Background: State legislator; lawyer; civic leader and community volunteer.

Why I got into public service: My parents taught me from a young age that personal public service was a way to make people's lives better in our town and in our state by giving them the opportunity to be safe, to get a good education, and to find work at good wages.

Guiding Value: We should do for others what we would hope they would do for us and for our children. What is important to us--safety, security, comfort, happiness-- is important to everyone. And everyone deserves a chance for a safe and successful future.

#1 Rule of Politics: Make the right decision, not the most popular one.

First Job: Farm worker.