CHAUNTÉ'S PRIORITIES

As a physical therapist assistant, Chaunté believes that healthcare is a human right. She will work to expand access to behavioral & mental health care, substance abuse care, and suicide prevention resources for communities across the state, especially for young people and our veterans. Food security and creating more affordable housing are key to a healthier community as well. Chaunté will also fight back against government overreach to protect the right to access reproductive healthcare for every person.

Oklahoma is #1 in the world for incarceration of women and #3 in the nation for the incarceration of men per capita. In an effort to curb over-incarceration, we must be proactive in solving the root causes of crime and rehabilitate non-violent offenders. That means expanding pretrial diversion programs, ending cash bail to avoid turning county jails into make-shift debtors prisons and putting an end to state-sanctioned violence like the death penalty. 

Oklahoma’s kids and teachers deserve better. For far too long, our state has failed to adequately fund education. In order for us to be a well-educated community, we must ensure that our teachers are making a living wage with competitive benefits to keep them here instead of going out of state. Chaunté believes in keeping public dollars in public schools.

Chaunté believes in raising the minimum wage to a living wage because $7.25 is too low to live on. She supports parental leave for mothers, fathers, and caretakers. I also believe in investing in education funding for a diverse workforce. Oklahoma must also protect the rights of expression in the workplace for religious minorities, our LGBTQ2S+ community, and other marginalized communities.

Every person needs access to clean water, air, and a healthy environment to live in. Our state needs an investment in roads, bridges, sidewalks ,and public transportation across communities both urban and rural. The pandemic has taught us that access to the internet is more vital than ever. It’s time to propel Oklahoma into the 21st century by investing in our infrastructure. With the help of clean energy, public works projects, and green jobs, we can ensure a higher quality of life for generations to come.