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.

That’s all I’ve got this week.  What’d I miss, and whaddayathink?