Danielle 'Dani' Sterbinsky

I believe good policymaking starts with good information. My academic training taught me to value the scientific method: ask clear questions, examine the evidence, test assumptions, recognize limitations, and be willing to change course when better information becomes available.

In Congress, I would seek regular input from nonpartisan scientific and technical experts, researchers, federal scientific agencies, universities, and professionals working directly in the fields affected by legislation. For complex issues, I would support advisory groups that include subject-matter experts with diverse professional perspectives and clear conflict-of-interest standards.

I would also expect my office to evaluate the quality of the evidence behind policy proposals, including whether findings have been peer reviewed, replicated, and supported by a broader body of research rather than relying on a single study or politically convenient statistic.

Scientific evidence should not be selectively used to justify a predetermined position. When the evidence is uncertain or evolving, policymakers should be transparent about that uncertainty. And when new evidence shows that a policy is not working as intended, we should be willing to reassess it.

Science will not answer every value judgment Congress has to make, but it should help establish the facts from which those decisions are made.

I will support sustained, predictable federal investment in basic and applied research through agencies such as the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy, NASA, and other federal research programs.

Federal science funding is especially important for early-stage research that may not offer an immediate commercial return but can lead to major breakthroughs, new industries, better health outcomes, and stronger national competitiveness.

I also support expanding competitive research grants, strengthening partnerships among universities, national laboratories, community colleges, and the private sector, and creating more opportunities for researchers and institutions outside traditional research hubs to compete for federal funding.

We should invest in the next generation of scientists and technical workers through fellowships, apprenticeships, internships, and STEM education while ensuring that federal grants are awarded through transparent, merit-based processes.

Finally, Congress should provide researchers with greater funding stability. Scientific discovery often takes years, and repeated uncertainty in federal budgets makes long-term research more difficult. Innovation requires both accountability for taxpayer dollars and the willingness to invest patiently in discoveries whose full value may not yet be known.

Arizona’s environmental challenges require solutions that recognize both our natural limits and our economic needs. Water security would be one of my highest priorities. Arizona has experienced decades of long-term drought, and rising temperatures are increasing pressure on already limited water supplies.

I support stronger water-efficiency standards, expanded wastewater recycling and groundwater recharge, repairs to aging infrastructure, and continued investment in conservation technology. As data centers and other water-intensive industries expand, I support requiring greater transparency about their water and energy use and encouraging technologies such as closed-loop or low-water cooling. Economic development should not come at the expense of long-term water security for residents, agriculture, or existing businesses.

Mining remains important to Arizona’s economy and to domestic supply chains, but extraction must be paired with responsibility for its environmental impacts. Mining waste can affect surface water and groundwater, and Arizona continues to deal with contamination from legacy mine sites. I support strong cleanup requirements, rigorous monitoring, responsible waste management, and holding operators financially responsible for remediation rather than leaving taxpayers with the bill.

Finally, extreme heat should be treated as an infrastructure and public-health challenge. I support research and investments in heat-resilient infrastructure, shade, energy efficiency, cooling technologies, and emergency preparedness, with federal resources directed toward solutions proven to work in Arizona’s climate.

Preventing outbreaks starts with strong public health infrastructure, accurate information, and access to proven preventive care. Arizona’s recent measles outbreak—the state’s largest since the early 1990s—shows how quickly vaccine-preventable diseases can spread when immunity levels fall.

I support maintaining strong federal partnerships with state and local health departments for disease surveillance, laboratory capacity, rapid-response teams, and clear public communication. We should also make routine vaccinations easy to access through pediatricians, pharmacies, schools, community clinics, and rural health providers, particularly in areas where geography or cost creates barriers.

Public health guidance should be grounded in the best available scientific evidence and communicated transparently, including what we know, what remains uncertain, and why recommendations change when new evidence emerges. Building public trust requires answering questions honestly rather than dismissing legitimate concerns.

I also support protecting the independence of federal scientific agencies, strengthening our ability to track emerging infectious diseases, maintaining strategic medical supplies, and ensuring hospitals and local health departments have preparedness plans before a crisis occurs.

The goal should be straightforward: prevent outbreaks when we can, identify them quickly when they occur, and give families reliable information so they can make informed health decisions.

Yes. I support stronger protections for children and teenagers online, including establishing a minimum age of 16 for independent social media accounts.

Social media platforms are designed to maximize engagement, and children are particularly vulnerable to misinformation, harmful content, addictive design features, and the social pressures these platforms can amplify. Parents should have more control, and technology companies should bear greater responsibility for protecting young users.

I support privacy-protective age verification, strong limits on the collection and sale of minors’ personal data, restrictions on targeted advertising to children, and greater transparency about how recommendation algorithms expose young users to content. Any age-verification system should collect as little personal information as possible and prohibit companies from retaining or repurposing that information. The FTC has similarly emphasized privacy safeguards when age-verification technology is used.

I would also support continued research into how social media affects child development, mental health, learning, and exposure to scientific misinformation so that future policy evolves with the evidence.

Technology can be an extraordinary educational resource, but protecting children should take priority over maximizing engagement and advertising revenue.

Arizona is not investing enough in its public schools. NEA’s 2026 data places Arizona near the bottom nationally in per-student spending, and the U.S. Census Bureau likewise reports Arizona among the lowest-spending states.

I support increasing investment in public education, with particular attention to teacher recruitment and retention, manageable class sizes, modern instructional materials, career and technical education, and ensuring rural schools have access to the same opportunities as larger districts.

Science must also remain a fundamental part of K-12 education. Students should learn established scientific knowledge, but just as importantly, they should learn how science works: how to ask questions, evaluate evidence, test ideas, distinguish reliable information from misinformation, and revise conclusions when the evidence changes.

Arizona’s existing science standards incorporate science and engineering practices alongside core scientific concepts, and I support maintaining rigorous, evidence-based standards.

A strong science education is not only about preparing future scientists. It prepares students for healthcare, agriculture, advanced manufacturing, technology, skilled trades, and countless other careers and gives every student tools to think critically about the world around them.