On the Issues
Fighting for Families Impacted by Sickle Cell
Ashley knows the impact of sickle cell disease not just as a public health issue, but as a mother. Her youngest daughter was diagnosed with sickle cell at birth, which has given her family the chance to plan, monitor, and access care early. But Ashley also recognizes that in many ways, early diagnosis is a privilege. Too many families don’t get the information they need in time, simply because our systems fail to prioritize newborn screening and follow-up care.
Sickle cell disease impacts thousands of Ohioans, especially in Black communities, yet it remains underfunded, overlooked, and misunderstood. In the Statehouse, Ashley will fight to make Ohio a national leader in sickle cell care, research, and equity. That includes expanded newborn screening, increased state funding, better training for providers, and culturally competent care coordination across agencies to ensure no child falls through the cracks. For Ashley, this isn’t just policy. It’s personal. And she’s ready to lead with urgency and compassion, for every family.
Good Jobs and Career Pathways: Building an Inclusive Economy
Ashley believes that everyone should have access to a stable, dignified job. She supports making community college tuition-free, expanding union apprenticeship programs, and funding training pipelines in fields like healthcare, construction, early childhood education, and renewable energy.
At the Statehouse, Ashley will introduce and support legislation to create career pathway programs targeting high-opportunity sectors, especially for young people, returning citizens, and workers in transition. Her goal is to connect people to careers, not just jobs, and to ensure economic growth is shared across every corner of the district.
Childcare and Early Learning: Lifting Up Families
As a working mother of two, Ashley understands the daily challenges families face balancing care and work. She believes early childhood education is critical to a child’s development, and to a functioning economy.
At the state level, Ashley will fight for universal pre-K and expanded funding for quality, community-based childcare programs. She supports public-private partnerships to increase the supply of licensed providers, improve training and pay for childcare workers, and ensure that no family has to choose between a paycheck and safe care for their children.
Neighborhood Investment: Reversing Disinvestment, Community by Community
Raised in Roselawn, Ashley watched as retailers closed their doors, grocery stores disappeared, and essential services left the neighborhood. That experience shaped her belief that communities deserve intentional investment, not abandonment.
In Columbus, Ashley will advocate for state backed reinvestment in historically underserved urban corridors. She will fight for grants to attract grocery stores, pharmacies, and community-serving businesses; prioritize infrastructure upgrades in neglected neighborhoods; and expand incentives for locally owned enterprises to thrive. She will also push for community voice and ownership to be embedded in any state-supported development plans.
Public Education: Investing in Our Children and Their Future
Ashley has experienced firsthand the value of public education, as a proud product of Cincinnati Public Schools. She believes every child deserves a quality education, regardless of their zip code. She will fight to increase state-level funding for public schools, implement equitable school funding formulas, and expand mental health and counseling support for students.
In the legislature, Ashley will champion policies that strengthen afterschool and summer programs, reduce class sizes, and invest in culturally responsive curriculum. She understands that student success starts with strong schools, and strong schools require real, sustained investment.
Gun Safety and Community Healing
Ashley knows the pain of losing a loved one to gun violence. This tragedy fuels her unwavering commitment to ensuring that no family has to endure the same loss.
She supports common-sense gun safety reforms, including universal background checks, secure firearm storage laws, and community violence intervention programs. Ashley also believes that public safety must include justice and accountability. She supports expanded training for law enforcement to address racial bias and deescalation, improved data transparency, and investments in first responders who serve, protect, and build trust.
In the legislature, Ashley will lead on gun safety legislation while championing reforms that prevent the disproportionate harm Black and brown communities face in policing.
Reproductive Freedom and Maternal Health
Ashley’s commitment to reproductive freedom is deeply personal and lifelong. She served on the advisory team of Planned Parenthood to strengthen connections to the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplace, helping expand access to care for Ohioans.
In Columbus, Ashley will champion legislation that protects abortion access, defends gender-affirming healthcare, and ensures that no provider faces criminal penalties for delivering essential services. She will also lead efforts to expand maternal health access, reduce Black maternal mortality, and increase funding for comprehensive reproductive and maternal care. Ashley believes that when we trust people to make decisions for themselves and their families, our communities grow stronger.
Smart AI Regulation: Protecting Ohio Jobs and Advancing Opportunity
Ashley understands the promise and the concerns of artificial intelligence. As co-founder of Win Black, a national campaign and rapid-response hub, she helped lead efforts to counter digital disinformation, a modern form of voter suppression. She knows what it takes to ensure technology is used to advance, not erode, democracy and opportunity.
Ashley will be a leader in crafting smart, forward-thinking AI regulation in Ohio. She will fight for provisions that encourage AI startups and job growth, while ensuring workers aren’t left behind, privacy is safeguarded, and the influence of powerful tech companies are kept in check. She’ll also advocate for state investment in training and certification programs to help Ohioans access the new economy, ensuring no community is left behind as technology evolves.
Addiction Services and Access to Care
Addiction has touched too many Ohio families, and recovery requires compassion, not punishment. Ashley will fight to expand access to treatment programs, harm reduction services, and wraparound supports for people and families navigating addiction.
In Columbus, Ashley will support legislation that increases Medicaid reimbursement for addiction treatment centers, funds peer-led recovery programs, and strengthens mental health services in every region of the state. Especially in underserved and rural areas. She will push for a state-level overdose prevention strategy rooted in public health, not criminalization.
Dignity for Seniors: Aging at Home, Aging with Respect
Ashley believes our elders deserve the same care and dignity they have given others throughout their lives. She supports policies that help seniors stay in their homes through expanded home care assistance, property tax relief, and affordable home repairs.
She will advocate for increased funding for home health workers, protections against elder abuse, and policies that prioritize aging in place. In the Statehouse, Ashley will fight for programs that allow seniors to thrive; safely, affordably, and with the respect they’ve earned.
Restoring Faith in Ohio Government
The public trust in the Statehouse has been broken. Corruption scandals and corporate influence have left many Ohioans cynical about whether government works for them.
As someone who has helped lead major advocacy campaigns, Ashley is experienced in organizing people-powered pressure to hold government accountable. In the legislature, she will support bold ethics reforms that strengthen transparency rules, and close lobbying loopholes.
Ashley is running to restore faith in public service by centering people over profit, values over special interests, and transparency over backroom deals.