Maura K. Keller

Criminal Justice / Public Safety

Maura believes that criminal justice reform is paramount to the success of our nation. Statistics show that, per capita, more people are in prison in America than anywhere else in the world. That doesn’t mean that we have more criminals here; it means that we are failing our citizens. Our criminal justice system is flawed, and Maura intends to fix it by supporting progressive legislation in Congress that puts the needs of our communities first. Learn more

Maura believes we need to focus on investing in methods that we know help keep crime at a minimum. Investing in education, jobs, health care, housing, and keeping people out of poverty, helps keep communities safe by taking action to prevent crimes from happening in the first place. Learn more

Maura also wants to address life after prison. After people serve their time, they should be able to return to society without issue. Instead, our laws continue to punish people after they leave prison by making it harder to get a job, find safe housing, and find stable employment. So many people who were formerly incarcerated have also lost basic human rights, like their ability to vote. Maura believes that non-violent offenders should be allowed the fresh start that prison is supposed to offer, and that smaller offenses should not cost you a lifetime of freedom. Learn more

Defense / Veterans

Veteran advocacy is the driving force behind Maura’s decision to run for Congress. As a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Army and a Nuclear Medicine Technologist at Atlanta’s VA, Maura is one of the few who actually understands the needs of Veterans. She has seen firsthand the ways in which we fail our service members. From archaic computer systems and broken machinery to infiltrated IVs and dilapidated facilities; as Maura likes to say, she knows where the bodies are buried. Learn more

Education

In Maura’s eyes, many Georgia politicians have forgotten where they came from. They have taken for granted their access to education, the basic necessities they had growing up, and their ability to achieve a high paying job. Now, they are trying to prevent future generations from having the same opportunities. Investing in public education is not a pipedream, it is a necessity. Nobel Prize winner James Heckman completed research that shows every 1 invested in early childhood development can yield returns of up to 16. Investment starts with our educators, and Maura wants to ensure that all teachers are paid a fair and liveable wage. In Georgia, you are required to have a college degree yet, according to Indeed, the average teacher salary in Georgia is 14.60/hour. In order to retain high quality teachers, we need to pay them what they deserve. Learn more

Environment / Energy

Every year, the planet is changing in front of our eyes. We are seeing natural disasters ravage our country more often, record high temperatures that lead to death, and an onset of health conditions that will continue to get worse. Every record breaking storm, wildfire, and flood causes tens of billions of dollars in damages, destroying the communities left in their wake. Maura champions a bold stance on climate justice, for both the planet and the people. If we don’t take action now, the damage to our planet will soon be irreversible. Learn more

Government Reform

Maura offers unwavering support for all and believes that every citizen should have access to the American dream, regardless of sexual orientation, gender, or skin color. As a friend and relative of members of this community, Maura is troubled by the trajectory of our country and she is determined to speak up in Congress. She will fight to enshrine legal protections for LGBTQ and BIPOC Americans, and will push back against politicians who seek to strip away the human rights of these communities through deeply harmful and discriminatory policies. Learn more

Maura believes that we need to protect voting rights at the federal level to ensure that everyone has equal access to voting and the ability to participate in our democracy. In Georgia, State legislators have gone too far. They are introducing bills that violate our constitutional rights, affecting both Democrats and Republicans who want to cast their ballots, and disproportionately affecting communities of color. Congressional Representatives from District 3 have a history of choosing to disenfranchise their own voters—Maura will never. Learn more

Guns

Maura is a passionate advocate for gun safety legislation, understanding the Second Amendment while opposing reckless gun ownership. Currently, Georgia ranks 47th out of 50 for gun safety. Out of the 10 worst states that have guns stolen out of vehicles, we rank 5th. Our military and law enforcement are required to attend training on how and when to use a weapon, but an 18 year old can get an AR-15 without going through any training or safety procedures. How many more lives must be lost to gun violence before politicians stop pedaling party lines and start caring about the lives they represent in Congress? Learn more

Healthcare

When it comes to health care, Maura is endlessly committed to making sure every American can access the care they need. After working in Nuclear Medicine for many years, Maura knows just how important it is that we make health care accessible and affordable. She believes it is a basic right that we all deserve at all stages of our lives, and no one should ever have to choose between paying for life’s necessities or lifesaving medical services. Learn more

Immigration

It’s no secret that our immigration system is broken, and has been for a long time. Maura believes that properly reforming our immigration service is a process that benefits everyone. We can improve our border security and enforce our rules all while strengthening our economy and keeping families together. In recent years, we have seen young children separated from their parents and kept in cages, while politicians spread hate in the media. Let’s be clear: this is not immigration reform. Learn more

Social Services

Maura stands with District 3’s aging population and she is disgusted that Georgia consistently ranks at the bottom for quality of living for seniors. She wants to work on legislation that will bring Social Security into the 21st century, keeping in line with inflation and the cost of living. Recent increases to Social Security payments via the cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) have had the opposite effect for our seniors, with many being told they no longer qualify for Medicaid and food stamps. The increase in benefits that was supposed to help has sent many into poverty because our politicians are not prioritizing proper legislation that works for those receiving benefits. Learn more

Wages / Job Benefits

We are a country that doesn’t take care of its people. The American Dream is supposed to come with a good quality of life; instead, it is dependent on our citizens working themselves to the bone. If the federal minimum wage had not increased in 2009, workers in Georgia would still be making 5.05/hour. Although studies show a liveable wage in Georgia should be at least 17.00/hour, District 3’s previous representatives continually voted to keep their neighbors at or below the poverty line, with many making only 7.25/hour. That means it has been 14 years without a pay increase and still our Republican leaning Congress will not do anything about it. Learn more