While Donald Trump and JD Vance campaign on fear and divisiveness, Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz seek to unify Americans with hope, optimism and bipartisanship. It’s one of the many reasons why, as a former Republican operative and long-time Independent voter, I will be casting my ballot for Harris and Walz come November.

Trump and Vance continue to turn off Independent and Republican voters, using the same fear-mongering tactics without tangible solutions to the very real issues facing Americans today. Instead of real leadership, they spew empty promises and dangerous rhetoric that only seeks to divide us further. They are running on an extreme set of policies known as Project 2025, an authoritarian blueprint.

Harris and Walz offer a real vision of unity and progress. Many Americans are feeling squeezed by higher costs. Harris is the candidate offering a plan to create the tools and policies that will lower costs, support entrepreneurs and create jobs. Certainly, there are some areas in which I disagree with the Harris-Walz agenda, but overall it is a common-sense approach Republicans and Independents can get behind.

As someone who started a business here in Minnesota, I know firsthand how good public policies can support entrepreneurs and the quality, well-paying jobs they create – and that bad policy can just as easily stifle business growth. As a fiscal conservative, I wish the Harris-Walz team would offer more aggressive solutions to reduce our national debt and do more to rein in federal spending, but Donald Trump’s reckless economic plans would be a disaster if implemented. Trump’s plans would cost America over 3 million jobs, explode the national debt, send inflation skyrocketing, and cost as much as $10.5 trillion over a decade – hurting everyone but the richest Americans.

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In contrast, Harris is laser-focused on supporting small businesses, entrepreneurs and the industries of the future. Her plans will spur the creation of 25 million new small business applications by expanding the startup expense tax deduction for new businesses tenfold and taking on the everyday obstacles and red tape that make it harder to grow a small business.

One of the greatest moments of my life has been when I became a grandfather. Now, with four little ones in our family here in Minnesota, I am keenly aware of the challenges young families face and what our world will look like for the next generation.

Few investments are more important than supporting young families, and Vice President Harris’ entire economic plan is focused on lowering costs on necessities, including prescription drugs, groceries and childcare. Her plan includes a historic expansion of the Child Tax Credit, providing up to $6,000 in total tax relief for middle-income and low-income families for the first year of their child’s life. That’s an additional $6,000 that can go toward diapers, formula, medical bills or any of the many expenses that add up quickly for families when a new baby is brought home.

More than ever, I want our beautiful lakes and forests here in Minnesota to be preserved. My grandchildren, like yours, deserve to fish, hunt, canoe, camp and explore our backyards, state parks, and waters like I remember doing as a kid. Protecting our land, air, and water was long a bipartisan priority. Back in the 1980s, I worked with the late Republican U.S. Sen. Dave Durenberger to craft an effective solution to acid rain, which was devastating our forests and our lakes. He brought people together from all sides and interests – utilities, environmentalists, and businesses to form legislation that eventually became part of the 1990 Clean Air Act. Today, our air is cleaner and our lakes have recovered because of that work across the aisle and our common commitment to preserving the natural resources that Minnesotans hold dear.  In 2024, Harris and Walz are the only candidates who will protect our environment while keeping our economy strong. On the other side, Trump has actively undermined climate efforts, prioritizing corporate interests over the health and wellbeing of our communities.

Kamala Harris and Tim Walz have shown us that they will take a bipartisan, forward-looking approach to governing that unleashes American ingenuity and innovation, and enacts policies that will make a real and lasting difference. They have made it clear that there’s a home in their campaign for Republican voters who care deeply about the future of our democracy, and are the only candidates at the top of the ballot who are dedicated to ensuring everyone – in Red and Blue states, in urban and rural communities – has the opportunity to not just get by, but get ahead.

Tom Horner served as chief of staff to the late U.S. Sen. Dave Durenberger (R-Minn.) and was the Independence Party candidate for governor in 2010. He is the principal in Horner Strategies, LLC.