Matthew Stangl is a National Institutes of Health Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. He graduated from Milford High School in 2021.
I am writing this Opinion as a private citizen, who is deeply concerned about the impact of the upcoming gubernatorial election in our state.
I am only 21 but am proud of myself for what I have been able to accomplish given the cards I was dealt. Raised in Sussex County by a single mom, I channeled my passion for science and medicine to escape poverty. I graduated at the top of my class from Milford High School and then again, with honors, from the University of Delaware, in only three years. As a lifelong Delaware resident, I have lived and worked in all three counties and contributed to the community in various ways, including playing a vital role in developing novel drugs focused on combating cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. In my spare time, I advocate for Delaware’s public schools and volunteer to increase STEM representation for disadvantaged Delawareans. Currently, I work on discovering new drug targets to combat some of the world’s most debilitating diseases at the University of California, Berkeley, an elite biomedical research institution and our nation’s No. 1-ranked public university.
One gubernatorial candidate, Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, will be the first to tell you she’s from Sussex County, hoping to manipulate people into supporting her. However, she has not lived here for decades and is completely out of touch with the community. She has watched as our public schools have deteriorated and as our hospitals and patients have been left to fend for themselves amid severe provider shortages. Moreover, Bethany silently supported her caucus in passing House Bill 350, a devastating measure that disproportionately harms the residents of Kent and Sussex by asserting that politicians, not doctors, are best equipped to set hospital budgets and care for patients.
Bethany Hall-Long and her husband, Dana Long, have a long history of corruption and unethical behavior. This includes numerous campaign finance violations, illegally accessing and profiting from privileged Section 8 information, and stealing signs of her political opponents. To this day, there are still hundreds of thousands of dollars missing from her campaign.
As a health care professional, I hold myself to the highest ethical standards and commit to serving the best interests of our community. However, it’s clear that Bethany Hall-Long does what is best for herself, not for the people she is supposed to serve. Her actions are truly disgraceful; she is a stain on the health care profession and embodies everything that is wrong with Delaware.
As a state, we should be shooting for the stars. We have so many resources available to help grow our communities. Electing New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer will be the first step in helping us reach our potential. I encourage everyone to check out his policy positions at mattmeyer.org .
We need to elect someone who will restore integrity to the governor’s mansion, not turn it into a palace of lies and broken promises.
I represent the next generation of Delawareans when I say we will not stand for or tolerate such actions from our elected officials. We deserve better.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org .
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