DL Interviews 22nd District Challenger Rebecca Young

I’ve known Rebecca Young since we both responded to a call to “meet up” and discuss the candidacy of a then unknown governor from Vermont named Howard Dean. We were both intrigued by the man who had the nerve to say what was obvious to us, but nobody was saying: George Bush was making a mistake by attacking Iraq. Since then Rebecca went on to push to reform the Democratic party from the outside as the head of Progressive Democrats for Delaware and from the inside as the New Castle County Democratic Party’s Secretary and a member of the State Party Executive Board. This year she took her advocacy for good government one step further and decided to run against long time incumbent Joe Mirro in the 22nd senate district.

Rebecca was good enough to take a few minutes away from door knocking to answer a few questions (via email). Click more to read the interview.

ME: So how is it going? What are you finding out about the voters in your district?

Rebecca: It’s going great. I’m getting over the shock of driving down the road and seeing my name plastered all over. Here, as everywhere, the voters got their quarterly reports on their 401K’s and they are very unhappy and uneasy. The economy and schools are the two issues that voters are worried about in the 22nd District.

ME: You’ve been involved with campaigns but have never been the candidate – how is that different?

Rebecca: The work is similar but the level of commitment becomes a lot more intense and the demands for attention are much greater. Because I started late, the time pressure is pretty extreme. Your entire lifestyle changes and you become totally focused on the race. I don’t know how candidates keep this up for years at a time. They must develop coping skills that I haven’t had time to find. One of the things that Jack Markell does so well is that he is totally focused on you when he talks to you. You know he’s got seventy other things pulling at him, but he manages to keep all that at bay and just listen to what you are saying. It is a talent!

ME: How do you feel about our chances of changing the Democratic party in Delaware?

Rebecca: Very optimistic and even more so once Jack is elected governor. It will take time. Things don’t change in one or two election cycles. Many people have been working all their lives to build DelDems into the force it is in this state. They deserve respect and even admiration. But, some of them are very, very wrong and they won’t be easily moved from power. I’m talking here about elected officials more than party officials because, ultimately, it is the voters who keep them in power. Ya gotta move the voters in order to move the party. Ya gotta move the party to move the voters. It’s very much a chicken and egg thing.

ME: You were kind of lured into running on the grounds that we needed to have a challenger in every district even if some of the challengers didn’t have very good odds of winning. How do you feel about that as a premise for a campaign now?

Rebecca: I started with the idea that I would remind the voters in the 22nd that there are two parties. Bring a little democracy to Republican land. We haven’t had a Democrat run for this seat since 1996 and we’ve never had a Democrat win. But you tend to get caught up in the race, especially when so many people volunteer, contribute, and encourage you. I can’t just be a name at the bottom of the ballot. I’ve got to give this my best effort. Realistically I am the underdog, but if I could pull 40% of the vote it would be a victory for Democrats. It would also encourage somebody else to step up in two years. I’m talking to you Kat! And, if I can ride Jack’s coattails to victory, I can’t wait to go to Dover and help John Kowalko and Karen Peterson mix things up down there.

ME: What advice would you give to someone who wants a more progressive Democratic Party and state if they are considering running for office?

Rebecca: You want advice from me? I’m the fool who is running in the 22nd District. Just put your shoulder to the wheel, ask all your friends for help and money, then ask again and again. Prepare to be flabbergasted by what people are willing to do to help you. Savor all the small victories along the way — like my signs are prettier than his. It is an uplifting expericence and if you are thinking about I encourage you to do it.

ME: Thanks Rebecca. Oh…one more question? Is it too late to send you some money?

Rebecca: Gawd, I hate asking for money. But, no it is not too late. We could do another mailing, or one more lit piece that would help. In this digital age you can turn stuff around at the printers really fast, so we are still strategizing and planning one more effort, if we get the money. I have no idea what my opponent will throw at me at the last minute and it would be nice to be able to respond.