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John Carney Announces Gubernatorial Bid, Draws Praise From Carper (Update)

Rep. John Carney (D-De)
official photo
Rep. John Carney (D-De)

Representative John Carney has made it official.

He will run for governor next year.

The Delaware Democrat formally filed papers today saying that his campaign will focus on restoring the state’s middle class.

Carney ran once before for governor but was edged out in the primary by Governor Jack Markell.

He now has Markell’s support.

The field opened up after the death of former state Attorney General Beau Biden who had been expected to make the run next year.

The Wilmington News Journal reports that Carney has longtime ties to the family, serving as a staff assistant in the late 1980's for then Senator Joe Biden.

The paper reports that Carney spoke to the Vice President's office a little more than two weeks ago seeking advise about his gubernatorial plans.

The congressman says that the Vice President called him this morning to wish him well.

In a statement, Carney says he had planned to support Beau Biden's bid for governor. But after Biden's death in May, Carney says he decided to ask the people of Delaware to give him a chance.

The Vice President is considering his own run for the White House next year.

Carper Statement

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official photo
Senator Tom Carper (D-De)

Meanwhile, Senator Tom Carper praised Carney who for the Delaware Democrat when he was Governor.

“I was privileged to work closely with John for most of the eight years that I worked as Governor of Delaware. During those terms, John was my Deputy Chief of Staff and then Secretary of Finance, and played an integral role on a great team that partnered with the legislature and citizens throughout the state to do amazing things. We balanced our budgets eight years in a row, cut taxes seven of those eight years, paid down some of the state’s debt, and earned a AAA credit rating for the first time in state history. We also worked together to provide the nurturing environment that created more jobs in those eight years than in any other two terms in Delaware history. Much of the progress we made was because of John’s hard work and leadership. 

“John’s parents instilled wonderful values in him and his eight siblings. John is bright, possesses boundless energy, and has the heart of a servant. He is uncommonly adept at building consensus and finding principled compromises around very difficult and complex issues. He surrounds himself with excellent people, and his integrity is unquestioned.

“Delaware’s next governor will continue to face many challenges in the years ahead as we seek to grow our economy and state revenues, while finding ways to achieve better results for less money. John Carney is made of the right stuff to lead the people of the First State, and I look forward to supporting his candidacy. I will be proud to work closely with him in the role as our state’s chief executive, should the people of Delaware choose him to serve.” 

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Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.