Lucia Dora Simonelli

[{"question": "Ballotpedia survey responses", "answer_html": "<p>See also: <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a></p>\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-xs-10 col-md-6 col-xs-offset-1 col-md-offset-3\"><p><a href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\"><img align=\"middle\" alt=\"Candidate Connection\" src=\"https://cdn.ballotpedia.org/images/8/88/Candidate_Connection_Logo.png\" width=\"90%\"/></a></p></div></div>\n<p>Lucia Simonelli completed <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a> survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Simonelli's responses.</p>\n<p><span class=\"expand-all\">Expand all</span> | <span class=\"collapse-all\">Collapse all</span></p>\n<div aria-multiselectable=\"true\" class=\"panel-group\" id=\"accordion\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-389170-2026-05-11\" id=\"heading-bio-389170-2026-05-11\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-389170-2026-05-11\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-389170-2026-05-11\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho are you? Tell us about yourself.\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-bio-389170-2026-05-11\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-389170-2026-05-11\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI was born in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, to a working-class family. My mother’s family has been in the area for over 50 years, and my father immigrated to the United States in the 1980s. Despite growing up without financial stability, I did have the privilege of access to public education, enabling me to pursue a PhD in mathematics. Studying mathematics trained me to be a problem-solver and critical thinker, to know what it means to think objectively, to focus on facts, and to recognize when things simply don’t add up. \r\n<p>After graduating, I spent several years conducting research and teaching math around the world before serving as a scientific advisor in the United States Senate, working on energy and climate policy. There, I gained a deep understanding of the legislative process. I observed how a strong society and economy depend on smart policy informed by independent technical guidance. Without that guidance, policy bends to the whims of corporate special interests.\r\n</p>\nBillionaires are hollowing out our communities, and corporate greed continues to pull us away from the fundamental principles that should govern our policy and politics. We need leaders who are more connected with their neighbors and working people than they are with the political class. We need leaders who are more interested in making good than holding power. I’m ready to fight for you and with you to make a good change, together.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-389170-2026-05-11\" id=\"heading-key-message-389170-2026-05-11\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-389170-2026-05-11\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-389170-2026-05-11\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tPlease list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-key-message-389170-2026-05-11\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-389170-2026-05-11\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>Take our power back: The status quo doesn’t work for working families. We live in a country with the resources, talent, opportunity, and values to ensure that our generation and future generations have access to basic needs and the right to live with dignity. But to make this a reality, we have to take our power back. We have to unrig our tax code so that the rich pay their fair share, and we need to get money out of elections. Our campaign pledges not to accept any corporate PAC money, AIPAC money, or donations that come with strings attached. We are accountable, first and foremost, to our community.</li><li>Healthcare is a human right: Extending the ACA subsidies is necessary in the short term, but it’s a temporary measure and doesn’t address the root cause of our broken healthcare system: industries that put profit over people. I believe that Medicare for All is the policy that makes healthcare a right. It would put into place the optimal structure to ensure that everyone in this country has access to quality healthcare. In a nation as wealthy as the United States, no one should have to face monthly premiums, denial of coverage, or medical debt. As an intermediate step, I would support the State-based Universal Healthcare Act that would allow states to develop universal healthcare programs, paving the way to a national program.</li><li>Data center moratorium: I support a pause on AI data center expansion so we can equitably equip all communities with the information and tools needed to keep utility bills low, create safeguards for AI, prevent job loss, protect the environment, upgrade and modernize the grid, and bring clean energy online. I have worked in climate and energy policy for the past 7 years, and I know that adding large loads to the grid is not inherently bad – in fact, eventually it could be a good thing. It’s an optimization problem, but one that we aren’t yet prepared to solve.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-389170-2026-05-11\" id=\"heading1-389170-2026-05-11\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-389170-2026-05-11\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-389170-2026-05-11\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading1-389170-2026-05-11\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-389170-2026-05-11\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tClimate change: During my time teaching internationally, I saw the effects of climate change around the world, disproportionately impacting countries and communities that have contributed the least to the problem. Climate change is a humanitarian crisis. Climate touches on public health, affordability, dark money, protection of marginalized groups, national security, and domestic competitiveness. I’ve devoted my career to fighting climate change because I believe that we must protect our communities and ensure the well-being of future generations.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-389170-2026-05-11\" id=\"heading2-389170-2026-05-11\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse2-389170-2026-05-11\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-389170-2026-05-11\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat legacy would you like to leave?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading2-389170-2026-05-11\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse2-389170-2026-05-11\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI would like to do my part in leaving my community and this Earth better than I found it.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-389170-2026-05-11\" id=\"heading3-389170-2026-05-11\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse3-389170-2026-05-11\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-389170-2026-05-11\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading3-389170-2026-05-11\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse3-389170-2026-05-11\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI think that climate change and AI are two of the greatest challenges we face. We need objective, science-based expertise guiding policy decisions in order to prepare future generations for impending challenges. To that end, I would support reviving the Office of Technology Assessment, a legislative agency that is absolutely critical to the function of our Government.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div></div>\n<div class=\"small\" data-nosnippet=\"\"><p><i><b>Note:</b> Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.</i></p></div>", "answer_text": "See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection\n\nLucia Simonelli completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Simonelli's responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nWho are you? Tell us about yourself. I was born in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, to a working-class family. My mother’s family has been in the area for over 50 years, and my father immigrated to the United States in the 1980s. Despite growing up without financial stability, I did have the privilege of access to public education, enabling me to pursue a PhD in mathematics. Studying mathematics trained me to be a problem-solver and critical thinker, to know what it means to think objectively, to focus on facts, and to recognize when things simply don’t add up. After graduating, I spent several years conducting research and teaching math around the world before serving as a scientific advisor in the United States Senate, working on energy and climate policy. There, I gained a deep understanding of the legislative process. I observed how a strong society and economy depend on smart policy informed by independent technical guidance. Without that guidance, policy bends to the whims of corporate special interests. Billionaires are hollowing out our communities, and corporate greed continues to pull us away from the fundamental principles that should govern our policy and politics. We need leaders who are more connected with their neighbors and working people than they are with the political class. We need leaders who are more interested in making good than holding power. I’m ready to fight for you and with you to make a good change, together. Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? Take our power back: The status quo doesn’t work for working families. We live in a country with the resources, talent, opportunity, and values to ensure that our generation and future generations have access to basic needs and the right to live with dignity. But to make this a reality, we have to take our power back. We have to unrig our tax code so that the rich pay their fair share, and we need to get money out of elections. Our campaign pledges not to accept any corporate PAC money, AIPAC money, or donations that come with strings attached. We are accountable, first and foremost, to our community. Healthcare is a human right: Extending the ACA subsidies is necessary in the short term, but it’s a temporary measure and doesn’t address the root cause of our broken healthcare system: industries that put profit over people. I believe that Medicare for All is the policy that makes healthcare a right. It would put into place the optimal structure to ensure that everyone in this country has access to quality healthcare. In a nation as wealthy as the United States, no one should have to face monthly premiums, denial of coverage, or medical debt. As an intermediate step, I would support the State-based Universal Healthcare Act that would allow states to develop universal healthcare programs, paving the way to a national program. Data center moratorium: I support a pause on AI data center expansion so we can equitably equip all communities with the information and tools needed to keep utility bills low, create safeguards for AI, prevent job loss, protect the environment, upgrade and modernize the grid, and bring clean energy online. I have worked in climate and energy policy for the past 7 years, and I know that adding large loads to the grid is not inherently bad – in fact, eventually it could be a good thing. It’s an optimization problem, but one that we aren’t yet prepared to solve. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Climate change: During my time teaching internationally, I saw the effects of climate change around the world, disproportionately impacting countries and communities that have contributed the least to the problem. Climate change is a humanitarian crisis. Climate touches on public health, affordability, dark money, protection of marginalized groups, national security, and domestic competitiveness. I’ve devoted my career to fighting climate change because I believe that we must protect our communities and ensure the well-being of future generations. What legacy would you like to leave? I would like to do my part in leaving my community and this Earth better than I found it. What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade? I think that climate change and AI are two of the greatest challenges we face. We need objective, science-based expertise guiding policy decisions in order to prepare future generations for impending challenges. To that end, I would support reviving the Office of Technology Assessment, a legislative agency that is absolutely critical to the function of our Government.\nNote: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it."}]