NIYOKA POWELL

¡Para la familia trabajadora!  For working families!

 

That’s the theme of my campaign, and it comes from the heart.  

 

I look around our district and I see people struggling to buy groceries, to obtain childcare, to pay rent and cover property taxes, to secure a decent education for their children.

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I feel these challenges. For years, I’ve worked as a frontline healthcare worker while raising a daughter. I know what it’s like to pull grueling shifts only to just make ends meet. I’ve felt the pinch of rising prices for everyday goods: food, clothing, housing.     

 

I’m not a professional politician. I entered this race out of a sense of duty. I intend to deliver common sense solutions for the problems afflicting ordinary citizens.

 

My full platform is available on the Issues page, but here I’d like to zero in on the issues I’m most passionate about.

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First, making family affordable. We need to address soaring utility costs, expand the sales tax exemption to include basic family items such as highchairs and car seats, and smartly allocate existing public funds to support working parents who don't otherwise qualify for assistance programs.

 

Second, combating gentrification. The old term was “urban renewal.” That’s when well-financed developers target neighborhoods for redevelopment, often pricing long-term residents out of their homes. We need to protect residential zoning and support initiatives that will preserve and expand the stock of affordable dwellings.

 

Third, making occupations accessible and laying the groundwork for a 21st century economy. We need to revise burdensome licensing requirements and nurture a culture of entrepreneurship and skills-development. At the same time, we need to make Rhode Island an attractive place for cutting-edge knowledge economy businesses.

 

Fourth, putting education back in parents’ hands. We need to experiment with education diversity and give moms and dads – who are the primary stakeholders in their children’s educations – the financial means to afford alternatives to traditional public schools.

 

Fifth, protecting our communities. We need to impose severe penalties on those pushing fentanyl and other opioids. At the same time, we must facilitate re-integration of recovering users into society through a state work opportunity tax credit. We also need to continue to implement community policing, which drives down crime and improves relations between our law enforcement officers and the neighborhoods they safeguard.  

 

However, this race isn’t just about policy. It’s about holding professional politicians accountable for failed policies and rejecting the uniparty machine that has dominated Rhode Island for too long.

 

Think about it. The Rhode Island Senate has 38 seats. Of those, 33 are held by Democrats. In the Rhode Island House of Representatives, 65 of the 75 seats are held by Democrats.

 

This radical imbalance hurts democracy and our republic. It stifles civic discourse. It narrows the range of debate. It generates cronyism.

 

A vote for my opponent - the ultimate insider - is a vote for this unhealthy dynamic. 

 

To muddy this truth, some would prefer to make this campaign the same old game of “Republican versus Democrat.” It’s no secret that District 1 is pretty blue, and my opponent hopes to prevail on the basis of raw partisanship.  

 

Unfortunately for him and the political establishment backing him up, I shatter the Democrat machine's ridiculous caricature of a Republican. I’m a young black immigrant from Jamaica. I’m a working mother. My fiancé is a welder of Puerto Rican and Cuban descent. We’ve personally experienced the pain of high inflation, wage stagnation, and housing dislocation. 

 

I ask voters to look beyond party labels. Consider the candidates and our policies. Consider who is more likely to sympathize with your worries, to appreciate your frustrations, to voice your mind, to defend your values. Consider that the principles of today’s Democrat politicians no longer align with those of hard-working families. In fact, their policies undermine families financially, socially, and morally.

   

I ask the residents of District 1 to send a message to the machine, loud and clear: “We have a mind of our own. Our votes don’t belong to you. And no one is entitled to our seat!” 

 

I love my country, my state, and my district. I believe that all things are possible with prayer and hard work. If you agree, give me your assistance, give me your vote. Elect a working mother to fight for working families on November 7.