Legislative Newsletter - Election Update 2024

Governor Matt Meyer (left) and Lt. Governor Kyle Evans-Gay (right)

Meyer elected Governor; Evans-Gay elected Lt. Governor

Democrat Matt Meyer was elected the 75th Governor of the State of Delaware defeating Republican Mike Ramone with a 56-44% margin.

Democrat Kyle Evans-Gay was elected Lieutenant Governor defeating Republican Ruth Briggs King by a 55-45% margin.

Over 512,000 Delawareans voted in the general election for a 65% turnout.

Wilmington Mayor John Carney (left) and New Castle County Executive Marcus Henry (right)

Carney elected Mayor; Henry elected New Castle County Executive

Former Governor John Carney was elected the new Mayor of the City of Wilmington succeeding Mike Purzycki.

Marcus Henry was elected as the New Castle County Executive succeeding Matt Meyer.

Both candidates were unopposed in the general election.

Democrats increase control of State House of Representatives by adding 1 member

Delaware Democrats picked up 1 seat in the House of Representatives last night to increase their advantage to 27 - 14. Democrat Frank Burns won the seat vacated by Republican Mike Ramone who ran for Governor. The remaining incumbents were re-elected to their district seats.

Delaware State Senate stays the same

The Delaware State Senate remained the same after last night elections. It is 15 Democrats and 6 Republicans. The only contested race was in the Lewes area, where incumbent Democrat Russ Huxtable defeated Republican Kim Hoey Stevenson by a 54 - 46 % margin.

Sussex County Council elects 3 new Council members

Matt Lloyd, Steve McCarron and Jane Gruenebaum were elected as new council members in Sussex County last night. All three defeated incumbents in their areas. Matt and Steve defeated incumbents in a primary and did not have an opponent last night. Jane defeated current council member Mark Schaeffer by a 55 - 45 % margin.

ABC to introduce legislation on Statewide recognition of Plumbing/HVAC license in January

ABC Delaware will be introducing legislation that would mandate all cities, towns, municipalities and counties recognize the State of Delaware Master Plumbing and HVAC license. The license is issues by the State Plumbing HVACR board. Currently the only city that does not recognize the license is Wilmington who still requires testing even though you have received a state license.

Senator Spiros Mantzavinos and Representative Ed Osienski will be the lead sponsors for the bill in both chambers.

ABC believes the following with regards to this issue:

We want to make the licensing throughout the entire State of Delaware streamlined and equitable to all who wish to be licensed. ·
State of Delaware does extensive background checks and vetting to make sure all applicants for testing meet experience requirements. A member of the Attorney General’s office sits on the State of Delaware Plumbing & HVAC Board to make sure the board follows the law.
State of Delaware just passed a regulation for continuing education for both Plumbing and HVAC. This is the first time this has been used throughout the State. This will help the City of Wilmington with keeping the licensed contractors up to speed with all code and industry changes. The City of Wilmington does not have this.
All other municipalities in Delaware recognize the State of Delaware license as the only requirement for getting a license in the respective municipalities. They do not require additional testing.

We will have more information once it has been filed and how you can help us pass this legislation.

ABC Goes All In for the Merit Shop for 2024: FEA and ABC PAC Invest Millions Across the Country

Over the past two years, ABC’s Free Enterprise Alliance has spent more than $5 million dollars to fund issue advocacy efforts and, separately, get-out-the-vote campaigns in key states. FEA educates elected officials and the public about the importance of fair and open competition through digital ads, videos, text messages and more.

In addition, ABC PAC has invested nearly $2 million in direct support of federal candidates and campaign committees who champion free enterprise and fair and open competition. ABC has increased its spending this cycle, continuing to be one of the nation’s most politically engaged trade associations.

FEA has widened its issue advocacy campaign outreach, with ads playing in over 34 key states and congressional districts throughout the country to educate voters about ABC’s top issues. Some top areas of focus include Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Montana, North Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, Nebraska and Pennsylvania.

Additionally, FEA delivered a seven-figure spend to educate voters on current labor laws imposed by the Biden-Harris administration. FEA’s important issue advocacy messaging was delivered to the public via digital advertising and text messages.

View ads FEA has released ads in both English and Spanish, which are live in the following states and congressional districts:

Fighting for ABC’s legislative principles, such as free enterprise and fair and open competition, has always been and will continue to be the main goal of FEA’s issue advocacy effort. Here are some examples:

Fighting Against Vice President Harris’ Restrictive Labor Policies

America Cannot Afford the PRO Act

Creating More Jobs in Arizona

Fiscal Responsibility in Michigan

Separately, ABC PAC has worked to directly support candidates to ensure a merit-shop majority in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. ABC has supported hundreds of campaigns, PACs, committees and state parties with its record spend this cycle.

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