Meet The Candidates: Delaware House District 36
Salisbury, Md. – Certain Sussex County voters will decide who represents them in Dover as Representative Bryan Shupe (R) seeks re-election for a fifth term and faces challenger Andy Gorlich (D) for State House District 36.
The 36th State House district encompasses Lincoln, Slaughter Beach and Milford in nothern Sussex County.
Shupe, who has served in the House since 2018, serves on the Education, Health, Economic Development and Commerce and Judiciary committees.
He said his priorities are cutting spending and taxes, supporting infrastructure for medical facilities, schools and first responders and preventing what he calls a supermajority in Dover.
“I would ask people to think about that very deeply, about having one party, being able to decide the future of Delaware, without opposition, that really needs to come into people’s minds when they’re voting up and down the state here in Delaware this election cycle,” he said.
Gorlich is a new face in politics and is a full-time Mathematics professor at Delaware Technical Community College.
He said he is also focused on bringing necessary infrastructure for emergency services. He said he also wants to support Delaware’s agriculture industry and public education, as well as keep jobs in-state.
“When you vote for me, you get a different type of voice in Dover and Legislative Hall,” Gorlich said. “My voice in Dover would go ahead and vote for all of our district’s best interests in mind.”
On foreign policy, Shupe said a state legislator should support policies that help residents deal with any federal government ramifications.
“We’ve got to make sure that we have the strongest economic policies here in Delaware, because whatever that next challenge or that next opportunity is at the federal level, we’ve got to be ready for that,” Shupe said.
Gorlich said he supported law enforcement having open communications with Immigration Enforcement Agents to de-escalate situations but supported legislation that restricted federal immigration enforcement operations on school grounds, medical facilities and places of worship.
“There’s no reason why people should not feel safe,” he said.
On housing, Shupe said he would work to legislate against the effects of the Housing for Every Delawarean Act, also known as Senate Bill 23, saying affordable housing will only be solved through a strong economy.
“I think the state of Delaware is going in the wrong direction with bills like SB23. What they are doing is creating more density,” he said. “What we need to do is … put more money back in their pockets that they earn every single day by reducing taxes so that they can afford the housing that is around here.”
Gorlich said he supports the direction of SB 23 to provide much needed housing and says the legislation makes way for there to be collaboration with state as well as Sussex County leaders.
“I’m just gonna keep this Sussex County-wise. There’s so many processes, gears, red tape we have to align with a comprehensive plan, and we have to go through those,” he said. “Now more than ever, we need state representatives that will collaborate with and work with council members.”
As for what Gorlich wants voters on the other side of the aisle to know, he said he supports Second Amendment rights.
“I will not take your guns,” he said. “People get really aggressive with that. Second Amendment rights and everything. I’m a Delawarean, I’m a Democrat. But I’m also a Sussex County Delawarean that used to hunt.”
As for Shupe, he said he has been willing to work with others to deliver results.
“I want voters to know that at my heart, I’m a small business owner, I’m a family man, I’m someone who doesn’t take no for an answer, so I’m very innovative,” he said.
