Delaware Political Weekly: April 19-25, 2024
1. The Ultimate Delaware Way Team. Pairing the Intellectual Bankruptcy and the Ethical Bankruptcy Of The Delaware Way:
…you do this:
Greetings All! In Delaware,we are just under 200 days from the most consequential election of our lifetimes, with a tremendous opportunity to take over the Governor seat. We Delawareans, whether registered Democrat, Republican or Unaffiliated, are aware that our dollars are not going as far as they used to, that our children are not being adequately educated, that we are impacted by out-of-control crime and that our government is increasingly dictating the way we live our lives.We need a BOLD gubernatorial candidate that can make the pitch to Delawareans of all walks of life that a change in philosophy of governing is needed based on sound principles and policies. This candidate needs to be FEARLESS about calling out the failed policies that have hurt Delawareans and have put our future and our children’s future in jeopardy. This candidate must have run statewide before (?) and must have demonstrated the ability to close the gap on achieving 50.1% in order to win in November.We have diligently looked for a gubernatorial candidate since last Summer. As I have said many times, it is a hard sell. In the course of our search, many people suggested that I was the best choice due to my name recognition, strong following, ability to raise money, and experience in running statewide races. I deferred to the continual search in the hope we could find a candidate who could bring the same attributes that I could bring. While we spoke to many, no one met the criteria we were hoping to find.In an earlier Murray Minute, I challenged “Are you leaving everything on the field?” I said that I was. But was I really? Have I really left everything on the field? The answer is no. I have not met my own challenge. On April 1, when we did not have an announced candidate that had demonstrated the ability to win a statewide election, I started to reevaluate. On May 8, I will be officially announcing that I am running for Governor. I believe I am the most qualified and viable candidate that has the experience of closing the gap based on my last two statewide elections. I have worked tirelessly for the last four years trying to make Delaware better and will, once again, put everything on the line for what could be our last chance to save Delaware. We can win this election! Our DEGOP bylaws do not require that I vacate my seat as the Chair, so I will remain in this position and will continue to focus on state house and senate races while also focusing on winning the Delaware Governor seat. I am committed to collaborating with candidates up and down the ballot in order to make 2024 THE YEAR for a Delaware resurgence to the time when Delaware was led by true leaders that adhered to conservative principles. There will be much more information in the coming weeks. I am sharing this pre-announcement with you now because I am committed on the decision to run for Governor, and I pledged to be open and transparent with you. This is me leaving it all on the field… Julianne Murray.
One of the key parts of the New Castle County executive’s plan is to increase teacher compensation in the First State.
The average starting salary for Delaware teachers is $45,448, according to statistics from the Department of Education. The pay is lower than Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland, and the latter state has committed to raising educator salaries to a $60,000 minimum beginning in 2026.
As the state continues to experience effects of the nationwide teacher shortage, the candidate outlined several retention efforts.
This includes implementing programs to reduce classroom disruptions, providing loan forgiveness and financial assistance to incentivize teachers to work in high-need schools and subject areas, funding teacher residencies and raising the pay of excelling teachers in high-need schools, areas and specialties to $100,000 per year.
Mr. Meyer also intends to change the state’s education funding formula by ensuring an increase of investment of $3,400 to $6,400 per Delaware student.
Another focus of the education initiative is to provide universal access to pre-K care for Delawareans by the end of the next gubernatorial term.
Further, Mr. Meyer has plans to address primary and secondary education, specifically by giving principals more authority to lead their schools, ensuring students read at or above grade level by third grade, fully funding school meals, doubling the state’s investment in school-based health centers, implementing an intervention system to address absenteeism, increasing investments of mental-health supports and after-school programs and requiring students to develop a personal education plan for their career goals by 9th grade.
There’s lots more. Hey, at least he has a plan. We know that BHL doesn’t as she’s re-running Carney’s two issues-free races for Governor. We have yet to hear from Collin O’Mara. Looking forward to hearing his plan.
4. R Carter Hill Files For NCC Executive. If you didn’t know that he had been a Marine, you’ll get multiple reminders on his campaign web page. You’ll also learn that he is ‘ridiculously in love with his wife Michelle’. They have a son, who also wants to be a Marine. His chief claim for the office is that he ‘has never worked in government‘. Hey, at least they found somebody to run.
5. Monica Shockley Porter Makes It Official. She’s great, and she’s running against the Delaware Way’s Bill Bush. Bush already knows he’s in trouble. Tough to figure out how to run against a grassroots challenger with real community roots when you were effectively installed in your seat by the Delaware Way denizens. You can make it even tougher for him by clicking this link and donating.
5. Milford Elections Saturday. We have a rerun between incumbent Mayor Archie Campbell and Milford Councilmember Todd Culotta, who lost to Campbell back in 2018.
6. Filings: D Senator Laura Sturgeon (SD 4); D Senator Stephanie Hansen (SD 10); D-turned-R Danny Rappa, running in RD 13 against DeShanna Neal; R State Rep. Charles Postles (RD 33).
7. Shout-out To My Spies. You keep providing new information, and I really appreciate it!
That’s all I’ve got this week. What’d I miss, and whaddayathink?
Carter Hill is one of the gun loonies who decided to make his stand the county executive race. Odd choice. Anyway his social media is a treasure trove of crazy. Have fun
He has no shot. Maybe if somehow crazy Karen wins her primary and is off her meds says something insane again….
Oh Delaware; don’t you ever change
Deel,
Be careful with your choice of words. Never say that a gun nut has “no shot.” He might be coming after you.
Pretty hilarious update this week. BHL just now “kicking off” her campaign? Ha!
A taxpayer-paid Marine having “never worked for the government”? Lol!
Murray is the new Murphy? LMAO
El Som,
Your sequencing had me fooled for a minute.
When I saw that bold-faced second paragraph in the second item, I thought it was BHL reannouncing her candidacy.
I’m curious about BHL’s Surprise Endorsers!!
Joe Biden?
American actress, comedian, and producer, Aubrey Plaza?
The ghost of Mike Castle?
Kathy McGuiness?
Jimmie allen
Like button!
Could see the “surprise” endorser being LBR. She’s always been so boring Delaware Way and a backbencher in congress but due to liberals love/obsession with identify politics and “she can make a good speech” has gotten the admiration of many local Dems.
Maybe Collin O’Mara pulling a COlleen Davis and is dropping out to endorse her?
As for me, I really liked the panicked praying during the J6 invasion of the Capitol.
That’s a greatest hits moment right there.
That would be truly sickening–and plausible.
Michael A. Begatto, DE AFSCME Pres?
That would be a sad trombone cue after the other luminary possibilities noted here.
Her surprise endorser will be DSEA…..just watch, they will do all they can to make sure they have the governor in their pocket, they are terrified that they might face another governor who actually wants to make changes to the status quo and make policies that benefit kids not adults.
The fact is if they do indeed make an endorsement of her that means their polling shows that she is in trouble and their endorsement allows them to use their PAC money to help her out. I think it says more that they are so willing to overlook her campaign finance issues and support her because perhaps they are caught up in muddy finances as well.
Her polling numbers are, in fact, bad.
Find it difficult to imagine that DSEA would back her.
The Carney Administration has been a black hole when it comes to education initiative. And BHL has not articulated anything approaching a coherent position either.
Little birdie told me DSEA hasn’t endorsed yet. Interviews were done but some on their board concerned about BHL finances. Board hasn’t convened to endorse so it definitely won’t be DSEA.
My guess is the cops.
Which would be no surprise at all. They hate Meyer, and they don’t want to have to follow any rules, which is why they oppose LEOBOR reform.
I think you may be on the mark here.
This campaign is one long, sour, embarrassing, degrading, indignity. At least insane Republicans (Murray) have an agenda to die on the cross for, albeit a bad one. What are these people dying for? She hasn’t said a damn word about what she’s going to do. It’s just vapor. A way of politics and governing and power that doesn’t exist anymore. It slipped past these people and they are just drowning in their own mediocrity and don’t seem to know how they got there or why they’ve stayed. If they weren’t all so terrible I’d almost feel bad. If it weren’t so apparent and well documented that John carney was just a lazy and miserable person, I’d almost think he was a progressive secret agent destroying the Delaware way through neglect.
I think that’s an excellent analysis.
Except–that vapor and way of politics DOES exist.
This election is about extinguishing it. At least for me.
The FOP & DSEA suggestion and the fact that this is at AFSCME HQ gives me the feeling that this could be a omnibus labor event. I know the laborers union is backing BHL. Does anyone know if building trades has expressed a preference.
Oh, yeah, Building Trades are all about BHL.
Drumroll please… And here it is…the three amazing, highly anticipated endorsements of BHL:
“We announced three NEW endorsements today — I am honored to officially welcome my friends Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro, Treasurer Colleen Davis, and former State Auditor & New Castle County Executive Dennis Greenhouse to #TeamBHL!
A BIG thank you as well to our other speakers: LiUNA’s Curtis Linton, my dear friends Senators Nicole Poore & Stephanie Hansen, and of course Governor John Carney for his seven years (and counting!) of guidance and partnership, and a special shoutout to AFSCME Council 81 for hosting us at their hall in New Castle.”
I can hardly contain my excitement!!