On the Issues

The Challenges We Face

Groceries, electricity, and housing are unaffordable.

We feel the pressure of rising costs for groceries, electricity, and housing. I will focus on practical solutions that ease the financial burden on families and give Delawareans more room to breathe by supporting policies that: increase housing supply, promote competition, and hold utilities accountable for fair energy rates. I will ensure that Delaware remains a place where people can afford to live, work, and raise a family.

The Challenges We Face

• A Declining Standard in Proficiency
• Student Well-Being and Classroom Environment
• The Teacher Shortage Crisis
• Chronic Absenteeism
• Align Curriculum with Workforce Needs

My Commitment

This matters because education is about more than personal achievement. It impacts the local economy and local wages, job opportunities, and workforce development. Education is where opportunity begins and the foundation for everything else. It is time to do something.

1. Delaware has already implemented initiatives to improve reading proficiency in third grade from 38% to 53%. However, on the back end, we need to ensure students who fall behind have timely and consistent interventions. Our goal must remain clear: every Delawarean deserves the opportunity to become confident readers and learners.
2. Recognizing that students cannot reach their full potential if they have unmet mental health needs, let’s ensure every student has access to in-building school psychologists to help them build resilience and navigate challenges to be successful both at school and at home.
3. Chronic absenteeism in Delaware is still above pre-pandemic levels. It is an academic issue. There is no benefit to students who are not present for instruction. This is reflected in annual proficiency measures. This is not simply a discipline issue.
4. We need to support and empower our teachers to be able to do what they do best: teach and inspire the next generation. This means providing competitive pay to attract and retain high-quality educators, giving them the authority and backing they need to manage classroom behavior effectively, and ensuring our schools are focused on what matters most: real literacy, student well-being, and academic results.
5. We need data-driven leadership that understands the power of using meaningful measures of success to guide decisions, evaluate outcomes, and continuously improve student achievement. Just as importantly, we must continue to support a student-centered funding formula that directs additional resources to students with the greatest needs and ensures those dollars reach classrooms, where they have the greatest impact on teaching and learning.

The Challenges We Face

• Skyrocketing Costs
• Severe Provider Shortage
• Unacceptable Wait Times
• The Rural Divide

My Commitment

Families should not have to choose between healthcare and paying their bills. Yet, many Delawareans forgo much needed care because it’s just too expensive. Healthcare is not a partisan issue; it’s a people issue. Together with all sectors of healthcare, have an opportunity to create a healthcare system that focuses on accessibility, affordability and better outcomes for all Delawareans.

1. I strongly support initiatives to actively recruit and retain high quality healthcare professionals including physicians, nurses, dentists, behavioral health providers and other specialists. We should create stronger health career pathways that begin in high school, offer better loan repayment programs and scholarships, and increase clinical training opportunities. The critical partnership with Thomas Jefferson’s Sydney Kimmel Medical School is a start in addressing our long-term shortages.
2. Reducing wait times means expanding the healthcare workforce, improving access to primary and specialty care, and finding creative solutions, like telehealth and team-based care. By using our existing healthcare professionals more effectively and investing in systems that connect patients with care sooner, we can ensure Delawareans receive timely treatment.
3. Someone’s zipcode should not determine their access to healthcare. Delaware must invest in rural healthcare by supporting community clinics, expanding mobile and telehealth services, improving recruitment and retention of providers in underserved areas, and strengthening partnerships that bring healthcare professionals closer to the people who need them.

The Challenges We Face

• A Disconnected Government
• Red Tape and Inefficiency
• Government Silos

My Commitment

1. I  understand that economic growth doesn't happen by accident. It requires action, common sense and including the small business community in conversations.
2. I will overhaul and streamline our permitting processes, demand that our state agencies actually communicate with one another, and build a true, working partnership with our business community.
3. I will support creating an environment where businesses can thrive, create jobs, and keep our talent right here at home.

The Challenges We Face

• Rising land and input costs
• Property taxes
• Labor challenges
• Development pressure
• Regulatory burdens
• Nurturing the next generation of farmers

My Commitment

Agriculture in Delaware includes a portfolio of sectors: dairy, livestock, equine, grain, hay, and produce, just to name a few. In the end, it’s about people, jobs, families, and the food we eat. It’s about the future of Delaware.

1. Make farming profitable
2. Protect private property rights
3. Strengthen voluntary preservation programs
4. Support young farmers
5. Include farmers in conversations BEFORE legislation is passed

Delaware has a large and growing senior population, which makes senior policy relevant to housing, healthcare, transportation, taxes, workforce, and community planning. Our seniors deserve to age with dignity, access dependable healthcare, safe and affordable housing, and remain connected to their communities. I am committed to making it easier for seniors to navigate programs and services available to them, while supporting caregivers and strengthening the community resources that help older Delawareans thrive.

After serving our country, every veteran should feel confident that their community will stand with them and ensure they have the opportunity to live with security, dignity, and purpose. I am committed to ensuring our veterans have access to quality healthcare, mental health support, meaningful employment opportunities, and the benefits they have earned. We should make it easier to navigate services, expand access to affordable housing and transportation, and strengthen connections to job training and employers. Supporting veterans also means supporting their families, and ensuring that no one falls through the cracks when seeking the resources available to them.

Our law enforcement officers and volunteer firefighters are essential in keeping our communities safe. I am committed to making investments in their equipment, training, and staffing so they can continue to do their jobs safely and effectively. I will also support programs to address recruitment, retention, and mental health and wellness. Investing in these communities is investing in the strength of our communities.