Wilmington’s Mayor is the chief executive of city government. The Mayor serves a four year term and is responsible for the conduct of the executive and administrative work of the city and for law enforcement within the City of Wilmington. All City of Wilmington offices are elected at the same time, in the “on-years” when the Delaware governor and U.S. President are up for election.
Salary: $200,000/year
Party: Democrat
Campaign Facebook Page: facebook.com/carneyforWilm/
Education: St. Mark’s High School; Dartmouth College – undergraduate; University of Delaware – graduate
Campaign Email: info@johncarney.org
Additional Information: John Carney, Delaware’s current Governor, is running for Mayor to bring experienced leadership to Wilmington. As Governor, John drove new job creation, built Wilmington’s first new school in over 50 years, made the largest state investment in housing, and turned the state’s $400 million budget deficit into a half-billion dollar surplus. John has lived in Wilmington for over 30 years with his wife, Tracey. They have two sons, Sam and Jimmy.
Work Experience: Delaware Secretary of Finance, Lieutenant Governor of Delaware, U.S. Representative. Governor of Delaware
Campaign Website: johncarney.org
Neighborhood/area of residence: The Triangle
Campaign Phone: (302) 268-6089
Campaign Twitter Handle: carneyforWilm/
Q: What motivated you to run for Mayor of Wilmington?
A: As an almost 40-year resident of the City of Wilmington, I care deeply about this City and its residents. Wilmington needs an experienced leader to move our city forward, and I have a track record of getting the job done. I will bring my experience to tackle Wilmington’s challenges head on. I have always listened to the needs of our communities to make lasting change across the state, and as Mayor, I will do the same to improve life here in Wilmington. During my time as Governor, we’ve driven new job creation in the City of Wilmington, built the first new public school in more than 50 years, and made the largest state investment in affordable housing. Now, I am ready to take that commitment to the next level as your Mayor.
Q: What are the most urgent issues in Wilmington at this time?
A: ● Working with state officials, local leaders, school districts, and community leaders to improve public education in city schools. ● Expanding access to both rental and homeownership affordable housing opportunities. ● Protecting taxpayer dollars and making sure the City has a strong, sustainable budget. ● Investing in small and minority-owned businesses across the City.
Q: How will you balance the rights of residents with the commercial growth underway in Wilmington?
A: In order for Wilmington to be successful, we need a city where everyone can live, work, and raise a family. We need to continue the important work of investing in our neighborhoods through programs like the Wilmington Neighborhood Conservancy Land Bank, and the investments being made in the Eastside and Riverside neighborhoods. At the same time, we need to ensure that there are commercial areas that are successful. Striking that balance is exactly what I have done throughout my career and during my time as Governor. Whether it is investing in disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs) and making the largest investment in affordable housing, to creating the Delaware Prosperity Partnership and the Opportunity Funding program.
Q: What can Wilmington do to grow new jobs in the city?
A: As Mayor, I will continue to make job growth a priority for all residents. In my two-terms as Governor, we have invested in programs like the Delaware Site Readiness Fund and the EDGE Grant programs to help businesses large and small to grow and employ Delawareans. As Mayor, I would capitalize on the momentum of job growth in the City from news like Incyte choosing Wilmington as its new home to more than 500 employees. I will work with the Office of Economic Development and the State to attract employers of all sizes to Wilmington, and continue to support small- and minority-owned businesses. We must also work to invest in career and job readiness programs to ensure that we have the workforce to support the available jobs.
Q: How could the city council and mayor improve their relationships?
A: I’ve knocked on over 6,000 doors across the City, and many residents have shared they want a city government that works together. Each neighborhood is different and has different needs. But I believe my administration could work with the Members of City Council to address the needs of their districts while improving the City as a whole. My top priority would be working together with the City Council on the budget. And finding common ground on priorities is a good place to start. I have the experience as Lt. Governor, as U.S. Congressman, and as Governor to work together with everyone to find common-sense solutions to complex problems. Wilmington needs leaders who will work together to get things done. I will be that kind of leader as Mayor.
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Party: Democrat
Campaign Facebook Page: facebook.com/veldaformayor
Education: MBA – Finance from Indiana University, Bloomington, IN; BS of Civil Engineering from the University of Delaware; Studied at National Institute of Public Finance, Northwestern University
Campaign Email: info@veldaformayor.com
Additional Information: Velda has been a champion of fair housing as a member of the Board of Directors for Community Housing, Inc; and is an advocate for workforce equity, served on DuPont Company Work/Family Task Force that established the corporations first on-site childcare facility.
Community Involvement: Velda is a Member Emeritus of the National Association of State Treasurers, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., The Coalition of One-hundred Black Women; and the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU). She is a founding board member of the Eastside Charter School of Wilmington, and former Chairperson of the Board for the Police Athletic League of Wilmington where she led establishment of the original programs and funding for the institution. Additionally, she was among the first ‘five’ high school students to participate in FAME (Forum to Advance Minorities in Engineering), a pre-college math & science enrichment program. Later, serving as Board President, she led expansion of the program; which since its inception, has nurtured several thousand new engineers, scientists and business professionals and has become a national model for STEM education.
Work Experience: Velda has experience in science, business and government. In January, 2017, Velda was inaugurated to serve as Wilmington’s City Treasurer, having previously served as State Treasurer. Prior to serving as Delaware’s CFO, Velda founded a financial services and consulting company and was Managing Partner with a social impact venture capital firm. She began her professional career as an engineer and previously held executive positions with DuPont and MBNA (now Bank of America).
Campaign Website: VeldaForMayor.com
Neighborhood/area of residence: Brandywine Hills
Campaign Phone: (302) 545-4031
Campaign Twitter Handle: veldaformayor
Q: What motivated you to run for Mayor of Wilmington?
A: I believe that Wilmington has tremendous potential to be a vibrant city where all residents can prosper and achieve their full potential. A lifelong resident, I grew up in underserved communities on the Eastside and Riverside of the city, where children with the help of family, teachers, mentors, faith leaders and community as whole were inspired and enabled to achieve their potential as positive contributors to society and reach their potential as individuals. I care deeply about the people of our city and am committed to create safe strong communities, with access to jobs and business opportunities to improve the quality of life they enjoy.
Q: What are the most urgent issues in Wilmington at this time?
A: Wilmington faces several major challenges – crime and public safety; homelessness and housing affordability; decline in revenue and budget constraints; need for jobs, business growth and economic opportunities. The challenges are symptoms of the more deep seated issues that must also be addressed to create a vibrant culturally enriched city as I envision Wilmington. Education and development of our children MUST improve. It is also necessary to attend to mental health, trauma, and substance abuse needs created by decades of neglect in many areas of the city; while also ensuring ALL neighborhoods are supported and enhanced according to the neighborhood’s specific needs.
Q: How will you balance the rights of residents with the commercial growth underway in Wilmington?
A: As a civil engineer and former executive who spent much of my career in the private sector – banking, venture capital and corporate, I understand the importance of commercial growth for a vibrant city. I also understand that commercial growth must be managed in a way that enhances the overall quality of life for residents. I will work with the business community to gain a shared understanding of this balance necessary to ensure the community benefits with jobs, and other essential quality of life enhancements. I will work with City Council to implement policies to ensure that tax dollars used to support development projects and commercial growth provide a return on investment to residents.
Q: What can Wilmington do to grow new jobs in the city?
A: Growing new jobs requires a collaborative effort with education and training institutions, labor, businesses and investors. Among the ideas are attract and expand businesses that operate in growth industries such as green energy and healthcare, support entrepreneurs and small business development, and fill existing open positions by investing in apprenticeship training, and workforce development. Wilmington’s rich history in the arts, our size, location and strong local creative talent present an opportunity to create an arts, culture and entertainment renaissance and establish Wilmington as a regional destination point. We should also seek to collaborate with other major cities in the region for maritime commerce opportunities.
Q: How could the city council and mayor improve their relationships?
A: The Mayor and City Council share responsibility for the safety and well-being of all city constituents; and while there is understandably a natural bit of tension with our governing structure of ‘checks and balance’; I believe it is good and necessary to hold each other accountable. Managed well and with diplomacy, I also believe it yields better outcomes in the interest of the constituents we jointly serve. As Mayor I will lead by example, giving members of Council the respect they deserve as officials elected by the people and establishing a transparent and collaborative approach to governing.
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