EXCLUSIVE: Delaware veteran, businesswoman announces run for Congress
DOVER, Del. – Delaware veteran and small business owner Donyale Hall officially announcing her candidacy for the Republican nomination for Congress in an exclusive interview with 47 ABC News.
“I certainly would love to be able to be a voice for those who feel marginalized, those are the people who are overlooked and forgotten, and I certainly have felt that way a great much of my life and my adult years growing up here in Delaware,” Hall explained. “I believe that I have the unique voice that will be able to articulate our truths to power.”
Hall has lived in Dover since 1973 when her father was assigned to Dover Air Force Base and subsequently raised her own family here.
As a mother of 10 children, Hall says Delaware needs a fighter for the state’s youth, specifically when it comes to education.
Of Hall’s ten children, five are Caesar Rodney School District graduates. Three are graduates of the Early College High School at Delaware State University. The youngest two are currently middle schoolers, and two sons proudly carry on the family legacy of military service as members of the United States Air Force and Navy.
“I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of our education system here,” Hall said emphatically. “Three decades of children going through public education has given me a very first hand knowledge of what’s working well for us, what we could be doing better.”
Across the board, Hall said Delaware, and the country for that matter, is not where it should be when it comes to educating. She cited several statistics and provided an Education Snapshot on Student Outcomes by First State Educate that show, as of this year, Delaware ranking among the lowest states in the nation when it comes to 4th grade math and reading.
“Our children are woefully behind,” Hall said. “I’ve found that there’s no comprehensive plan to get us caught up, and so what we’re finding is our kids are graduating and they’re neither career nor college ready.”
As a Gulf War Era Veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Hall says, if elected, she would be a champion for the men and women who serve.
“I don’t want to see our veteran issues be an afterthought,” Hall stated. “Our Vietnam veterans for instance, there are a lot of things that are going on with their health issues and the VA system that could be enhanced I believe.”
Hall is also eyeing small business owners. As one herself, she promises to cut the red tape in Washington and slash regulations that weigh them down.
“I really think that the regulatory pieces that hinder small businesses from being able to be properly undergird and being able to get resources into the hands of our small business community,” Hall said. “As you well know, we don’t have a lot of big business in Delaware. I think that the small business community is the backbone of our employment structure.”
Hall owns a general contracting and construction company with a focus on community involvement and entrepreneurship, a company she says she’s used to promote growth in the business community for women, ethnic minorities, and disabled veteran owned businesses.
“If we can get the proper resources in those hands, cut some of the regulatory red tape to be able to allow our businesses to prosper and function, that benefits us all in the long run,” Hall said emphatically. “I want to make sure we address those things in a timely fashion.”
Hall has a history working for the U.S. Department of Labor as a Program Specialist for Veterans Employment and Training Services.
She previously ran for Lt. Governor, State Senate, and Dover City Council.
Currently, Hall is running unopposed in the GOP primary for Congress. On the other side, State Senator Sarah McBride and State Treasurer Colleen Davis are both seeking the Democratic nomination. Delaware’s primary election is set for September 10, 2024.
