Risë Hayes

“Growing up, my father lost his job, which led to my family becoming homeless. We lived in a tent for eight months, and it took years for my family to recover. My parents worked several jobs each and homeschooled my siblings and me due to there being no schools near us. The closest grocery store was an hour away, making me very familiar with food deserts. When Liberty offered me a scholarship, I took it without understanding what the school was and stood for. I am one of the few Dems to come out of Liberty. Experiencing extreme poverty has motivated me to want to prevent anyone else from going through the same thing. Moving here eleven years ago allowed me to get my degree; six years ago, my husband and I could purchase a home. These basic milestones should not be a luxury. In the current housing market, we would not be able to have the home we have now. This is why I will implement policies that will improve workers’ rights, protect school funding, and increase tenant rights.”