Summary
Democrat John Carney was first elected in 2016, winning with 58 percent of the vote. No Republican has won a gubernatorial race in Delaware since Mike Castle in 1988.
We rate the race for governor in Delaware as Solid Democratic.
Politico 4/19/20
OnAir Post: DE 2020 Governor Race
John Carney
Current Position: Governor since 2017
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: 2020 Governor
Born in Wilmington and raised in Claymont, Governor John Carney has been working for the Delaware people for more than 30 years. John took office as Delaware’s 74th Governor in January 2017, focused on making Delaware’s economy more competitive, preparing Delaware’s children to succeed, and building a long-term sustainable financial plan for the State of Delaware.
Working with Delawareans across the state, and with members of the General Assembly, he has made progress on each of those priorities. John has directed new resources to high-needs schools, partnered with the private sector to drive new job creation, and taken steps to lower healthcare costs for Delaware families, businesses, and taxpayers.
For more information, see this John Carney post.
Julianne Murray
Current Position: Attorney
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: 2020 US Senator
In February 2012, Julianne Murray opened her own practice (Murray Law LLC in Georgetown) and hit the ground running. She built her practice from the ground up and over the course of the next 8 years has added two partners, helped thousands of Delawareans with their legal needs (both civil and criminal) and has been a champion of the U.S. and Delaware Constitutions.
For more information, see this Julianne Murray post.
Issues
Governance
John Carney
Supported General Assembly’s passage of the Equal Rights Amendment to the Delaware Constitution.
Created the Delaware Anti-Litter Alliance – a coalition of local leaders committed to reducing litter in Delaware.
Signed an Executive Order making Delaware a trauma-informed state. The Order provides direction for the Family Services Cabinet Council to help mitigate the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and build resilience in children, adults and communities.
Launched Text-to-911 capabilities at all Delaware 911 centers to accept emergency requests for help through text message when a call to 911 is not possible.
Launched full-scale, head-to-head sports betting in June 2018, making Delaware the first state in the nation outside of Nevada to offer this type of wagering.
Governor Carney signed legislation that allows new mothers and fathers in the state workforce to take up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after the birth or adoption of their children, making Delaware a national leader on family leave.
Announced First Chance Delaware, an initiative led by First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney to recognize and facilitate effective partnerships, to share research and best practices, and to promote opportunities to collaborate in support of Delaware’s children.
Launched a pilot program to test mobile driver’s license technology, becoming one of first states to do so. The mobile licenses are designed to improve security and better protect personal privacy.
Created a Department of Human Resources within state government to spearhead women’s advocacy, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and other issues important to state employees.
Hired Delaware’s first Chief Diversity Officer to lead the state’s efforts to define and cultivate equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout state government.
Established a consistent anti-discrimination policy across state government.
Created the Government Efficiency and Accountability Review Board (GEAR) to continuously identify cost savings and system improvements across state government.
Signed legislation making comprehensive reforms to the state’s unclaimed property laws to make them more predictable, efficient and fair.
Received top AAA bond ratings from all three major credit rating agencies, and saved taxpayers $4.7 million through debt refinancing.
Expanded access to open data, adding features and datasets to the Open Data Portal. The portal offers Delawareans unfiltered access to data collected and maintained by state government, including information about public spending, state land inventory, and air quality monitoring. Eleven additional datasets were made publicly available in the last year alone.
Deployed more than 100 Delaware National Guard soldiers, airmen and women to support relief efforts in Texas, the United States Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.
Launched delaware.gov/relief to support relief efforts in Puerto Rico and other areas affected by natural disasters.
Julianne Murray
COVID-19 has shown that the government can and will take away freedoms from Delawareans in an unconstitutional manner. We must address this so that future Governors have checks on their power.
Civil Rights
John Carney
N/A
Julianne Murray
As our next Governor, Julianne Murray will uphold the Constitution and our God given rights as citizens. Julie knows that limiting our Second Amendment rights does not translate into tough-on-crime measures. It doesn’t make anyone safer. It only punishes law-abiding citizens. Like you, Julie worries about the violence in our communities. She wants safe streets and safe gathering places for our friends and family. Julie will look beyond the rhetoric to find the real source of the problem and find solutions that do not infringe our rights. By addressing the true problem, we will be taking the politics out of the issue. Unfortunately, our Governor and the media like to perpetuate misinformation and dangerous rhetoric in order to push an unconstitutional agenda that threatens the rights of law abiding citizens. As Governor, Julie will defend the rights of our law abiding citizens, hold law breakers accountable, and support our first responders.
Democracy
John Carney
N/A
Julianne Murray
In order to change the way politics operate in Delaware we have to get into the neighborhoods and connect with voters and get them engaged and excited to vote. We have to convince citizens that a political outsider that owns a small business is the right person to get Delaware back on track.
The U.S. is a republic form of government and is designed to be government of, by and for the people. The representatives in government in Delaware need to be in touch with what we the citizens are concerned about. Career politicians have lost touch with their constituents.It is time for politicians to stop playing political games with our rights.
We need YOU to get energized and excited about changing the course of Delaware and to bring your friends on board with you.
Economy
John Carney
STRENGTHENING DELAWARE’S ECONOMY
Proposed and signed into law legislation creating a Transportation Infrastructure Investment Fund for transportation infrastructure economic development projects that will create a significant number of jobs.
Launched EDGE Grants (Encouraging Development, Growth & Expansion), a competitive, matching grant program to assist Delaware entrepreneurs who want to grow their small businesses.
Implemented Delaware One Stop, an online tool to streamline registration and licensing requirements.
Signed legislation allowing state government to enter into Pay for Success contracts that will incentivize private funding of economic development and social impact initiatives. Under terms of the contracts, the state would protect taxpayer dollars by reimbursing private funding only if the initiatives reach stated goals, and achieve progress for Delawareans.
Signed legislation aimed at protecting Delaware’s coastal waters and economy from offshore drilling.
Finalized a $600 million agreement to expand the Port of Wilmington and create jobs.
Announced $4 billion infrastructure investment plan to modernize Delaware’s transportation system.
Julianne Murray
Delaware’s economy has been decimated by the Governor’s COVID-19 declarations. We have to get the restaurants and businesses back to fully operational. Small businesses create the majority of new jobs and our small businesses have been dramatically impacted by the shutdown. There are long-term effects of the economic shutdown such as reduced tax revenues and increased governmental spending that are going to cripple Delaware. We need to attract businesses back to Delaware!
Small businesses are the lifeblood of our state. The majority of new jobs are generated by the small business community. By creating more jobs, there is competition for employees which results in increased wages. If we want to grow jobs and wages, then our state must work with the business community instead of against them. However, we don’t accomplish that by our state government picking winners and losers. We do it by creating an environment where all businesses can thrive.
Unfortunately, our Governor has gone well beyond picking winners and losers. He is deciding which businesses can survive and which ones will go bankrupt. The cries of business leaders and their employees will not fall on deaf ears when Julianne Murray is our Governor.
Let’s take bold action to improve the business climate and facilitate job growth by enticing new companies to come to Delaware and help existing companies expand.
- Reopen our state. No business wants their customers to get sick.They will take the necessary precautions to provide a safe experience.Let’s allow our jobs and businesses to survive this pandemic.
- Cut taxes and regulations. Nothing hurts job growth like higher taxes and endless regulations.As our next Governor, Julianne Murray will lower the tax burden and streamline regulations to encourage entrepreneurship.
- Reduce the number of healthcare mandates. Small-sized employers should be allowed to choose high-deductible and mandate-lite plans. Given the desire for greater cost containment overall, as our Governor, Julie will revisit the mandated benefits and repeal those that impose unnecessary costs.
- Our state government should work with cities to adopt a uniform permitting code for small, “neighborhood” businesses, creating fast-track permitting that allows them to open and grow.
Education
John Carney
IMPROVING SCHOOLS FOR ALL DELAWARE CHILDREN
nhance the Opportunity Funding Initiative and worked with the General Assembly to provide $75 million over three years for English learners, low-income students, and new mental health supports in schools.
Expanded the High Needs Educator Student Loan Payment Program, offering up to $10,000 in student loan relief for educators in high-needs schools and subject areas.
Established the School Safety and Security Fund and provided school districts with $5 million to upgrade their safety infrastructure and protect children.
Worked with schools statewide to enhance internet speeds in the classroom, and make Delaware a national leader in classroom broadband speeds and connectivity, according to a 2018 State of the States report. The State of Delaware is recognized for 100 percent school connectivity.
Established the Office of Innovation and Improvement, led by a veteran Wilmington educator, to focus support on high-needs schools across Delaware, starting in Wilmington.
Launched a Basic Needs Closet initiative to stock 45 high-poverty schools with basic necessities such as clean clothing, school supplies, hygiene products, and winter clothing.
Restructured the Department of Education as a support agency, decreasing administrative positions while increasing supports for educators.
Partnered with school districts to upgrade broadband technology in 48 schools across the state, doubling bandwidth capacity and expanding access to high-speed internet for 27,000 Delaware children.
Julianne Murray
Abraham Lincoln once stated “The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.” Our youth are the future leaders of Delaware and the U.S. We need to be teaching our children HOW to think – not WHAT to think.
Health Care
John Carney
Increased the age to purchase tobacco and vape products from 18 to 21 to prevent younger Delawareans from smoking, improve the health of young Delawareans, and reduce health care costs.
Created reinsurance program to lower health care costs on the ACA market place, which resulted in an almost 20% reduction in rates and an over 6% increase in enrollment.
Enacted a ban on single-use plastic bags that will help protect Delaware’s environment, wildlife and communities.
Launched “Keep DE Litter Free,” a statewide public awareness campaign to encourage Delawareans and visitors not to litter, to help clean up outdoor spaces, and protect Delaware’s unique natural heritage.
Signed legislation that codifies consumer protections of the Affordable Care Act in Delaware law – including protections for Delawareans with pre-existing conditions, the guaranteed availability of coverage, and permissible rating factors.
Directed DNREC to initiate efforts to eliminate the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
Supported U.S. Climate Alliance’s “Clean Car Promise,” which calls for a common-sense approach to address vehicle pollution and climate change.
Established health care benchmarks to lower the cost of health care in Delaware, and improve quality by tracking key measures of health care.
Enacted “Aiden’s Law,” which will ensure a coordinated plan of care for infants born addicted or exposed to drugs, and for their families.
Launched START initiative to engage more Delawareans suffering from substance use disorder in treatment, while also meeting their needs for housing, employment, education and other wraparound services.
Launched healthcare benchmark initiative to lower healthcare costs for Delaware families, businesses, and state government.
Signed legislation allowing the sale of naloxone, which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, at pharmacies without an individual prescription.
Signed into law a package of legislation that expanded access to substance abuse treatment, and strengthened oversight of opioid prescriptions.
Implemented new opioid prescription regulations, resulting in a drop in prescriptions statewide to their lowest levels in four years.
Created Behavioral Health Consortium and Addiction Action Committee to more effectively coordinate mental health and addiction services statewide.
Launched HelpIsHereDE.com, Delaware’s one-stop website for information and services related to addiction prevention, treatment and recovery for the community, those struggling with addiction, and medical providers.
Julianne Murray
N/A
Safety
John Carney
Supported legislation that makes it easier for offenders re-entering our communities to find meaningful employment.
Signed legislation requiring gun owners to safely store firearms around children.
Established the School Safety and Security Fund and provided school districts with $5 million to upgrade their safety infrastructure and protect children.
Signed an Executive Order to improve reentry procedures, reduce recidivism.
Confronted the issue of gun violence and mental illness by signing the Beau Biden Gun Violence Prevention Act alongside Vice President Joe Biden.
Signed legislation banning bump stock devices, strengthening penalties on straw purchases, and enacting additional red flag protections.
Joined the States for Gun Safety Coalition, a multi-state bipartisan partnership to more effectively share data across state borders, intercept the flow of illegal weapons, and engage research institutions to explore new ways to confront gun violence.
Announced an agreement to increase salaries for Delaware’s correctional officers and study additional changes to help recruit and retain officers, and decrease the use of mandatory overtime across Delaware’s correctional system.
Appointed a Special Assistant at the Department of Correction to oversee implementation of reforms recommended by the Independent Review into conditions at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center.
Implemented significant investments in equipment, technology and training at the Department of Correction.
Appointed a new Bureau Chief to lead DOC’s efforts to help offenders successfully re-enter their communities, and reduce Delaware’s rate of recidivism.
Opted-in to federal FirstNet plan to build a wireless broadband network intended to improve communications for first responders across the State of Delaware.
Joined the National Criminal Justice Reform Project – an initiative led by the National Governors Association and the National Criminal Justice Association Center for Justice Planning to assist states in implementing evidence-based criminal justice reforms.
Julianne Murray
N/A
