The Governor serves as the state’s chief executive officer. He or she is elected by popular vote at the general election to a term of four years, not to exceed two terms. The individual must be at least 30 years old and have been a US citizen and resident for at least twelve years and a resident of Delaware for at least six of those years. The Governor’s main duties include the following: Serves as commander-in-chief of the state’s army, navy, and militia, except when these forces are called to service of the United States. Oversees the state executive leaders, policy review, and big picture budget management. Issues executive orders when a natural disaster strikes or other issue occurs that affects the safety and security of the state. Communicates with the U.S. President when a state emergency requires Federal assistance. Serves as the main spokesperson for the state, providing information to citizens and direction in the event of a crisis. Works with the legislature to ensure that the needs of the state are met through oversight hearings, new laws and the establishment of long-term goals and priorities. Appoints officers, as authorized by the state constitution and with the consent of a majority of members of the Senate; and fills vacancies that may happen during Senate recess.
Salary: $171,000/year
Party: Democrat
Campaign Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/BethanyforDelaware
Neighborhood/area of residence: Middletown, DE
Education: RN, MSN, PhD
Campaign Website: bethanyforde.com
Campaign Email: info@bethanyforde.com
Campaign Phone: (302) 599-8234
Work Experience: Nurse, Professor of Nursing at the University of Delaware, State Representative, State Senator, and Lt. Governor.
Q: What are your policy priorities for Delaware if you are elected in 2024?
A: As I’ve listened to Delawareans from all across our state, I’ll be a Governor squarely focused on the issues that matter most. I have a bold and innovative plan to make sure every child has access to an excellent education, no matter their zip code. I’ll make sure we have a thriving economy that works for big and small businesses, and I’ll continue to make healthcare more accessible and affordable. I’ll make sure we continue to protect reproductive rights. As Governor, I will lead us into a future that implements universal childcare, fixes our public school funding formula, expands access to affordable housing, and ensures we address Delawareans’ everyday quality of life needs.
Q: What specific steps can Delaware take to improve public schools?
A: We need to invest our dollars strategically to improve outcomes for children and ensure all Delaware students can get a quality education, no matter their Zip code. Recruit and retain quality educators and incentivize their placement in high-needs schools where they can have the biggest impact. Implementing universal childcare will set the foundation for Delaware children as they enter school, leading to better outcomes. I will work to provide universal free breakfast and lunch for all public school students. As well as addressing student behavioral health challenges by funding mental health professionals in schools and investing in school-based wellness centers and wraparound services.
Q: How do you envision Delaware meeting its goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions under the Climate Change Solutions Act?
A: We can achieve this by increasing renewable energy production, such as solar, wind, and green hydrogen, and ensuring the ability to store the energy we generate from these sources. My administration will invest in electric vehicles, focusing on speeding up the installation of EV charging equipment throughout the state. We will continue prioritizing funds for the Clean Water Fund and holding polluters accountable. I’m confident that with a General Assembly that fully recognizes the threat that climate change represents to the lowest-lying state in the country, we will meet our goals of achieving net zero emissions.
Q: What are your steps for addressing the unhoused/homelessness in Delaware?
A: We will address this issue by establishing dedicated funding streams for affordable housing development, increasing state investments, and expanding Delaware State Housing Authority programs, such as down payment assistance and targeted assistance programs for high-needs workforce. My administration will meet with and encourage local governments to be part of this solution to the housing crisis. We will work to incentivize zoning reforms, promote land use reforms, and foster mixed housing options and consider exemptions from some of the impact and permit fees for developers to build affordable housing.
Q: As Governor/Lt. Governor, would you publicly support targeted measures to increase police transparency and accountability? (Yes or No). Please explain.
A: As a nurse, I believe no one should ever be hurt at the hands of someone whose job is to protect or care for them. The General Assembly passed a series of criminal justice and law enforcement reforms in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. The improvements made to the Delaware Law Enforcement Officer’s Bill of Rights included the first revisions to LEOBOR in decades, revamping how officer disciplinary cases are handled and publicly disclosed. We must monitor how this law is implemented and its impact on Delawareans and consider further reforms to ensure safe communities. Police transparency and accountability are essential to public safety and transforming the justice system.
Q: Latinos are the fastest-growing minority in Delaware, yet they are underrepresented in leadership roles in state government. If you are elected, how would you address this situation?
A: For the past several years, I have led a series of meetings with leaders and members of the Black, Latino, faith, and arts communities. While the calls grew out of COVID, I have found them critical in giving these underrepresented communities a voice and a direct line to state government that they otherwise might not have had. As a result, I’ve gained greater insight into the issues affecting these communities and built relationships and friendships up and down the state. In staffing my Lieutenant Governor’s office, I have brought together a very diverse staff representing several different communities and bringing their valuable perspectives to the table; as Governor, I will ensure that Delaware state government looks like Delaware itself.
Q: A traditional patchwork of public and private agencies are working to solve the consequences of drug addiction. This approach has yet to break a cycle of addiction, homelessness and economic insecurity. What measures would you recommend to make this effort more successful?
A: For the first time in a decade, the number of overdose deaths in Delaware decreased in 2023. As co-chair of the Prescription Opioid Settlement Distribution Commission, I’m proud of the progress we have made in distributing opioid settlement funds to expand access to substance use treatment services and combat the opioid crisis in Delaware. States are looking at Delaware as a model for addressing this issue. We must continue to combat these issues head-on by empowering and enhancing the many grassroots organizations and nonprofits on this crisis’s frontlines. Our work is having an impact, and I am hopeful that we can continue to drive down the number of overdoses while increasing treatment, prevention, and recovery options for all residents.
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Party: Democrat
Campaign Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/Meyer4DE
Neighborhood/area of residence: Wilmington, Delaware
YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@MeyerforDelaware
Education: Undergraduate Degree in Computer Science & Political Science at Brown University. Law Degree at the University of Michigan.
Campaign Website: mattmeyer.org
Campaign Email: matt@mattmeyer.org
Campaign Phone: (302) 219-3511
Work Experience: I am a former middle school math teacher and small business owner. I was elected as County Executive of New Castle County in 2017, leading Delaware’s largest local government, comprising of roughly 2/3rds of the state’s population.
Campaign Twitter Handle: MattMeyerDE
Q: What are your policy priorities for Delaware if you are elected in 2024?
A: Fix our education system. Expand access to affordable housing and lower the cost of living. Improve the quality, affordability, and accessibility of our healthcare system. Enshrine reproductive care in the state’s constitution. Ensure an inclusive state and governance for the LGBTQ+ community. Fight for a cleaner, greener Delaware through green jobs and infrastructure. Make sure Kent and Sussex Counties have equitable seats at the table. Limit growth in Kent and Sussex Counties, preserving open spaces and our quality of life. Fight to end the gun violence epidemic and keep the public safe. Create a fair criminal justice system and ensure police accountability. Return faith to Delawareans through a transparent and ethical government.
Q: What specific steps can Delaware take to improve public schools?
A: As a former Wilmington public school teacher, I know we need to fix our public schools. We must increase investment and equity in school funding, address the teacher shortage and raise educator’s pay and ensure access to early childhood education. My plan calls for: Fixing the outdated school funding formula Increasing investment in public education with an additional increase of $3,400 to $6,400 per pupil Raising teacher salaries to address Delaware’s teacher shortage Ensuring universal access to pre-K throughout the state Providing affordable, high-quality childcare and early childhood education to all parents Ensuring that all Delaware children read at grade level by Third Grade using evidence-based curricula.
Q: How do you envision Delaware meeting its goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions under the Climate Change Solutions Act?
A: Delaware must transition to a clean economy. With the next climate action plan due in November 2025, the state will adopt bold policies to achieve our goals of a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2045. To achieve these goals, we must adopt technologies that create jobs, such as wind and solar power, weatherization of older buildings, sustainable construction for new buildings, EV charging stations, and high-efficiency heat pumps. Offshore wind technologies and modern heat pumps, which can reduce home heating energy usage by 65%, offer significant potential. As Governor, I will provide additional state rebates and expand the eligibility for weatherization and solar assistance programs to more households.
Q: What are your steps for addressing the unhoused/homelessness in Delaware?
A: As County Executive, I established the Hope Center, the state’s largest and most comprehensive emergency housing shelter, which has helped over 4,100 Delawareans get off the streets and into stable housing. As Governor, I will: Replicate the Hope Center model across the state Enact good-cause eviction legislation Provide emergency rental assistance and ensure the right to representation for people at risk of eviction. Prohibit landlords from running away rental applicants because they use vouchers or were formerly unhoused. Enforce the state’s fair housing laws. Establish a landlord mitigation program for accepting voucher-holding tenants and streamline the voucher program. Build more affordable housing units.
Q: As Governor/Lt. Governor, would you publicly support targeted measures to increase police transparency and accountability? (Yes or No). Please explain.
A: Yes. Under my leadership as County Executive, New Castle County became the 1st jurisdiction in Delaware to create a police accountability board. I’m the 1st Delaware leader to require the release of all police body cam footage. As Governor, I will ensure accountability and transparency statewide, by: Ensuring that emergency response teams include non-armed personnel with social work and/or medical credentials. Collecting and analyzing data of all police interactions to standardized and include all necessary demographic information for every stop to understand both community and officer trends. Invest in evidence-based, community-led, and focused solutions. Enhance the Police Officers’ Due Process, Accountability, and Transparency Act.
Q: Latinos are the fastest-growing minority in Delaware, yet they are underrepresented in leadership roles in state government. If you are elected, how would you address this situation?
A: As Governor, I will work to ensure that our state government reflects Delaware’s diversity by actively recruiting, promoting, and retaining qualified Latino individuals to leadership positions. This means not only creating pathways for Latinos to enter public service but also providing mentoring and professional development opportunities to help them advance in their careers. Additionally, I will strengthen partnerships with community organizations that support Latino leadership and civic engagement. By collaborating with these organizations, we can create more opportunities for Latinos to hold government leadership roles.
Q: A traditional patchwork of public and private agencies are working to solve the consequences of drug addiction. This approach has yet to break a cycle of addiction, homelessness and economic insecurity. What measures would you recommend to make this effort more successful?
A: Impose stronger regulations on opioid prescribing. Expand resources for marginalized communities most affected by the epidemic. Increase the use of drug courts and community interventions. Ensure law enforcement has access to and training for Narcan. Provide access for syringe service providers in overdose epicenters. Enhancing services in correctional facilities and expand re-entry programs. Increase reimbursement rates for outpatient, residential, and withdrawal management. Increase education on pain treatment, stigma reduction, evidence-based opioid interventions, and prevention for youth. Expand access to treatment for adolescents. Establish required competencies for each provider type and care level for substance use disorders prof.
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Campaign Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/OMaraForDE
Community Involvement: Working with community leaders, we’ve secured tens of millions for local projects advancing environmental justice and clean water & energy. This includes clean water infrastructure in Ellendale, greening the Route 9 corridor, creating Claymont Riverfront Park, and reducing flooding in Wilmington. I’ve worked with environmental organizations on legislation and supported groups focused on children, healthy communities, reproductive rights, and LGBTQI+ rights. As chair of the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub, I’ve promoted green hydrogen to reduce pollution, address environmental injustices, and create over 20,000 union jobs. I teach climate change at the UDel, coach my daughters’ sports teams and am active in their school and dance programs.
Neighborhood/area of residence: Bear, DE
YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@OMaraForDe
Education: B.A. in History and Classics at Dartmouth; Marshall Scholar at Oxford College; M.P.A. in Economic Development and Environmental Economics at Syracuse.
Campaign Website: www.collinomara.com
Campaign Email: info@collinomara.com
Campaign Phone: (570) 336-2266
Work Experience: As CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, I played a key role in helping the Biden/Harris administration pass the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. I secured hundreds of millions for Delaware to advance environmental justice, clean water, community resilience, and clean energy investments, including the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub, which will create thousands of union jobs. As Sec. of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (‘09-‘14), I led environmental advancements, reduced air pollution, started statewide recycling, bolstered climate resilience, and expanded clean energy infrastructure. I also bring expertise in economic development and financial management from roles in San José, CA, and Syracuse, NY.
Campaign Twitter Handle: OMaraForDE
Q: What are your policy priorities for Delaware if you are elected in 2024?
A: – Transform public schools with equitable funding, universal pre-K, free school meals, increased compensation, and improved teacher working conditions to prepare Delaware’s children for success. – Achieve 100% clean electricity through offshore wind, solar, and other technologies, address environmental injustices, and increase access to green spaces. – Increase affordable housing, reduce healthcare costs, support aging in place, improve childcare, protect workers’ rights, and eliminate resource deserts. – Enshrine reproductive rights, LGBTQI+ rights, voting rights, green amendment, and civil rights into our State Constitution. – Transform campaign finance to eliminate loopholes and ensure politicians work for the people, not donors.
Q: What specific steps can Delaware take to improve public schools?
A: My top priority will be addressing the massive funding inequities in our schools by ensuring an additional $600 million to $1 billion annually reaches the classroom to ensure students experiencing poverty, multilingual learners, and students with special needs have every opportunity to succeed. We will overlay an equitable funding foundation based upon need atop the existing headcount-based funding formula. My administration will also enact universal pre-K, free school breakfast and lunch, adopt student-educator ratios based upon need, restore teacher autonomy, continue increasing pay for educators, and invest in wrap-around services. We will both improve the learning conditions for students and the working conditions for educators.
Q: How do you envision Delaware meeting its goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions under the Climate Change Solutions Act?
A: We must achieve net-zero emissions within a decade, much earlier than 2050. We can reach ~80% by decarbonizing our grid with offshore wind, solar, and other technologies, and electrifying as many sectors as we can. The 15-20% left requires green hydrogen for industrial, transportation, and agriculture. We need to restore natural defenses to capture carbon and bolster resilience against extreme weather and sea level rise. In my career, I’ve fought this fight time and time again. As DNREC Sec., we deployed clean energy, enhanced climate resilience, conserved open space, created an Energy and Climate Division, and reduced pollution sources. At NWF, we helped defeat Trump’s anti-environment schemes and supported Biden’s historic climate agenda.
Q: What are your steps for addressing the unhoused/homelessness in Delaware?
A: The homelessness crisis requires a coordinated response from the governor’s office and we will work to replicate Houston’s successful model, which reduced homelessness by nearly 70%. My administration will also focus on building more affordable housing, removing barriers to dense in-fill development, creating a housing production fund, and regulating predatory investor-owners. We will support Rep. Phillips’ bill of rights, Rep. Lambert’s rent stabilization bill, and enforce existing tenant protections and just cause eviction laws. We’ll also expand access to safe, low-barrier housing and increase outreach services, including mental health and substance abuse support.
Q: As Governor/Lt. Governor, would you publicly support targeted measures to increase police transparency and accountability? (Yes or No). Please explain.
A: Yes. Increasing transparency and accountability is the key to restoring community trust. Despite tireless work of advocates, the failure of the General Assembly to pass SB 149, despite a strong co-sponsor list and being reported out of Senate Judiciary intact, demonstrates why this needs to be a gubernatorial priority. While some modest steps forward were achieved, including increasing the investigative authority and community representation on the reconstituted Council to the Police Officer Standards and Training Commission, they did not achieve the level of transparency, nor the accountability that communities were seeking. We still need greater public transparency and to create community-led review boards with investigative authority.
Q: Latinos are the fastest-growing minority in Delaware, yet they are underrepresented in leadership roles in state government. If you are elected, how would you address this situation?
A: My administration will focus on authentic collaboration with community leaders. Our Cabinet and key positions will reflect Delaware’s diversity, including strong Latino representation. We’ll partner with local Latino organizations and the Delaware Hispanic Commission to ensure existing and emerging leaders have opportunities throughout state government. We’ll promote educational and career advancement initiatives, including scholarships, internships, and outreach to inspire and expand opportunities for Latino youth to serve in leadership roles. By building these pipelines and fostering collaboration, we’ll ensure Latino voices are not only represented, but integral to all decision-making processes and leadership.
Q: A traditional patchwork of public and private agencies are working to solve the consequences of drug addiction. This approach has yet to break a cycle of addiction, homelessness and economic insecurity. What measures would you recommend to make this effort more successful?
A: Delaware has the third highest overdose rate in the nation, 40% higher than neighboring states. What we are doing isn’t working fast enough. Leading states show we need a coordinated approach that expands access to integrated services, combining addiction treatment, mental health care, housing assistance, and job training. Investing in prevention and early intervention programs can reduce future needs. Strengthening transitional housing through the State Housing Authority and focusing on recovery-specific job training via the Workforce Development Board are key. Authentic community engagement and addressing systemic social determinants of health are critical for long-term progress.
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Party: Republican
Mr. Price did not respond to the questionnaire.
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Party: Republican
Campaign Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/mikeramoneforgovernor?mibextid=ZbWKwL
Community Involvement: Swim team coach, charity, civic associations
Neighborhood/area of residence: Pike Creek
Education: University of Delaware
Campaign Website: mikeramone.com
Campaign Email: graham@mikeramone.com
Campaign Phone: (610) 955-7095
Work Experience: Entrepreneur and Legislator
Campaign Twitter Handle: RamoneforDE
Mr. Ramone opted not to answer any of the questions.
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Party: Republican
Additional Information: Talented in problem solving and solution finding.
Community Involvement: Rehabitation and disability construction
Neighborhood/area of residence: Bridgeville, Delaware
Education: Seaford school district , Sussex Vocational , specialty courses in a variety of topics mostly concerning business related subjects , also many pertaining to the construction fields
Campaign Website: bobbywilliamsonforde.com
Campaign Email: barefutn41b@aol.com
Campaign Phone: (302) 228-1259
Work Experience: Owner /operator/proprietor of 6 businesses …. various aspects in construction , retail and repair hobby shop , rentals , auto racing , 2nd hand marketing , mediation and advisory
Campaign Twitter Handle: @bobbyforde
Mr. Williamson opted not to answer any of the questions.
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