Over the past several days, videos of me from when I was 15 years old have been recirculated online, and posts have been made referencing those videos in an attempt to define me by actions from over a decade ago.
Let me be clear: some of the things I said and did at that age were immature, stupid, and wrong. I regret them. I’m not going to make excuses for behavior that I myself look back on and wish I could take back.
What I will say is that those videos are now 11 years old. In the years since, I’ve grown up, built a career, gotten married to my amazing husband Santiago, become involved in my community, and dedicated myself to public service. I am not the same person I was at 15, and I would hope others would not want to be judged forever by mistakes they made as children.
Unfortunately, some people have chosen not only to recirculate those old videos, but also to spread rumors and false claims about my household, my family, and my personal life. Those claims are simply not true.
I take responsibility for my past. What I will not accept is the idea that a person’s entire life should be defined by mistakes they made as a teenager, nor will I allow falsehoods to go unchallenged.
This campaign should be about the future of District 43, the issues facing our communities, and the solutions we can bring to Columbus.
I will be staying committed to this campaign and to earning your support based on the person I am today, not the teenager I was 11 years ago.