Congressman John Carney (D) filed paperwork today to launch his campaign for governor next year.
“This is an opportunity to serve and meet the challenges that we face here in Delaware,” Carney said during an exclusive interview with The News Journal on Wednesday. “They are frankly challenges that every community and every state in the country faces right now.”
Carney, 59, who will bring deep government experience to next year’s race, said his campaign will focus on restoring Delaware’s middle class, improving public education and addressing Delaware’s budget issues. […]
The Paper of Record notes Carney’s long experience in government, with his connections to both Senator Carper and Senator Biden, and that it really was supposed to be Beau Biden running next year.
Carney spoke with the vice president by phone a little more than two weeks ago. Carney said he wanted to consult with the vice president about his plans to seek the governor’s office.
“This opportunity to serve comes because of the vice president and his family’s worst nightmare, which is Beau’spassing,” Carney said. “It’s a very personal thing. I just needed to know that he was comfortable with it. He could not have been better, he encouraged me to run. I can tell you it’s lifted a huge burden off my shoulders in terms of making that decision.”
Biden called Carney again Wednesday morning to wish him well, the congressman said.
I find it interesting that Carney spoke of Biden’s blessing and well wishes. It is well known that if the Biden wing of the Delaware Democratic Party was to have a stand in for Beau as a candidate for Governor, it would be Tom Gordon, while Carney comes from the Carper wing of the party. There is still much speculation that the New Castle County Executive will primary Carney for the Democratic nomination. So was this a move by Carney to box out Gordon? Or perhaps Carney knows that Gordon is not running so he is staking his claim?
Regardless, the other shoe has finally dropped. We have been waiting on this decision for a long time. Immediately, you will see official announcements and filings from State Senator Bryan Townsend and Representative Bryon Short to fill our lone Congressional seat.
Finally…
“What I do know is whether it’s education, whether it’s fiscal policy, or tax policy, the next governor is going to have to bring those people together,” Carney said.
You read this as a bipartisan Carperesque quote, but I read it as a dig at Markell.