The 2026 midterm elections are fast approaching, and once again the outcome will be monumental. Claire’s agenda includes a focus on the following:
IN THE FACE OF RISING AUTHORITARIANISM, I AM FIGHTING TO DEFEND OUR FREEDOMS AND OUR DEMOCRACY. Sadly, MAGA attacks on women and men, LGBTQ+ individuals, people of color, our undocumented neighbors, and our institutions are turning our country into a place we no longer recognize. We must resist by maintaining due process, protecting rights and liberties, and strengthening the democratic process in Delaware.
This year we passed a number of bills to protect our neighbors from ICE and our healthcare providers from out of state lawsuits, and we also got Marriage Equality, Vote by Mail, Early Voting, the Corporate Voting ban, and the VRA through the first leg of the constitutional amendment process.
AS A CRISIS OF AFFORDABILITY LOOMS, I AM WORKING TO STABILIZE AND STRENGTHEN OUR ECONOMY. We need to maintain and diversify our revenue stream, encourage job growth, support small businesses, and look for ways to control healthcare, housing, insurance, and energy costs.
Over the course of the two-year session, we passed multiple bills to help lower electricity costs and limit how much Delmarva Power can increase rates. We cleared the way for clean wind power, which will help lower costs, and we took action to move the retail cannabis industry forward, which will ultimately generate over $43 million a year in tax revenue for Delaware.
IN THIS TIME OF UNPRECEDENTED CHANGE, I AM STRIVING TO PROTECT OUR QUALITY OF LIFE. Our district is experiencing massive growth, including both retirees and families with children.
Healthcare: Access to healthcare is a challenge across the country, and in Coastal Sussex we face a severe shortage of healthcare providers, including primary care providers, specialists, and dentists, as well as veterinarians. During my first term in office, I worked with colleagues to expand support for primary care, changed regulations so that healthcare professionals can work at the top of their licenses, and expanded insurance coverage. It is an exciting time of change in Sussex County with significant federal funding to expand healthcare in our “rural” county and bring the first medical school to Delaware!
Education: Having spent 20 years in the classroom, I have seen the way education can transform a young person’s life. That is why I will always support students, educators, and public schools. In the Cape Henlopen School District, we have schools that are popping at the seams and in dire need of more resources for students. I believe it is vitally important that we invest more in our public education system, including in vocational education and job training for students who do not plan to attend college.
As a member of the Education Committee, I worked with colleagues during my first term to raise teacher salaries, implement a new hybrid funding formula for schools, and allow districts to raise revenue if needed on a regular basis.
The Environment: A lot is on the ballot in 2026, as in 2024, including the future of the planet, and environmental concerns certainly top the list of concerns in Delaware. Sussex County is the lowest lying county in the lowest lying state, and RD 14 is graced with beautiful coastlines and plagued by rapid development — all of which makes us vulnerable to environmental catastrophe, as sea levels rise, weather becomes more extreme, and our coastlines erode.
As a member of the Natural Resources Committee, I help pass major legislation to protect tidal and non-tidal wetlands and to discourage date centers from moving to Delaware and destroying our environment.
Affordable Housing: We desperately need more affordable housing in our district, but sadly SB 23 (which I opposed) will not provide that. Instead, we need mandates with real teeth, as well as market incentives. We also need to improve transportation so that people who work in RD14 but do not live here can have an easier time getting to work. Finally, we need more resources for our unhoused neighbors.
As