Because I have seen our politics corrupted by special interests. Our state politics is befouled by the most lobbyists per capita of any state in the country. I want to run to restore dignity and grassroots voices to the process. Ordinary people should have a say in their government in more months than November. People desire true representation.

The two parties are plagued by corruption and anti-democratic processes such as superdelegates and winning PAC money. They only talk amongst themselves about fundraising, not issues. Some respectable members of the two parties have managed to keep most of their values after being elected using special interest money, but they are the exception, not the rule.

Among the third parties, I found that the Green Party's Ten Key Values most closely mirror my own. The Green Party is an international movement with social morals to be proud of. By joining this party instead of running as an independent, I have become a part of this movement for social change.