As a proud product of Broward County Public Schools, Chad knows how valuable a fantastic public education can be and wants students in District 35 to have the same opportunities to learn. This means increasing funding for our public schools (which includes support for extracurricular activities like the arts and debate), while supporting efforts to raise teacher pay and give teachers the autonomy they need to thrive without having to worry about book bans or the rewriting of history, especially when it comes to the history of the Black community in our country.

In terms of higher education, Chad will work to expand the Bright Futures program and improve offerings for trade and technical schools, which may be better fits for some students. Chad is also committed to fighting back against recent efforts by Governor DeSantis and others to dictate what is taught on our college campuses. Chad has also done extensive research on the growing college student homelessness epidemic and hopes to improve housing options for students in our state.

Additionally, a prerequisite to learning is feeling safe in your environment. Chad has been fighting for improved school safety legislation for years and will work tirelessly in the legislature to improve emergency response connectivity and the rollout of panic buttons in schools (“Alyssa’s Law”), strengthen red flag laws, require universal background checks on the purchases of firearms, and mandate background checks on the sale and transfer of ammunition (“Jaime’s Law”). These are common sense measures that the vast majority of Floridians support.

If elected, Chad would be among a handful of members in the Florida Legislature who openly identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and one of the only members who is part of the Jewish community. Representation is critical at a time when the Florida Legislature continues to pass increasingly hostile legislation aimed at silencing voices of minority groups and empowering hate groups, making the Sunshine State a far less welcoming place to live. We need leaders who will fight against hate in all its forms, including racism, homophobia, transphobia and anti-Semitism.

Chad will fight for LGBTQ+ equality in Florida and that includes working to roll back the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” legislation and supporting bans on discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community in the provision of public housing and services. Chad also vows to hold folks accountable when they spread misinformation about the transgender community and will do whatever he can to defend the rights of the transgender community to receive medical care and feel comfortable at school.

Our right to vote is under attack and politicians in Tallahassee seem committed to making it as difficult as possible to make our voices heard. Having visited every Supervisor of Elections office in Florida, Chad, who is a former President of Kids Voting Broward and candidate for Broward Supervisor of Elections, is incredibly passionate about both election administration and voting rights and will do whatever he can to defend our right to cast a ballot. This includes fighting to expand our vote by mail program, improving civics education in our schools, working to curtail the impact of pervasive gerrymandering and securing our voting systems through improved cybersecurity protocols and audit procedures.

Climate change is an economic issue -- especially in Florida. As weather continues to become more extreme and sea levels continue to rise, Florida is particularly vulnerable and our livelihoods are at stake. It is more critical than ever that we elect forward-thinking individuals who will fight for legislation that not only aims to protect our environment but also acknowledges the realities of climate change and works to mitigate its impact. For example, Chad is committed to fighting for continued funding to combat sea level rise, improved drainage infrastructure in our area and sales tax exemptions for energy-efficient products.

Access to healthcare is a fundamental human right and this includes access to mental health services, as well; however, as a result of spiraling costs, it remains out of reach for many. We need a leader who will fight to keep insurance premiums in line and who will ensure that there's transparency and accountability with respect to the price of prescription medications. Chad also wants to further expand KidCare, the state-sponsored program that provides healthcare to children, and fight for us to finally move ahead with Medicaid expansion (joining the 40 states that have done so) in an effort to alleviate the burden the state is currently bearing when it comes to caring for those who are uninsured.

District 35 has been especially impacted by Florida's property insurance crisis. In addition to soaring costs, countless residents have lost coverage or find themselves unable to obtain insurance altogether. We need a fighter in Tallahassee who is unafraid to stand up to insurance interests and who will ensure our homes are covered in the event of a catastrophe (without sky-high deductibles that render policies useless). This means improving the reinsurance market, cracking down on fraudulent insurance claims and getting creative with ways to alleviate the economic burden of homeownership -- such as the creation of a state-run hurricane disaster fund and property tax relief through changes to the laws around homestead exemptions.

We need a fighter in Tallahassee who will ensure Florida is home to jobs that pay livable wages and offer benefits that protect the rights of working families. This is especially true in the world of education as Florida grapples with a severe teacher shortage. Chad is also interested in exploring creative options to incentivize certain high-paying industries into our state. Given his background as a screenwriter, Chad is especially interested in exploring tax credit programs that would incentivize the film industry to complete more productions in the Sunshine State.

Additionally, Chad plans to do whatever he can to protect your earnings -- whether that's by beefing up consumer protection laws amidst soaring rates of identity theft and other financial crimes or expanding the list of essential products that Floridians can now buy tax-free, such as diapers and baby formula.