The Herrera Policy Platform

Missouri’s 4th Congressional District deserves bold, effective leadership that delivers real solutions and not just empty rhetoric. My commitment is to revitalize our local economy, fight for working-class families, and ensure that every resident, urban and rural, has access to opportunity and prosperity. From affordable housing and infrastructure investments to supporting small businesses and agricultural development, my focus is on economic policies that create jobs, lower costs, and strengthen communities. I will work to secure federal funding for local projects, modernize transportation, and improve public safety while ensuring that Missouri’s farmers, educators, and first responders have the resources they need. This district is the heart of Missouri, and I intend to fight relentlessly for policies that uplift our people, restore trust in government, and make CD-04 a model of progress and prosperity. My vision is clear: deliver results, stand for justice, and build a stronger future for every Missourian.

Rebuilding America’s Housing Future

America is facing a historic housing shortage. We are short between four and seven million homes nationwide, a crisis decades in the making. Missouri families feel this every day through rising rents, shrinking options, and homes that no longer match modern needs.

This is not a problem we can solve overnight. It requires a serious, coordinated approach that increases supply, protects renters, and restores stability for working and middle-income families.

My Housing Plan Focuses on Four Core Actions

I. Declare a National Housing Emergency

I support declaring a National Housing Emergency to mobilize federal resources and restart the American housing industry at scale.

This would allow the federal government to:

• Reduce the cost of key building materials
• Address supply-chain bottlenecks
• Coordinate investment to accelerate construction

The goal is simple: increase housing supply nationwide, encourage a building boom, and bring costs down through scale and competition

II. Build for the Middle Class, Not Just the Margins

America cannot fix its housing crisis by focusing only at the extremes. We must also build for working families.

I support expanding the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit model into a Middle-Income Housing Tax Credit, administered through HUD, to support long-term construction of modern workforce housing.

This approach:

• Encourages new housing for families in their 20s, 30s, and 40s
• Replaces outdated and aging units with safe, modern housing
• Ensures long-term affordability through clear program standards

This is about sustainability, not one-time fixes.

III. Protect Renters While Supply Catches Up

Renters must be protected while new housing comes online.

I support a national cap on annual rent increases, modeled after states like Oregon and California, to prevent excessive year-over-year rent hikes. A reasonable cap provides stability for families while still allowing responsible landlords to operate.

Housing policy must work for renters and homeowners alike.

IV. Empower Homeowners and Local Builders

We should also unlock housing supply that already exists.

I support programs that allow homeowners, within existing zoning and safety codes, to access incentives to convert unused space such as garages, basements, or accessory units into safe, livable housing.

This approach:

• Expands rental supply without large-scale displacement
• Helps homeowners build equity and income
• Keeps housing local, small-scale, and community-centered

All participation would require compliance with building standards and affordability agreements.

Housing is not just an economic policy it is the cornerstone of freedom, dignity, and stability. The United States has faced national challenges before, and each time we rebuilt by working together. For me, I see housing as an infrastructural need for a dignified life.

My Position: What is happening in Gaza is genocide. This is not war as we understand it. It is the destruction of a people who have already been starved, blockaded, and stripped of basic necessities, and who are now bombed in the very places where they seek refuge. Hospitals, schools, and shelters have been reduced to rubble. When food, water, and medicine are cut off from an entire population, when children die from hunger and the sick cannot reach care, it has crossed the line from war into atrocity.

My Rationale: The United States must hold our allies to the same moral standards we demand of ourselves. Friendship does not mean blind approval. True friendship requires honesty, and honesty compels us to speak when an ally commits acts that betray the very values of democracy and human rights. This is not a question of religion. Judaism is not the state of Israel, and Islam is not Hamas. The Jewish people and the Palestinian people both deserve dignity, respect, and safety. America’s role must be measured not in how much destruction we finance but in how much peace and humanitarian relief we are willing to insist upon.

My Belief: Our strength as a nation cannot be judged by weapons alone but by our moral courage. If we remain silent while civilians are starved and bombed, we risk becoming complicit in their suffering. I believe America must stand for peace and justice and remind the world that every life matters, whether Israeli or Palestinian, Jewish, Muslim, or Christian. That is how we live up to our values and lead with integrity.

As your Congressman, I will not settle for the status quo. I will lead the fight for an America where education is not a sacrifice it is a promise kept.

Let’s me be clear, this starts with public schools. I will always support public schools. Growing up in a rural community if school vouchers had been present, my school would have be devastated through loss of funding. I am a fierce advocate of proper school funding, paying teachers what they deserve, and ensuring teachers have the tools they need. 

Every veteran I have ever spoken to has said some version of the same thing: if you want a free education, join the military. And I always ask them, if you want to teach a third grader that three plus three equals six, should you have to die for that? Every one of them, without hesitation, says no. That is the challenge I bring to you today. We cannot call ourselves a just or advanced nation if we force young Americans to choose between a potential death sentence in war and a certain debt sentence at home. Education should be a right, not a burden, and if we want to remain a global leader, we must build an education system that reflects that truth. Education is the gateway to social mobility, the engine of innovation, and the cornerstone of national strength. Without it, we lose more than opportunity. We lose our future.

I believe in an education system that prepares Americans not just for today, but for the world twenty years from now. That means investing in agricultural science to prepare for drought and food insecurity. It means training the next generation of doctors, nurses, and pharmacists here at home, so we are not forced to rely on foreign labor to fill critical shortages. It means building the talent pipeline for STEM fields, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and clean energy, because those industries will define the century ahead. To do that, we must modernize our system. I support increasing funding for trade schools, apprenticeships, and career technical education, so that students who choose to work with their hands are valued just as much as those who pursue a four-year degree. We must integrate financial literacy, workforce training, and community input into our public education policies, and we must respect the voices of both parents and teachers.

I also believe the student loan system is broken. The Biden administration took steps, but it was not enough. My plan includes capping federal student loan interest rates, kill capitalized interest on student loans, ensuring income-based repayment never exceeds ten percent of a borrower’s income, and Ending the Debt Sentence. I will fight to pass a Usury Cap Act for Student Loan Reform. I will fight for Public Service Loan Forgiveness Expansion and fight for greater investment into trade schools and apprentices coupled with a focus in colleges on STEM. These are not radical ideas. They are practical, just, and long overdue. We owe it to the next generation to create a system that does not punish ambition but rewards effort and potential.

I came out of the healthcare industry, and I have seen firsthand how unsustainable the system has become. The markup on hospital goods, equipment, and medication is not just excessive—it is exploitative. We must be willing to confront the monopolization and price manipulation that dominate the pharmaceutical and medical supply markets. As your future congressman, I will lead the charge to investigate predatory pricing practices, enforce antitrust laws, and restore fairness in a marketplace that has put profit ahead of patients. My platform includes legislation that establishes public ownership stakes in taxpayer-funded drug research, caps profit margins on essential medications, and allows for generic drug production when corporations engage in price gouging. This is not radical policy—it is common sense. When public dollars fund the research, the public should have a say in the price. We cannot continue allowing billion-dollar companies to thrive off the backs of sick Americans while taxpayers carry the burden.

Healthcare is a human right, and it is time our laws reflected that principle. I will fight to expand Medicare to include dental, vision, and hearing. I will advocate for increased rural healthcare access and telemedicine so that no one is left behind based on geography or income. I will push for mental health and addiction recovery programs that meet the scale of this crisis—especially for veterans, first responders, and young people. And I will never back down from defending reproductive freedom. No government has the right to interfere in personal medical decisions. Bodily autonomy is a constitutional value, and I will protect it with the full force of the law. That means preserving access to safe abortion, contraception, and maternal care, while also expanding prenatal and economic support so families can make informed decisions about their futures. The healthcare system is broken not just in its costs, but in its values. I intend to change both.

LGBTQIA+ rights are human rights. That is not a slogan. That is the moral, constitutional, and historical truth that this country was founded upon. Our founders did not declare independence from tyranny so that future governments could decide who we are allowed to love or how we are allowed to live. They did it to secure individual freedom, personal dignity, and the right to live without persecution. And yet here we are, in the twenty-first century, watching as some of the most fundamental liberties of LGBTQIA+ Americans are threatened all over again—from access to healthcare, to recognition of gender identity, to the very question of whether same-sex couples have the right to marry. That is not freedom. That is regression.

I served under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. I know what it means to serve your country when your country refuses to see you. And I will not stand silently while the rights of trans Americans are erased, while gay and lesbian families are made political pawns, or while the Supreme Court threatens to undermine marriage equality again as it did when it opened the door in 2024. We cannot allow this. And we cannot elect Democrats who sit on their hands and say nothing while it happens. Civil rights do not belong to one group. They are not negotiable. They are American. And I will fight to protect every Missourian and every American whose rights are under attack—because I believe in a country that does not ask you to hide who you are in order to serve, or love, or live.

That is why I stand firmly against legislation like the SAVE Act, which is more than a poorly written law, is a dangerous intrusion into the lives of people who have done nothing wrong. Its language endangers survivors of domestic violence, adopted children, divorced women, and anyone who has legally changed their name. This is not smart lawmaking. This is fear and politics masquerading as governance. Under my leadership, we will push for federal protections that secure equal rights in every corner of life housing, employment, healthcare, public service and enshrine them where they belong, in the foundation of our Constitution. I believe there is light ahead. I believe that with strength and vision, we can move this country forward. But we need leaders who have lived through the fight, who understand what is at stake, and who are ready to carry that fight into the halls of Congress. I am one of those leaders. And I am ready to serve.

I will fight for reproductive rights, bodily autonomy, equal pay, paid family leave, affordable childcare and to resurrect protections in the workplace. 

I was raised by a single mother who brought up three boys with nothing but courage and the support of my grandmother. I come from a matriarchal family, and I hold women in the highest regard not in theory, but because I have seen firsthand what women endure and overcome. I watched my mother face violence and hardship, and I carry that with me in everything I do. I believe women possess a deeper sense of empathy, insight, and strength, and I believe our society is only as civilized as the space we allow women to shape it. Women belong in every room where decisions are made. Women belong in leadership, in public service, in boardrooms, and on the front lines. I have seen women serve this country with extraordinary bravery. Some, heroically, never came home. I will never bring disrespect to their sacrifice by allowing inequality or silence to take root in the halls of Congress. That is why I will fight for equal pay, for paid family leave, for access to affordable childcare, and for stronger protections in the workplace. No one should be penalized for choosing to build a family. No one should be left behind because of their gender. And no one should be forced to choose between financial survival and their child’s future.

I am a fierce advocate for women, for survivors, for single mothers, and for justice. That means expanding support for victims of domestic violence, building stronger legal protections against harassment and trafficking, and increasing investment in programs that open doors for women and girls in science, technology, and public service. I believe in finding a reasonable cap for childcare costs according to a family’s income and establishing universal paid maternity leave as a national standard. I also believe that legislation must protect individual privacy and freedom. Laws like the SAVE Act do the opposite. They are dressed in misleading language, but the truth is clear. They endanger women who have changed their names to escape abuse. They hurt divorced individuals, adopted children, and people in witness protection. This is not limited government. This is government overreach at its worst. I will not allow bureaucracy to become a weapon against the most vulnerable. And I will not allow Voting power to be stripped away subversively. As your Congressman, I am running to bring measured, responsible leadership that fights for the rights of women and respects the values this country was founded on. Because the fight for women’s rights is not a side issue. It is the fight for justice, dignity, and freedom itself.

America’s immigration system is broken, and it has been for far too long. It fails on both ends; it neither secures our borders effectively nor offers a functional, fair path to citizenship. I believe in smart immigration policy that protects our country while honoring our values. That means cracking down on human trafficking and drug smuggling, securing entry points with real oversight, and enforcing the law with consistency. But it also means building a system where families are not trapped in limbo for decades, where Dreamers are not left waiting in fear, and where hard-working people contributing to our communities are not treated like criminals. We need a real pathway to citizenship; one that does not cost unfathomable sums of money, is not left to the randomness of a lottery, and actually works. To get there, we must invest in the very institutions responsible for processing and adjudicating these cases. That means empowering immigration courts with more resources, hiring more judges, and modernizing the agencies that keep our system running.

I do not believe in open borders, and I reject the cruelty of mass deportation policies that rip families apart without due process. What I support is a strategy rooted in security, dignity, and American leadership. I have seen the faces of people fleeing danger, mothers risking everything to keep their children safe, and families who believe in the American dream so deeply they are willing to walk thousands of miles to find it. We cannot allow these people to be weaponized for political gain. Nor can we allow their desperation to become a national liability. That is why I support stronger partnerships with our neighbors in Central and South America to stop trafficking at the source, dismantle criminal networks, and build economic cooperation. The more we invest in stability abroad, the more we reduce the pressure at our border. This is how we strengthen American sovereignty, lower costs for trade and manufacturing, and bring our immigration system into the twenty-first century. This is not just about immigration. It is about who we are as a nation and the kind of leadership we send to Washington. I am ready to lead with strength and humanity, and I will never treat people as pawns in someone else’s game.

American foreign policy should be built on strength, vision, and the courage to lead. Not just strength in force, but strength in knowing when to speak and when to act. I have served our country abroad, not from the sidelines but in the field, where decisions matter and hesitation costs lives. I have also studied the systems that shape the world. I earned my degree in political science and spent years examining the lessons in military strategy and diplomacy. I have worked in complex, multinational settings where culture and language matter just as much as tactics. I understand how to build real partnerships ones that serve the interests of American families, protect our economy, and open new doors for Missouri farmers and manufacturers. At this moment, we need Democrats who do more than react. We need leaders who will step forward with clarity and conviction. We cannot continue to surrender the national security conversation to those who trade in fear and false strength. I bring with me the values I lived in uniform: integrity first, service before self, and the pursuit of excellence in every decision. Those are not just words. They are my code.

Our future depends on strategic investments at home and a bold, steady presence abroad. I believe in a modern military that is prepared for the next challenge, not just the last one. I support expanding cybersecurity protections, strengthening our domestic supply chain, and ensuring our military installations have the infrastructure and innovation they need. I believe diplomacy should always be our first step, but I will never shy away from defending this country when diplomacy fails. I also believe we owe more to those who served. Veterans should return to a country ready to support them with access to quality housing, mental health care, and real pathways to meaningful work. At the same time, we must fully equip our law enforcement to confront the threats facing our communities while building trust through transparency and accountability. We cannot talk about strength abroad without building security at home. I am ready to bring leadership that understands the full picture, that does not hesitate when it matters, and that is ready to serve this country again in Congress with the same commitment I brought to the uniform.

As someone who served this country in uniform, I understand what it takes to show up for others, not just in moments of crisis, but every single day. I will always stand with those who serve the public. They are our neighbors, seen and unseen, dedicating their lives to making our communities healthier, stronger, and more humane places to live.

Supporting public service shouldn’t look like shaking hands for a photo and a caption saying “thank you”.

It looks like taking action.

This starts with identifying where we’ve fallen short and expanding access to mental health care for those in high-stress public service roles.

It looks like securing strong pensions, protecting collective bargaining rights, and ensuring every worker has the ability to retire with dignity and stability.
It also looks like our leaders doing what it takes to ensure those who spend their lives serving others receive the full benefits they have earned, including full Social Security.

It looks like funding support teams, investing in training, and building the infrastructure that allows public servants to focus on their mission, not leaving them to fight to survive.

It looks like standing firm in our values and rejecting union-busting efforts and standing firmly against so-called “Right to Work” laws that weaken worker power and defund the very organizations that defend our public workforce.

These are not radical ideas. They are the building blocks of a fair, functional, and thriving society, that our country has stood on at our strongest moments as a nation.

For too long, we have asked public servants to do more with less. We have expected them to fill gaps, stretch budgets, and take on responsibilities far beyond their job descriptions. It is time we supported them the way they support us.

Whether through better equipment, smarter staffing, or deeper partnerships between public institutions and the communities they serve, I will fight every day to ensure that those who care for us are never left to do it alone.

We owe them that much. Under my leadership, they will have a congressman who shows up not just to say thanks, but to stand with them where it counts.

I grew up in a town where the cornfields stretched farther than the eye could see, where the air smelled like earth after rain, and where a man’s word was worth more than any contract. That’s where I learned my values, honesty, grit, and community. But today, I look around and see our farmers pushed to the edge by rising input costs, foreign trade wars, and the relentless march of suburban sprawl. We’ve allowed too much consolidation banks, seed suppliers, meat processors cutting off family farms from fair markets and access to capital. It’s time to fight back. We need to restore antitrust enforcement, expand access to cooperative lending, and ensure that our federal loan systems don’t only serve the largest operations. Our farmers are not just business owners, they’re caretakers of the land, guardians of our food supply, and they deserve a seat at the table.

The future of agriculture isn’t in the past, it’s in bold, smart investments. We need to be thinking 20 years ahead. What happens when the Ogallala Aquifer dries up? Are we investing in atmospheric water capture? Are we researching soil recovery and water delivery systems that work for the heartland, not just Silicon Valley? We must diversify our crops beyond corn and soy to create new revenue streams that are resilient against market shocks and climate extremes. That means pioneering vertical farming and green tech but doing so with subsidies and technical support that keep the tools of the future in the hands of working farmers, not just tech start-ups or global agribusinesses. I support the National Farmers Union’s calls for federal incentives to democratize agricultural innovation, and under my leadership, that support becomes action. You’ve fed us. You’ve raised us. And in Congress, I’ll never stop fighting for you not just when it’s politically convenient, but every damn day.

We are living in an era where your data, your face, your voice, and your creative work can be stolen in seconds and monetized without your consent. The truth is, Congress has failed to meet the moment. Guardrails have not been built. Federal law has not caught up with the scale of exploitation we now see in the digital space. Artists, designers, engineers, and everyday Americans are being cut out of the value chain, while corporations and bad actors profit from their labor. As someone who has studied the law, who holds a legal degree focused on technology and entrepreneurship, and who has worked in biomedical tech, I understand how these systems function—and how they are being abused. In this new economy, those who generate value should not be the last to be consulted or the first to be left behind. Whether it is biometric data, name and image rights, or AI-generated impersonation, we need federal protections that say clearly: ownership begins with the individual.

This digital future does not belong to yesterday’s politicians. It belongs to us. And we need leaders who understand it well enough to defend it. I will fight to pass the Comprehensive Intellectual Property and Digital Privacy Rights to ensure Americans own their digital identities, control how their data is used, and are protected from exploitation in online marketplaces and AI systems. We must also bring transparency to social media platforms, ban the unauthorized sale of personal data, and enact real consequences for AI-driven fraud, misinformation, and identity theft. We cannot afford another breach like DOGE, where user data was spread without accountability or restitution. The longer we wait, the more we lose. I am running for Congress because this fight cannot be delayed. It will take courage, clarity, and policy built by those who have done the work and understand the stakes. That is the leadership I offer, and that is the future I intend to protect.

Infrastructure is the foundation of economic growth, job creation, and national strength. As your Congressman, I will champion American Infrastructure Investment because our communities cannot afford another generation of neglect. Missouri has already seen the potential federal infrastructure investments yield strong returns, with every dollar spent generating up to two dollars in economic growth. But our district has been left behind. In 2021, only fourteen million dollars made it home. In 2023, not a single dollar was brought back. That is not just a missed opportunity. That is legislative failure. We are now at risk of losing seventy million dollars in unobligated ARPA funds due to mismanagement and a civil war between the state legislature and the county executive. While our roads crumble, while our broadband lags, and while our clean energy investments are stalled, others are cashing in on funding that should be ours. We need a leader who understands how to bring federal dollars home—and get them to work.

I have led high-performing teams in the military and the public sector, and I know what it means to meet the mission and exceed expectations. I will bring that same results-driven mindset to Congress. My plan will invest in smart grid modernization, expand public transit, fund clean energy, and build strong public-private partnerships to create jobs and revitalize distressed communities. Most important of all, I will bring consistency. Missouri’s Fifth District deserves someone who does not just talk about the problem but writes the policy, secures the funds, and delivers the results. We cannot allow this level of mismanagement to continue while families struggle and infrastructure deteriorates. Americans are tired of excuses. They are ready for solutions. I am ready to legislate—and I will not leave one dollar sitting on the table.