A Story Like Yours

I’m a 2nd generation Nevadan, born in Las Vegas in 2000. My family’s story mirrors many in our community. 

My Dad was born here in the late 60s to a Mexican immigrant and a Mormon Navy-vet. My mother moved here when she was three, her father providing for his family with a union job at the Las Vegas Sun. Both of my parents were first-gen college students and fully paid off their loans. They were homeowners before they were thirty! My father has had a long career serving high school students across the valley as a CCSD teacher. My mother opened a small business with her sister; eventually sold the business to be a stay-at-home mom; decided to finish her degree as an adult; and then achieved her dream of becoming a school teacher, joining my father as a union CCSD educator. 

I grew up in a family that lived the promise of the American dream. My parents came from humble backgrounds, were able to access higher education and employment, purchase a home, and successfully sustain a family. Most importantly, they could afford risk, whether it be starting a business or becoming foster parents and welcoming new children into their home. My grandparents moved to Nevada chasing opportunity. My parents were the fruit of their labor and sacrifice, able to build a better life for themselves than the previous generation. This is the story of America. This is the America we want to believe in, yet as a 24-year-old recent college grad, this seems woefully out of reach. 

When Millenials and Gen-Z were kids, we were told that if we worked hard enough, we could do anything when we grew up. However, we did not grow up in the same country as our parents; things have changed. We did not inherit an America of prosperity. Our youth have never known an America that wasn’t in crisis. 

September 11th, 2001. The War on Terror. The Great Recession. School Shootings. Police brutality protests. The Covid-19 Pandemic and historic inflation. Staggering student debt. Housing and healthcare costs that can easily bankrupt you. The Rise of Donald Trump and mass deportations.

The American dream is broken, and it will take bold, generational leadership to fix it.

I decided when I was fifteen that I didn’t have the luxury to sit on the sidelines when it came to politics. I was a gay teen from a Mormon community, struggling to understand where I belonged. Obergefell v. Hodges, the supreme court case that decided gay marriage, taught me that nine strangers across the country can completely change your life. If I wanted politics to work for me and my community, I had to become a leader and harness it. Over the last ten years, this is exactly what I have done.

I am a proud alum of the first unionized presidential campaign in American history, the 2020 Bernie Sanders campaign. While going to school full-time, I worked for national and local advocacy groups on reproductive justice, voting rights, college affordability, mobilizing youth voters, election reform, gun violence prevention, and economic justice. I helped grow two grassroots organizations from the ground-up, making space for a new generation of civic leaders. After living through UNLV’s mass shooting, I committed to helping our community heal through political action. I registered voters and organized students on campus for the 2024 election. I then spent the legislative session uplifting Senator Flores’ bill, SB 156, the Gun Safety Act--which would have established a state office for the prevention of gun violence-- and sharing my story of December 6th. 

This campaign is by young people and for EVERYONE. While we may be excited to make history electing the first legislator in Carson City born in the 21st century and the first non-binary member of the assembly, that is not why we are in this race. The strain of the affordability crisis is felt by us all. For those who have housing, employment, and healthcare, they are struggling to keep it. For those of us just starting out, we are struggling to ever have it in the first place. We need an agenda focused on building trust, justice, and a livable future for Nevada. 

This is why I am running. We deserve a leader who has real stakes in the choices made in Carson City. I would be a legislator that will inherit the consequences of our policies WITH you. I have the sense of urgency we need to build a Nevada where working people can afford to stay, where students don’t fear for their lives, and where young families have a livable future. We can’t keep waiting for someone to save us. No more waiting turns. No more asking permission. I’m running because decisions are being made without us, and it's time to change that. I’m saving YOU a seat at the table: it's where we belong.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

  • Alfred Vivar Munoz

    Student Activist - Babe Vote UNLV President

    Game changing is how I would describe Mack. They are a real progressive, and, more importantly, a real person. Mack and I met on December 6th, 2023, living through the traumatic experience of a mass shooting at UNLV together. This shook me to my core, and I had to take a long break from politics to recover. However, when I was ready to come back, I was met with open arms by Mack, who welcomed me to fight for things near and dear to my heart. I’ve gotten to know Mack through our rigorous hours of service, working on issues like gun violence prevention, rank choice voting, voting rights, student resources and loan forgiveness. The past year I have spent organizing with Mack has been so inspiring and full of hope, which we desperately need in our politics right now. District 1 deserves to have someone like Mack on the frontlines.

  • Zena Hajji

    Student Activist and Mack for AD-1 Campaign Manager

    I chose to be a part of this campaign being a full time college student and provider for my family. Mack and I have known each other through the toughest of times, and I have had the honor of organizing with Mack these last 4 years. From issues like student accessibility, immigration, and gun violence, Mack and I have hosted events and seminars - most of the time unpaid - opening doors for so many young Nevadas to become civically engaged. When Mack said that they want to make Nevada a better place - I knew that I could trust them to do so. I believe that Mack will serve us best in the Assembly because they understand our struggles to afford anything.

  • Christian Solomon

    NV Organizer and Non-Profit Regional Director

    I’ve known Mack through their advocacy in various capacities: through the Youth Voice of Nevada, Babe Vote, and the Nevada Youth Activist Alliance (NVYAA). When it comes to protecting voting rights, defending body sovereignty, making our communities safer, and lowering the cost of living for Nevadans… I trust Mack’s leadership to bring forth a new coalition of passionate citizens to make it happen in AD-1 and in Carson City.

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