Lisa Blunt Rochester and Bethany Hall-Long
The Woman Card
It’s the year of the Woman Candidates on the ballot in Sussex County. That’s not to slight the men who are running, but this ballot is chocked full of powerful women and we are quite impressed—and the good news is that they all support LGBTQ equality.
Okay, needless to say, there’s a very powerful woman at the very top of the ballot. No more words needed about that right here.
But starting with the important Congressional race, we have Lisa Blunt Rochester running to fill the vacancy opened by our current congressman running for Governor.
Lisa Blunt Rochester was formerly Secretary of Labor, and although she hails from Wilmington she has spent lots of time learning the politics of Sussex County. Lisa’s election in 2016 would be historic, marking the first time The First State has sent a woman or person of color to Congress.
The candidate would head to Congress with a platform of expanding job opportunities, supporting equal pay for equal work, supporting Planned Parenthood and other women’s health initiatives, and she promised to “stand up to radicals who are putting NRA campaign contributions above the lives of our children.”
In the Lt. Governor race we have Bethany Hall-Long, currently serving in the state senate. She was born and raised here in Sussex County. As a nurse as well as public servant, she is very concerned about public health threats in Delaware—like fighting cancer and violence.
She supports increased job training and helping with economic development in manufacturing and technology jobs for the state as well as focusing on education. She also has a four-point plan on fighting health care inequalities, supporting healthy aging, battling addiction and promoting healthy living for all in Delaware. And in her role as a state senator, she voted “yea” for marriage equality.
In our local races, in State House district 20, Lewes resident Barbara Vaughn is running. A veteran of the Lewes City Council, Barbara says improving transportation infrastructure and finding good paying jobs are two of the most important problems facing eastern Sussex County. She is also speaking out for more drug treatment facilities and fewer jail cells—plus “the state needs to come up with programs allowing elderly people to stay in their homes as long as possible and reduce health-care costs.”
In District 37, it’s Paulette Rappa of Millsboro who is taking a second swipe at the house seat. Rappa says her district, and the county as a whole, is continuing to grow older and those residents need more access to affordable housing, transportation, and medical resources. She also said Sussex needs better-paying jobs for residents raising families.
Rounding out the woman’s year on the ballot is CAMP Rehoboth member Leslie Ledogar, from Lewes, running for Sussex County Council—and she’s running for the seat previously held by Joan Deaver.
Eager to keep the seat in play with “the woman card,” Leslie is telling voters that “we are all in this together” and “to have healthy and happy communities, we must promote smart planning and environmental protection. This means balancing our built and natural environments so everyone in our community has an opportunity, from the active LGBT or Q senior who wants to engage in community activities or a young person who wants to take advantage of economic opportunities in the new economy. In Sussex County, there truly is room for all.”
It’s a powerful female slate of eager-to-serve candidates, all “playing” the woman card. All Letters' readers, male and female, should check out their positions before November 8.