On the Issues

Focused on What Matters—and What Works

The challenges facing our communities aren’t abstract—they show up in everyday life.

People are paying more, but getting less. Costs are rising, public spaces feel less safe, and too often, government programs aren’t delivering real results.

Claire’s focus is simple:

Focus on what works—and fix what doesn’t.

Because if something isn’t working, it shouldn’t be ignored—it should be fixed.

The Issues

Make Life More Affordable
Restore Safe, Clean Communities
Civil Discourse, Human Rights, and Foreign Policy
Demand Accountability and Real Results
Immigration and Border Security
Water Reliability, Infrastructure, and Preparedness
Government Transparency and Public Trust

Make Life More Affordable

Too many people are working harder while falling further behind.

Housing costs continue to rise, small businesses are struggling to survive, and everyday expenses—from groceries to insurance to utilities—have become increasingly difficult for families to absorb. Even teachers, healthcare workers, first responders, and young families are being priced out of the communities they serve and care about.

When small businesses disappear, communities lose local jobs, services, competition, and economic stability. People end up paying more while communities become less vibrant and increasingly dependent on large corporations and outside interests.

We need practical first steps that focus on reducing costs and restoring economic stability:

• Aligning federal funding and housing incentives with projects that demonstrate measurable public benefit and meaningful community support

• Reducing costly bureaucratic delays that drive up housing, infrastructure, and small business costs

• Supporting small businesses and local job creation so communities remain economically vibrant and less dependent on large corporations

• Focusing federal policy on long-term affordability, economic stability, and measurable results instead of short-term political messaging

Government should solve real problems in ways that actually work for communities. Government should ultimately be measured by whether people can realistically afford to live, work, raise families, build businesses, and remain in the communities they care about.

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Restore Safe, Clean Communities

Safe, well-maintained communities are essential to quality of life—and right now, too many people feel that something important has been lost.

Residents, workers, and business owners are concerned about homelessness, addiction, fentanyl, crime, and the visible deterioration of public spaces despite years of public spending and federally supported programs that have too often failed to produce meaningful long-term results.

We’ve seen the consequences:

• Businesses struggling or closing

• Fewer visitors in areas that once thrived

• Economic activity moving elsewhere

• Public spaces becoming less safe, less accessible, and less connected

We need an approach that is both compassionate and effective:

• Helping people move off the streets and into effective treatment, recovery, and support systems

• Supporting stronger coordination between federal, state, and local agencies addressing addiction, mental health, and public safety

• Restoring safety, accessibility, and accountability in public spaces

• Ensuring federal funding and public resources produce measurable progress and real public benefit

Compassion should lead to results—not just intentions. Vulnerable individuals and communities alike deserve solutions that actually work.

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Civil Discourse, Human Rights, and Foreign Policy

Compassion begins at home.

The conflicts involving Israel, Gaza, Hamas, and Iran have affected people far beyond the Middle East. Here in our own community, students, families, Jewish residents, Muslim residents, and people with loved ones overseas have felt the impact of these events firsthand.

I strongly condemn antisemitism, hate crimes, intimidation, and discrimination against Jewish people in any form. I also condemn hatred and discrimination directed toward Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian communities. No one should feel unsafe because of their religion, ethnicity, or background.

The recent attack in downtown Santa Monica involving antisemitic threats, a baseball bat, and a dog assault against a Jewish couple was deeply disturbing and unacceptable. Reports indicate the incident is being investigated as a possible hate crime. Such acts have no place in our community.

Recent events at UCLA and across Los Angeles have also shown how quickly fear and division can spill into daily life here at home. We cannot allow international conflicts to turn neighbors against one another in our own communities.

I believe people must be able to express their views peacefully without violence, harassment, intimidation, or exclusion. Civil discourse and human dignity matter—especially during difficult times.

Every innocent civilian life has value. I support efforts that reduce violence, protect civilians, defend human rights, and help move the Middle East away from cycles of terror, repression, war, and retaliation.

We must remember that innocent civilians throughout the region are often victims of terrorism, extremism, and conflict themselves. Military action should never be the first option. America should pursue diplomacy and peaceful solutions whenever possible. When force becomes necessary to protect lives or national security, it should be carefully targeted, consistent with international law, and undertaken with every reasonable effort to minimize civilian casualties.

Iran’s government has a long record of human rights abuses against its own people, support for violent proxy groups, and actions that have contributed to instability throughout the Middle East. Any lasting peace will require confronting extremism honestly while also pursuing diplomacy wherever possible.

America should stand firmly for democratic values, human rights, and the security of its allies while avoiding reckless decisions that draw us into unnecessary wars. We should lead with strength, principle, and common sense.

As an independent candidate, I believe Americans are exhausted by political extremes and leaders who treat every issue like a partisan battlefield. We need leadership that listens carefully, thinks independently, and puts humanity before political theater.

Compassion begins at home—in how we treat one another as neighbors, classmates, and fellow Americans.

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Demand Accountability—and Real Results

Government should be judged by outcomes—not promises.

Across a range of issues, people are asking the same question: If we’re spending so much, why aren’t we seeing better results?

That question applies to federally funded programs and major public initiatives across the country:

• Homelessness and mental health programs

• Public safety and addiction response efforts

• Infrastructure, disaster recovery, and resilience projects

• Programs that continue receiving funding despite limited measurable progress

We’ve seen how these challenges affect entire communities in real time. The recent fire in the Palisades deeply impacted surrounding areas as displaced residents relocated to nearby communities like Santa Monica and Marina del Rey while facing a slow and frustrating rebuilding and recovery process.

When response, rebuilding, and recovery take too long, the consequences spread far beyond the immediate area.

We need leadership willing to focus on measurable results and real public benefit:

• Clear goals and measurable outcomes

• Transparency and accountability in how public funds are used

• Better coordination between federal, state, and local agencies

• The willingness to improve, reform, or replace programs that are not working

Accountability is not about blame—it’s about making sure people see real results in their daily lives.

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Immigration and Border Security

Our immigration system should be lawful, functional, secure, and realistic. Right now, too much of the system feels overwhelmed, reactive, and driven by politics instead of practical solutions.

A functioning immigration system requires secure borders, consistent enforcement of the law, and an orderly legal process that people can realistically navigate. At the same time, immigration policy should remain humane and recognize the importance of legal immigration and workforce needs.

Immigration policy should also recognize the difference between long-term residents who have lived and worked in communities for many years without committing crimes and the more recent surge of unlawful border crossings that has overwhelmed parts of the system. I support practical reforms that restore order and enforcement while also creating realistic pathways and long-term solutions for people who have responsibly built lives and contributed to their communities over many years.

We need practical solutions that focus on restoring order, public confidence, and measurable results:

• Strengthening border security and improving coordination between federal agencies responsible for enforcement and public safety

• Creating faster and more efficient legal processing to reduce backlogs and long delays

• Discouraging abuse of the system while maintaining humane treatment under the law

• Recognizing the importance of legal immigration and workforce needs within a functioning and enforceable system

This issue has been used for political theater for too long. The country needs leadership willing to deal with reality, solve problems responsibly, and produce measurable results. We do not need more political dysfunction.

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Water Reliability, Infrastructure, and Preparedness

California’s water challenges require long-term planning, infrastructure modernization, and better coordination between federal, state, and local agencies. Recent emergencies have highlighted the importance of reliable water infrastructure and preparedness. Too often, water policy becomes reactive, fragmented, and driven by political conflict instead of practical solutions.

Communities need confidence that critical systems will function effectively during drought, wildfire, and other emergency conditions.

That requires:

• Improving water storage capacity and modernizing aging infrastructure

• Expanding water recycling, conservation technology, and long-term drought resilience

• Prioritizing safe drinking water systems and improving water reliability for communities across the state

• Supporting infrastructure projects that demonstrate measurable public benefit and meaningful community input

Water policy must balance environmental protection, agriculture, local community needs, and long-term sustainability. Communities directly affected by major infrastructure decisions should have a meaningful voice in the planning process.

California cannot continue relying on short-term crisis management. We need practical, science-based planning focused on reliability, accountability, preparedness, and measurable results over the long term. Communities must not be left vulnerable because critical infrastructure was neglected, underprepared, or allowed to fall behind growing challenges and risks.

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Government Transparency and Public Trust

Public trust in government has declined because too many people feel disconnected from the political process and skeptical that ordinary citizens still have a meaningful voice in decision-making.

Voters should be able to clearly see who is funding political campaigns, influencing public policy, and shaping major political messaging. Transparency is essential for accountability, informed decision-making, and restoring confidence in the democratic process.

We need stronger transparency and accountability measures that help rebuild public trust:

• Requiring greater transparency for political donations, including funding connected to Super PACs and organizations influencing elections

• Making campaign funding and political advertising easier for the public to track and understand

• Strengthening accountability and disclosure requirements for organizations seeking to influence public policy

• Encouraging greater public participation and civic engagement through a more open and transparent political process

Hidden influence and lack of transparency deepen public distrust and discourage participation. Democracy functions best when people believe the system is open, accountable, and operating honestly.

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A Different Approach

This isn’t about left or right—it’s about what works.

Claire believes we can do better—and that we should expect better.

We should focus on what works:

Continue funding what works
Fix what doesn’t
Expect results from the systems we rely on

Because in a community like ours, success should not be taken for granted—it should be protected, strengthened, and made to work for everyone.