Candidate for U.S. Senate - Maine in 2018 Maine 2018 General Election.
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Get StartedExpanding and protecting reproductive rights, including the assurance of gender parity in discussions regarding women's health care; Learn more
Creating positive portrayals of people of color in all forms of media; Learn more
Giving all workers the right to organize and collectively negotiate in the workplace; Learn more
Ensuring that anybody who wants to serve, including transgender Americans, has the same opportunity to defend our country as anyone else; Learn more
Ending all forms of gerrymandering; Learn more
Declaring a federal voting holiday so that all citizens have the time and opportunity to vote; and, Learn more
Establishing stricter consequences for discrimination in the workplace; Learn more
Ensuring that everyone in the LGBTQ+ community receives equal benefits from employers and government agencies on all levels Learn more
Fair justice across the entire rank structure in the military; Learn more
Ending capital punishment Learn more
Deprivatizing the prison system and taking meaningful steps to ensure the ratio of people of color in prison is proportional to their percentage of the American population; Learn more
Demilitarizing law enforcement and establishing legal accountability for law enforcement officers who have abused their power or have a history of targeting people of color; Learn more
Getting rid of mandatory minimum sentences; Learn more
Removing personal expenses from the legal system, such as bail and other processing fees; Learn more
Better jobs programs to guarantee living wage employment for returning veterans; Learn more
Protecting the United States from cyber warfare and other digital threats that challenge our national security and endanger our democracy Learn more
Supporting the global non-proliferation of nuclear weapons Learn more
More VA personnel, especially top-notch healthcare providers Learn more
Mandating that sexual assault cases are heard outside of their chain of command to protect victims who experience retaliation for reporting; Learn more
Getting all defense company lobbyists out of Washington and keeping our brave soldiers out of unnecessary conflicts (read more about Zak’s policies on veterans affairs) Learn more
Comprehensive eye care for veterans; Learn more
Comprehensive mental health services for veterans; Learn more
Better transition services for service members exiting the military, including digital record transfer Learn more
Giving Military fathers 6 weeks of paternity leave (current military standard allows for only 10 days); Learn more
Giving women in the military more options to choose obstetricians, gynecologists, and other women's health care providers; Learn more
Transferring military experiences to lessen certification requirements and costs for civilian jobs; Learn more
Ensuring that anybody who wants to serve, including transgender Americans, has the same opportunity to defend our country as anyone else; Learn more
Comprehensive dental services for veterans; Learn more
More VA facilities with better geographical coverage across America, with special consideration for rural and aging veterans Learn more
Protect the VA from privatization Learn more
Better local access to overdose-reversing treatment and training for proper treatment techniques; Learn more
Decriminalizing drug use, and, retroactively, non-violent drug-related offenses; Learn more
More funding for trauma-informed teaching in public schools; and, Learn more
Setting up safe injection sites to save lives and improve public health; Learn more
More funding for scientific research on addiction treatment; Learn more
Better training and laws for doctors and providers prescribing opioids; Learn more
Barring pharmaceutical companies from lobbying and contributing to federal election campaigns; Learn more
Fighting the opioid epidemic requires a joint emergency response on the local, state and national levels of government that starts with getting pharmaceutical companies out of Washington. Learn more
To prevent this crisis from continuing, we need laws that prevent pharmaceutical companies from taking advantage of people's lives for profit, better training and laws for doctors prescribing opioids, more funding for scientific research on how best to treat addiction, and large-scale public education efforts. Learn more
Large-scale public education efforts for prevention. Learn more
Investing in community groups and local businesses; Learn more
Encouraging investment in entrepreneurship, innovation, and research and development; Learn more
Ending agricultural monopolies to benefit local farms and give consumers healthier native crop options. Learn more
Land grants for new universities, technical schools, and community colleges; and, Learn more
Jobs For All: guaranteed employment for all Americans at living wages with full benefits; Learn more
Prosperity Corps: sending Maine-born and educated entrepreneurs and high-performing college graduates to rural areas to start companies, farms, restaurants, and breweries; Learn more
Massive location-specific federal investment in entrepreneurship, existing businesses, and new offices for established corporations; Learn more
Loan forgiveness programs (similar to the G.I. Bill) for Americans who serve their country as teachers, nurses, social workers, and other service professions. Learn more
Refinancing college loans at lower rates Learn more
Free tuition at all public colleges and universities; Learn more
Forgiveness of all 1.5 trillion dollars of student debt in America to reduce inequality and spur economic growth. Learn more
Investing in our education system at all levels, providing people of all races and ethnicities the opportunity to step onto the ladder of opportunity with excellent education and better access to high-paying jobs; Learn more
Developing new guidelines and recommendations for schools so we can create spaces of learning that are safe and welcoming for all students Learn more
Investing in adult education and career counseling programs for Americans who want or need to switch careers; Learn more
Making financial literacy a public school course that bears equal importance with traditional classes like math and English; Learn more
Making college affordable and ending the era of crippling college debt; Learn more
Investing in research-backed early childhood and in-home/community education programs; Learn more
Investing in better public schools for all American children; Learn more
Excellent education: Every public school must provide every parent with the comfort that they are sending their children to an excellent school where they are taken care of and given the skills needed to become successful and fulfilled adults. (Read more about Zak's policies on Education) Learn more
Funding and resourcing all schools equitably; Learn more
Universalizing simple, research-based, cost-effective strategies like small class sizes and the practice of allowing groups of students to remain with the same teacher for more than one year (referred to as "looping"). Learn more
Ending standardized testing and making achievement data only available to students, teachers and families; and, Learn more
Holding all schools to the same special education standards and incentivizing more teachers to work in special education by increasing pay; Learn more
Investing all public education funds into public schools, not into voucher and privatization programs that only benefit private companies and wealthy Americans; Learn more
Ending the use of testing data in teacher evaluations; Learn more
Making public school educators key decision-makers in all local, state and national education policy; Learn more
Providing more time and opportunity for teachers to plan and innovate during the school day; Learn more
Building curriculum and graduation pathways that are directly responsive to the local communities our schools are in and the diverse 21st century world our children will graduate into; Learn more
Increasing baseline teacher pay and modernizing teacher benefits to make the profession more dignified for all and desirable to young Americans considering it as a career; Learn more
Leading the world in the effort to defeat climate change (read more about Zak’s policies on preserving the environment); Learn more
Protecting the United States from cyber warfare and other digital threats that challenge our national security and endanger our democracy; Learn more
Closing Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp; Learn more
Getting all defense company lobbyists out of Washington and keeping our brave soldiers out of unnecessary conflicts (read more about Zak’s policies on veterans affairs); Learn more
Standing up for persecuted groups who face genocidal threats around the globe. Learn more
Welcoming refugees with open arms and providing them opportunities to contribute to our society; and, Learn more
Holding ourselves accountable to the Geneva Convention, with particular regard to “torture or inhuman treatment,” and holding other nations accountable to the same standards; Learn more
Supporting the global non-proliferation of nuclear weapons; Learn more
Protecting our economy from harmful international trade agreements, specifically NAFTA. Learn more
Rewriting international trade agreements to favor American workers over multinational corporations; Learn more
Restoring Glass-Steagall to break up large banks; Learn more
Empowering communities to create tougher local laws against multinational corporations; Learn more
Getting big money's influence out of politics; Learn more
Creating Congressional term limits of 2 terms for U.S. Senators and 3 terms for U.S. Representatives. Learn more
Overturning Citizens United, ending corporate campaign lobbying, and creating a publicly financed federal clean election system; Learn more
Creating a participatory budgeting framework on the local, national and state levels of government; and, Learn more
Getting tough on federal antitrust laws; Learn more
Ban assault weapons, ban bump stocks, raise the minimum age to buy guns to 21, mandate universal background checks, and fund CDC research on gun violence so that no American has to lose a child or loved one to a preventable tragedy. Learn more
Guaranteeing vital health services, including preventative services Learn more
Eliminating inequality and modern-day segregation in our healthcare system Learn more
Continuing to lead the world in global health research and prevention of the spread of infectious diseases; Learn more
Universal in-home care so more seniors can stay with their families and in their communities; and, Learn more
Creating an effective single-payer healthcare system; Learn more
Significant increases in funding for Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes research, and other conditions affecting seniors so that we have what it takes to make necessary advances in treating these conditions and eliminating them altogether. Learn more
Expansion of Medicare services to meet the needs of all seniors, eliminating the need for secondary private insurance; Learn more
Universal, affordable daycare: Daycare isn't a luxury; it is a necessity for most working families in America and our government should treat it like one. Learn more
Top-notch health care: Parents need high quality doctors, access to nutritional foods, and hospitals for prenatal services, delivery, and pediatric care. Families shouldn’t spend so much time and money trying to figure out if each of their kids can get the services they need. Learn more
Comprehensive mental health services for veterans; Learn more
Comprehensive eye care for veterans; Learn more
Comprehensive dental services for veterans; Learn more
Medicare For All legislation will be my top priority because no Mainer should pay the cost of a second mortgage just to get the insurance they need to make sure their family can remain healthy. Learn more
Enact Medicare For All. In the meantime, provide more incentives for medical and dental companies to accept TRICARE. Learn more
Giving women in the military more options to choose obstetricians, gynecologists, and other women's health care providers; Learn more
Creating stronger accountability systems for individuals, institutions, and government agencies that discriminate against immigrants; and, Learn more
Providing undocumented citizens a reasonable, affordable pathway to citizenship Learn more
Allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for FAFSA Learn more
Making all DREAMers citizens Learn more
Abolish ICE; Learn more
Comprehensive federal and state investment in infrastructure, including new roads, airports, harbors, railways, hospitals, schools, and broadband internet throughout Maine; Learn more
Internet For All: ensuring every home and business, especially those in rural areas, has high-speed broadband. Learn more
Creating an accountability system for those who infringe upon tribal rights, from corporations to the American government; Learn more
Providing full sovereignty to tribal nations, including tribal jurisdiction over non-indigenous people; Learn more
Creating a federal law protecting net neutrality; Learn more
Creating better education opportunities and jobs programs that meet people with disabilities where they are at and provide appropriate amounts of support for success. Learn more
Expanding the Social Security Disability Service Learn more
Ensuring there are enough beds and providers for every American who needs it; Learn more
Improving education, healthcare, housing, and economic development on tribal lands and reservations. Learn more
Ending food deserts through investment in local cooperatives; and, Learn more
Providing childcare subsidies and universal pre-K; and Learn more
Transferring military experiences to lessen certification requirements and costs for civilian jobs; Learn more
Efficient, reliable and user-friendly VA claims processes with shorter wait-lists; Learn more
More VA facilities with better geographical coverage across America, with special consideration for rural and aging veterans; Learn more
Better transition services for service members exiting the military, including digital record transfer; Learn more
Giving Military fathers 6 weeks of paternity leave (current military standard allows for only 10 days); Learn more
Mandating that sexual assault cases are heard outside of their chain of command to protect victims who experience retaliation for reporting; Learn more
Better jobs programs to guarantee living wage employment for returning veterans; Learn more
Better community partnerships with specialists the VA can’t afford to hire; Learn more
Individuals and families affected need wrap-around support from health care services, mental health providers, faith centers, and community groups. Mainers need support groups and increased access to overdose-reversing treatment, which requires more certified providers. Learn more
More VA personnel, especially top-notch healthcare providers; Learn more
Protect the VA from privatization; Learn more
Expansion and support of Social Security with fairer tax laws that make sure billionaires pay the same share as the working class. Learn more
Cutting taxes for the working class and small businesses, and making the rich pay their fair share; Learn more
Creating strict conditions for corporate tax cuts that ensure money is actually benefiting the overall economy: all money saved has to be either given to hire more Americans, raise employee salaries/benefits, or invest in company inventory/equipment. Learn more
Closing all corporate tax loopholes and create strict bans on offshore accounts; and, Learn more
Giving tax cuts to small businesses, early-stage entrepreneurs, and students on all levels; Learn more
Ending tax loopholes for big corporations; Learn more
Reimplementation of the estate tax with no exclusion amounts and a top tax rate of at least 55%; Learn more
Lowering taxes for the bottom 90% of wealth earners in America and raising taxes for the top 10% of wealth earners in America; Learn more
We would pay for it by cutting waste in billing departments and insurance administration, ending an era when hospitals overcharge for routine procedures and supplies, eliminating two insurance subsidies, and adjusting the Medicare tax (split between employers and employees) to meet the needs of the bill. Learn more
Increasing the federal minimum wage to $15/hour and creating a rule that allows minimum wage to rise with inflation; Learn more
Establishing a national standard of 12 weeks paid maternity leave. Learn more
Incentivizing more Americans to work as direct care providers in home health care settings by increasing baseline pay Learn more
Giving American workers more vacation time, more sick leave, and better pay standards; Learn more
Requiring equal pay in the workplace; Learn more
Better pay, paid maternity/paternity leave, and more vacation: Parents should have the time and energy to raise great kids who become great citizens -- and therefore should be given fair wages, better hours, more vacation, and at least 12 weeks of paid maternity/paternity leave; and, Learn more
Supporting the development of greater gender equity in local, municipal, and state-level governments; Learn more
View your personalized ballot, check your voter registration, make a plan to vote, and research every name and measure on the ballot with BallotReady.