Day 2 of Jack’s Campaign’s Announcement Tour: 57 Towns in 57 Hours

Stop 11: Harrington
Day two started out with an early start. Jack joined the Harrington Rotary Club and a dozen volunteers and supporters, including Mayor Gene Price for breakfast.

While discussing issues and the campaign, Jack told the crowd that this race is going to be won one vote at a time, by traveling across the state, by phone calls and door knocking, and by word of mouth. To make the point heard, longtime support Don Poore described a recent experience that led him to winning a vote for Jack. After bringing gas to a stranded motorist on Rt. 14, Don handed the man a piece of Markell literature and asked the stranger if he would support Jack. The man told Don, “A friend of yours is a friend of mine!”

Jack in Harrington

Stop 12: Houston
The second stop of the day was in Houston, DE, a small town east of Harrington. Jack met with voters at the Williamsville Country Store, the second visit Jack has made to that store in recent years. Echoing the feelings of many others in the State, local voters emphasized the need for change and proactive leadership to help the real estate industry and spur economic growth. Jack ended the event by sharing what he views the role of the office of Governor to be, “Delaware needs a Governor who knows that one of his most important responsibilities is to be the chief sales person for the State.”

Jack in Houston

Stop 13: Farmington
Stop number three for the day was just down the road in Farmington where Jack met with the Mayor and Vice Mayor at the Farmington Volunteer Fire Company. Before heading to our next stop, Jack pulled over at Diamond State Machinery to shake hands with the employees. When introducing himself to one of the employees, the man said, “Jack Markell, my wife, who works for the Department of Education in Dover, always mentions you!”

Jack in Farmington

Stop 14: Greenwood
Our next stop was Greenwood, where we met up with Mayor Willard Russell at the town’s Municipal Building. Jack spoke with residents about his vision for Delaware and fielded questions, including an excellent question from an especially intelligent 11 year old.

Stop 15: Bridgeville
Bridgeville was our fourth stop of the day. Jack shook hands and spoke with about 35 patrons of Jimmy’s Grille, discussing with them his vision for a better Delaware. Going table to table, Jack came across the grandfather and uncle of one of our great interns, Chelsea, enjoying their “home made” meals from Jimmy’s. One woman was intrigued by Jack’s bold health care plan, another told Jack that he had “her vote, that [he] didn’t even have to ask.”

Stop 16: Georgetown
Next, it was time for our Georgetown office grand opening! Sussex County Organizer Extraordinaire Lauren Mazzato organized the event with 50 supporters from the Georgetown area in attendance. Supporters enjoyed sandwiches and chips while listening to Jack deliver a rousing speech and answer questions on issues ranging from the environment to cancer.

Stop 17: Millsboro
Millsboro was next on our trip across Delaware. Jack met up and spoke with residents, including Millsboro Mayor Gum, at a local restaurant called Georgia House. The Mayor and other patrons shared with Jack some of the issues the community has been focusing on, including water and sewer systems.

Jack with the owners of the Dagsboro Cafe

Stop 18: Dagsboro
Stop number six was Dagsboro. Jack had lunch with supporters at the Dagsboro Cafe, now under excellent new management! He then walked across the street to Farm Fresh Produce and bought their delicious peaches.

Stop 19: Frankford
Next up was Frankford. Our first stop in Frankford was the local town public library. Jack spoke to residents about education and the need for libraries to foster communities of education. He then walked over to the Frankford Volunteer Fire Company and spoke with men and women working there.

Jack at the Frankford Public Library

Stop 20: Selbyville
Next it was time for Selbyville. Jack visited the busy Food Lion to shake hands as people stocked up on Fourth of July supplies.

Stop 21: Delmar
Traveling along the Delaware-Maryland border, our next stop was Delmar. Jack greeted dozens of young people in the State St. park.

Jack at a park in Delmar

Stop 22: Bethel
Jack met with the Mayor of Bethel, Jeffrey Hastings, at Jeff’s Greenhouse, his business of 30 years.

Stop 23: Blades
Our 12th stop of the day was Blades. Jack sat with about a dozen patrons of Marina’s Bar and discussed taxes, real estate, and the sub-prime mortgage crisis.

Stop 24: Seaford
Following the five minute drive across the river to Seaford, Jack had a slice of pizza at the packed Pizza King where the topic of conversation was affordable housing and access to quality health care. Coincidentally, Jack ran into the grandparents of one of our great Newark interns, Laura.

Jack shaking hands at the Laurel Fourth of July Parade

Stop 25: Laurel
To cap off the wonderful day, Jack marched in the annual Laurel Fourth of July Parade with dozens of volunteers. Jack shook hands with the thousands of parade-goers, many showing their support by sporting Markell t-shirts and stickers.

15 towns in 15 hours today, and Jack’s not even tired! He’s looking forward to all those parades tomorrow. Happy Fourth!!!

Day 1 of Jack’s Campaign Announcement Tour: 57 Towns in 57 Hours

Day One of Jack’s tour of 57 Towns in 57 Hours is complete! From Newport to Wilmington, and 8 towns in between, Jack met with Delaware voters, discussing Delaware’s strengths, but also its need to move in a bold new direction.

He started his tour at the Delaware Military Academy in Newport with an introduction by Mayor Michael Spencer, in the company of Commandant Baldwin and several cadets of the school.

He took a walking tour of Arden, Ardentown and Ardencroft, discussing the history of the unique Arden community and their concern over environmental issues.

Next he had lunch in Bellefonte at the Bellefonte Cafe with a dozen local residents, including several educators. The need to change the budget system and public education dominated the conversation. Jack’s early advocacy of scrapping the Delaware Standardized Testing Program and replacing it with a comprehensive growth assessment test received wide support throughout the group of concerned citizens and teachers.

After lunch, Jack stopped at the Elsmere Town Hall, meeting parents and children at the community center’s summer day camp. The young children gathered around Jack, interested in hearing his plan for the state, but more importantly to receive a Markell sticker handed out by staff and volunteers.

At stop number seven, standing a few feet away from where Delaware colonists declared their independence in Historic New Castle, Jack declared his candidacy for Governor. Joined by two dozen supporters, Jack told the crowd that Delaware “must, and can become a leader” in ensuring that every citizen has access to affordable, quality health care and providing every Delawarean with a fantastic quality of life that makes our state an ideal place to live, work, and raise a family.

Jack speaks to supporters in Historic New Castle

The next tour stop led Jack to Delaware City where City Councilman John Martin and Honorary Campaign Co-Chair and Former NAACP President Littleton Mitchell joined him at the Imaginary Place shop on Clinton St.

Jack then traveled down to Middletown where he was joined by 20 residents to discuss the issues on their minds. Local voters told Jack of their want for real change and bold leadership on education. Inspired by the passage of the most recent budget, which included more than $10 million in cuts to education, Jack told the group of his plans to streamline education spending in areas that won’t affect the classroom and hinder the abilities of the teachers to teach and the students to learn.

Jack at the Middletown Diner

Finally, we ended the night with a blow-out grand opening of our Wilmington office and Jack’s official announcement speech. The office was packed with 200 fired up supporters and volunteers. Jack told the crowd about his plans for the state, available in his new book, A Blueprint For A Better Delaware.

Jack announcing his candidacy

10 down, 47 to go!

Jack Praises Start of Sunday Bus Service

Jack has been a long-time supporter of expanding mass transit in Delaware, and was delighted to see the arrival of Sunday Bus Service today in Wilmington.

“I want to congratulate the activists — such as the Campaign for Sunday Bus Service — who worked so long and hard to make this day a reality,” Jack said. “This new service will carry workers and customers to small businesses, worshipers to church and allow seniors freedom to visit loved ones or just run errands. Sunday service will significantly improve the quality of life of many seniors in New Castle County. ”

Late last year, Jack wrote a letter to Secretary of Transportation Carolann Wicks urging her to reverse her decision to not support funding for the expansion, which she did.

“Delawareans are already being squeezed by higher gas prices, increasing food prices at the grocery store and high energy costs,” he wrote. “The new weekend routes cost much less than expensive taxi rides to get to and from work, church or the grocery store on Sundays”

Expanding mass transit is a main objective of Jack’s plan to enhance Delawareans’ quality of life. He agrees with members of the Campaign for Sunday Bus Service that Sunday service should soon be added in Newark and would like to SEPTA rail service between Delaware and Philadelphia expanded. Other areas where Markell would also like to Sunday service expanded include Southern New Castle County, Glasgow, Dover and in coastal Sussex County.

“It is good for the economy and good for the environment,” he said. “Expanding bus service helps senior citizens live full and active lives, and reduces the traffic on our roads. As Governor, I look forward to growing mass transit throughout Delaware.”

Jack Releases His Plan to Help Delawareans with Disabilities

Earlier today, Jack released his plans to ensure Delawareans with disabilities lead fulfilling and productive lives. He unveiled his plans at Camp Manito, which serves kids and young adults with cerebral palsy.

At the press conference, Jack outlined his ideas for how to help the approximately 115,000 Delawareans who have disabilities. Many of Jack’s friends who work with the disabled community came out to hear his proposals. Many of them praised his plans, including Connie Hughes of Delarf who said that Jack’s concrete solutions would help every Delawarean living with a disability.

Jack knows that people with disabilities do not receive enough attention and support from their government, and he has pledged to change that. Jack said that, thanks to new medical technologies, Delawareans with disabilities have lots of opportunities, but we also need to make sure that they can take full advantage of those opportunities. Specifically, he mentioned improvements in health care, employment, housing, and disaster preparedness that would help those with disabilities.

Highlights of Jack’s plan include access to quality home- and community-based care, and making it easier for people with disabilities to work full-time by providing additional health care coverage.

As with his other plans, Jack’s plan to help individuals with disabilities really makes sense and will improve many Delawareans’ everyday lives.

Happy Separation Day

Jack and an enthusiastic group of supporters marched through the streets of historic New Castle on Saturday morning as part of the annual Separation Day Parade, which marks the day in 1776 when Delaware declared itself independent of England and independent of Pennsylvania.

The parade route was lined with spectators sporting Markell for Governor stickers and many were waving homemade “I Back Jack” signs. Jack shook hands and chatted with supporters along the way, all the while he was accompanied by a red antique Cadillac convertible. As we walked the route, cheers of “Go Jack Markell” came from the volunteers in the parade as well as the supporters in the crowd.

At the end of the route, the organizers gave Jack the microphone and he wished them a Happy Separation Day.

Jack’s Book Club: “Blueprint for a Better Delaware”

Jack just finished a two-day tour of Delaware to mark the release of his ground-breaking policy book, “Blueprint for a Better Delaware.” The blueprint gives voters an unprecedented look at the bold, Democratic solutions he is proposing that will take the state in a new direction. The book is unique, in part because it outlines a comprehensive vision for the future, but it also highlights concrete proposals, timelines and costs for taking state government in a different direction than it has been on under the Minner-Carney Administration.

Never before has a Delaware candidate for governor given voters so much information about his or her plans for running the state, and never have voters had such a tangible way of holding a candidate accountable once elected.

The blueprint includes chapters detailing Markell’s policies to secure Delaware’s energy independence in the 21st century, preserve our quality of life, fight crime and strengthen public safety, create 25,000 high-wage jobs and grow our economy, provide all Delawareans with high quality, affordable health care and establish a world-class education system.

“I believe our next governor must go into office with concrete plans to provide coverage for the more than 100,000 of our neighbors who do not have health insurance, intensify our efforts to make our schools world class, close the achievement gap, move aggressively to conserve energy and deploy renewable energy, keep us safe, and get our economy moving again,” Jack said in Wilmington. “Relying on vague talking points and retrying old approaches that have failed won’t work.”

Jack’s two-day tour took him from the 1212 Corporation in Wilmington, which helps city residents overcome their addictions and rebuild their lives, to the University of Delaware, to small businesses in Middletown, Smyrna, Dover, Milford, Lewes and Georgetown, before ending outside the Rita’s water ice stand in Seaford.

Jack at a barber shop in Dover

Coinciding with the book’s release, Markell also unveiled a revamped web site, www.markell.org, where interested Delawareans can go to request a copy of “Blueprint for a Better Delaware.”

“Delawareans up and down the state have told me how much they want their children to be able to go away to college, come home to a good job and afford a home near where they grew up,” Jack said. “That situation is not a reality for most young people, but my ‘Blueprint for a Better Delaware’ details how I plan to make it a reality. As governor, I will do all I can to make sure Delaware is the same place of hope and opportunity for our children that it has been for so many of us.”

Obama Wins Nomination With His Vision for Bold, Democratic Change

I was proud to be Delaware’s first statewide official to endorse Barack Obama’s bid for the presidency this past January.

It’s been a remarkable campaign for the Democratic nomination, including significant contributions by Delaware’s Senator Joe Biden.

As Senator Clinton prepares to exit the race after a very strong campaign, I look forward to working with all Democrats to ensure that Senator Obama is our next President. He’ll be a great one.

In many ways, my candidacy parallels Senator Obama’s. Just as he has called for change at a national level, my candidacy is benefiting from an outpouring of support from Delawareans who want to turn the page on the last eight years and move our state in a new direction.

Delaware and the country are in desperate need for bold, Democratic solutions to the challenges we face. I look forward to providing them here at home and to working with our congressional delegation and with President Obama to make them a reality across the country.

Remembering Mayor McLaughlin

I join all Delawareans in mourning the loss of Mayor William McLaughlin.

I met Bill and Mary ten years ago, when I first ran for State Treasurer. I immediately knew that they were truly extraordinary people.

I am grateful I had the opportunity to know the Mayor for these last ten years. Along with countless others, I will miss him.

Jack Unveils His Plan to Help the Arts and Stimulate the Economy

Jack Markell released his plan to help the arts and stimulate the economy Thursday at the Wilmington Music School/ Delaware Music School.

Ensuring Delaware has a long-lasting, vibrant arts community is economically important to the state, Jack said during the press conference, citing that the arts industry is currently Delaware’s 11th largest employer. The positive effects arts programs and organizations have on our quality of life and attractiveness as a great state to live, work and raise a family make funding for the arts critical, he added.

To address the financial challenges arts organizations face, Jack’s plan proposes the creation of the Delaware Arts Trust, an endowment fund composed of government agencies, the business community and philanthropists, to help arts’ groups fund their operating expenses.

“The arts organizations contribute greatly to the quality of life in Delaware, but because they are seriously undercapitalized, we need to create a sustainable funding stream,” said Marilyn Hayward, chair of the Delaware Theatre Company. “I am delighted to see Jack actively leading this effort.”

Additional aspects of Jack’s plan includes enhancing arts education for at-risk youth, strengthening art education partnership programs and fighting to ensure the arts is part of federal education policy.

“Delaware is blessed with thriving and dynamic cultural groups, but the economic downturn threatens that success,” Markell said. “Whether it’s a school play, a symphony concert or a sculpture exhibit, the arts provide wonderful cultural experiences. As governor, I will work to ensure our arts organizations have the resources they need to continue helping our economy, educating our children and enriching all of our lives.”

Jack’s Plan Will Give Delaware Children a Brighter Future

Jack delivered another winning debate performance last night at Gauger-Cobbs Middle School in Newark. The News Journal sponsored debate on children’s issues gave Jack the chance to highlight his bold plans to take the state in a new direction by providing every child with affordable, quality health care, a solid public education, the skills they need to be successful in a global economy and the resources they need to achieve financial stability.

Jack opened the debate by stating the facts: 35 percent of Delaware’s high school students don’t graduate, Delaware is above the national average for low-birth weight babies and has the sixth highest infant mortality rate in the country and thousands of children lack medical insurance. Jack’s opponent likes to call these problems “negative attacks,” but Jack said they are opportunities to tackle problems in areas where the Minner-Carney administration has failed.

“I say it’s a personal attack against each one of those children to pretend those numbers are not real. It’s an affront to them and their parents to pretend that Delaware’s children do not deserve better,” Jack said later on in the debate.

With 17 detailed policy papers on health care, education and job creation and a proven track record of lifting people out of poverty through programs like the Earned Income Tax Credit as State Treasurer, Jack has the innovative ideas and leadership to improve the lives of all Delaware children and their families, a point which resonated clearly with the audience.

In his closing, Jack called on all young Delawareans to have a hand in their future and help Delaware move in a bold new direction. Fueled by their passion to make a difference, Jack said he has been blessed by all the young people eager to work on his campaign. To get involved in the campaign as an intern or volunteer, please call 302-283-1420.