If anything, seven exclamation points aren’t enough. Far be it from me to engage in hyperbole (he lied), but this immediately jumps to the top of the list.
The challenger? Her name is Kamela Smith. She’s incredible. More on her in just a moment.
The incumbent? Our PAL Val Longhurst. Delaware’s most corrupt legislator who, not coincidentally, is also the Speaker Of The House.
The candidate and her team have been preparing this campaign for months, and were waiting for just the right time to file. That time has arrived as she has now filed her campaign committee.
Kamela Smith is the Director Of Community Education & Engagement For Christiana Care. She earned her B. A. in Sociology from the University of Pittsburgh, and her M. Ed. from Wilmington University.
She’s the past co-chair of Wilmington University’s Alumni Association; Board Member of the Kalmar Nyckel; a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, which focuses on civil rights and social action; and is Co-Director of Seeds Of Greatness Ministry.
In other words, she already has a strong grassroots network in place even before you add in all the people who Val has fired. Her campaign team is as first-rate as you can possibly get. I’m telling you, Kamela starts out in a much better position than Marie Pinkney was when she took on and defeated the President Pro Tem of the Delaware State Senate in 2020. Lest you think leadership is an automatic pass to reelection, may I submit to you the following names: Terry Spence, Tony DeLuca, John Viola, Patti Blevins, Dave McBride, Larry Mitchell, plus several Rethug leaders who hardly count. All were in leadership when they were defeated.
I had a chance to hear her presentation months ago, and I’ve been dying to let everyone know about her candidacy ever since. Today I can!
If Kamela wins, we will finally drive a stake through the casual corruption that has been the defining feature of the House these last twelve years. We will remove impediments to serious progressive legislation including LEOBOR reform. When Marie Pinkney won, the Senate became an engine for progressive change. If Kamela wins, the House can join the Senate in bringing the kind of change that the vast majority of Delawareans want. (Memo to self: Order up a couple new pair of Hokas…)
We’ll have the Donate Info in a couple of hours as it takes about that long to activate an Act Blue account. We’ll also post her website once we get the go-ahead. If anyone’s concerned about Val retribution, you can donate less than $100 as that information will be kept confidential. Kamela will spend the next month meeting with voters and raising money. This race is very winnable. No matter how much money Val has, it can’t make her a decent human being. Kamela is a wonderful human being.
If you haven’t yet gotten involved in a campaign, make it this one!