Who will take Congressman Carney’s seat? Four candidates vie for chance

Election day is just days away and like other states, Delaware is preparing for a lot of change in leadership.

Congressman John Carney will face Senator Colin Bonini in the race for Governor, leaving Congressman Carney’s seat vacated with four contenders on the ballot.

One of the candidates is Democratic and Wilmington native Lisa Blunt Rochester. According to her official campaign website, nurturing both new and established industries and making owning and operating a small business easier are two factors she says could spur the growth of jobs.

Blunt Rochester began her career as a caseworker for current U.S. Senator Tom Carper. Formerly the state’s labor secretary, Blunt Rochester says if elected she’ll advocate for tax credits for small businesses, which could help them “get off the ground” and hire more workers.

Her republican opponent Hans Reigle calls himself a “political outsider”.

A veteran of the U.S. Air Force Reserves, Reigle says he’s tired of what he calls
“say-something, do-nothing” politicians.

A common theme in this election among all parties is economic growth. Reigle, a long-long Delawarean, says burdensome regulations discourage companies in the U.S., which is why he supports reducing regulations to produce a vibrant economy.

Liberation Scott Gesty grew up in southern New Jersey, but says he believes in giving back to the community and is now a member of the Delaware Society of Certified Public Accountants.

According to his campaign website, Gesty says being a libertarian means being “fiscally prudent and socially tolerant”.

A key issue for him is tackling the national debt, which comes with reducing the size and scope of government and eliminating what he calls “wasteful bureaucracies like the U.S. Department of Education”.

The fourth candidate is Mark Perri of the Green Party.

According to the Green Party of Delaware’s official website, one of Perri’s concern is the climate crisis.

If elected, Perri would advocate for the The Green New Deal which is a transition to 100 percent wind, water and solar energy by 2030.

He stresses subsidies need to be redirected from big industrial agricultural to support small farmers, and provide real food in a way that is sustainable for the long haul.