of a former patient while in his clinic at one of the best medical centers in the country. This was the same hospital where I cut my teeth as an academic dietitian, met my husband, and had my first child. Dr. Davidson was a talented cardiac surgeon who had devoted his life to tirelessly caring for the sickest patients, and was known for his humble nature and compassionate bedside manner. When the doctors were unable to save Michael, they had to deliver the news of his death to his wife, also a physician, who was seven months pregnant with their fourth child. This tragedy affected me deeply, not only because Michael was someone I knew and respected, but because my husband has similarly devoted his life to caring for the sickest patients. As a transplant surgeon at Beaumont Health, he works countless hours to save the dying through the gift of organ donation, and this process can be emotionally charged for patients and their families. With the current state of firearms culture and laws in our society, there is nothing in place that might prevent this tragedy from happening again -- possibly even happening to my family.

This is not the first time I've been touched by gun violence. The death of 20 children and 6 staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School took a toll on our whole country, especially those with young children, like myself. The mass shooting at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, WI also struck close to home, as my husband's family are Sikh Americans. Michael's death was the last straw; I took his tragic death as a call to action, and became involved with a grassroots organization, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. Through my activism in the gun violence prevention movement, I've spent significant time in Lansing listening to lawmakers propose legislation to allow individuals to carry loaded guns in hospitals, churches, and even schools. That is not my idea of keeping our communities safe.

As a mother of two young children, I can clearly see how the state is failing Michigan families. I've been distraught by the news about our state's crumbling schools, and the poisoning of Flint's children. When I look at my two beautiful daughters, I think of all the children in our communities, and wonder if each of them will grow up in a Michigan with clean air to breathe and clean water to drink. Will they be safe in their schools? Will they have the access to healthcare they need? Will their parents have the resources they need to take care of them?