Why I’m Running for Delaware State Senate District 13.
The 13th State Senate District, which runs from just south of Wilmington down to Bear, has been largely ignored for decades. Once a series of thriving communities, the quality of life in the 13th District has deteriorated drastically over the last 41 years. Since 1978, the demographics of the Districts’ constituency and its specific needs of the district have changed. Yet, our representation has not reflected these changes. Lack of access to healthcare resources, rapidly-declining school systems, rising gun violence, and numerous environmental injustices have plagued the District’s residents for far too long.
As a social worker working within the field of healthcare, I have witnessed families struggle to find the resources and support that adequately addresses their medical needs. Many of our families need to place a loved one in a long-term care facility but cannot find appropriate affordable care. There are families whose median household income is just above the qualifying threshold for state Medicaid, but still, they cannot afford long term care without assistance. As a result, these families are unable to receive preventive or follow-up care, lifesaving medications, and must rely on emergency services to meet their basic medical needs.
This District’s youths have fared no better. The 13th District’s schools consistently under perform, and trade and college preparatory classes are all but non-existent. Recreational facilities are sparse. Driving around while listening to music or just “hanging out” on the steps are pretty much their only option. This idleness only contributes to the other issue our children face: crime. Crime, specifically gun violence, is high and growing among the District’s youth. Our children deserve better than this.
And as if this weren’t enough, a disproportionate number of environmental hardships have also been imposed on the communities of the 13th District. This District has long been a destination for hazardous industries and pollutants that degrade air and water quality, putting our most vulnerable residents at risk.
What solutions or senate bills has our representative produced in response to the many issues negatively impacting our quality of life? We are left fending for ourselves. This district deserves legislative representation that will engage with the community and work to address our concerns. We deserve elected officials who will ensure that our families, our homes, and our communities are thriving. We deserve a senator who is a member of the community in which we reside, work, and send our children to school so that we know that they are as equally invested in the area as we are. We, in the 13th District, deserve more from our leadership.
For these reasons, I am running to become the next senator for the 13th District. I am running because I live among the residents of this district and I encounter many of the same issues that they face. I am running because I believe that we must become the governance that our communities need. As a proud resident of the 13th District, I understand the needs of this community and I will stand up for my constituency. I will ensure that we have legislation that addresses our concerns and that our voices are heard. I believe that this can be a place where our families grow and thrive together. As the State Senator for the 13th District, I will make it so.
