Meyer promises to focus on people vs. special interests in Delaware governor's race

When it comes to how Delaware government currently operates, there’s a focus on “inputs rather than outputs,” New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer said.

If elected as the First State’s governor, the frontrunner in this year’s gubernatorial race said he’d like to change that.

“It takes elected leaders who understand that our job, and my job, is to represent the people who don’t have a seat at the table, who don’t have a moneyed special interest in some decision making,” Meyer told Delaware Online/The News Journal’s editorial board on Wednesday.

Meyer is ahead of his Democratic challengers Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long and former state environmental secretary Collin O’Mara in the latest polls as Delaware’s primary election draws near.

A poll paid for by the Citizens for a New Delaware Way PAC and completed by Slingshot Strategies the week of Aug. 8 shows Meyer polling at 27% ahead of Hall-Long's 23% and O’Mara’s 11%. That poll showed 31% of respondents were still undecided.

A more recent poll shared with Delaware Online by O’Mara, which was conducted by Trailblazer Opinion Strategies on the governor’s race and released Aug. 27, shows Meyer at 33%, sweeping both Hall-Long's 19% and O’Mara’s 17%.

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There are also three Republicans vying for the GOP line for governor: state House Rep. Mike Ramone, former New York City police officer Jerrold Price and lifelong Bridgeville resident Bobby Williamson .

Meyer, whose election to county executive in 2016 was his first foray into elected office, promised to tackle education reform; address affordability in health care, housing and child care; and pursue “big, bold” steps on a state-level, among other efforts .

Here are the takeaways on what a Meyer administration would look like if he’s elected as Delaware governor:

A medical school in Delaware

Managing Delaware’s most populous county during a global pandemic taught Meyer something – areas with medical schools seemed to have a “leg up” in the health crisis, he said.

It’s why early in his candidacy as governor he proposed creating a medical school in the First State.

“We need a hub to attract and retain medical talent in our area,” Meyer said. “I’m a strong believer in a medical school.”

While it’s not something that could be completed “on day one,” Meyer said they’ve priced out what a venture like this would cost and depending on budgetary considerations, the county executive believes, if he’s elected, they could break ground within his first term.

Kent, Sussex counties ‘getting a raw deal’

As New Castle County executive, Meyer said he recognizes the development problems that can arise within a community.

While New Castle County has had “growth issues in Middletown,” he said those issues “pale in comparison to what they’re seeing in Kent and especially Sussex County.” He said the southern Delaware counties are “getting a raw deal.”

As Delaware governor, Meyer said he’d want to develop a “comprehensive plan that’s inclusive of public views” and has “some enforcement mechanism.”

A relatively new political action committee backed by Sussex County developers has popped up in this year’s elections, raising concern that special interests could sway local elections, according to Spotlight Delaware.

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The PAC, called Preserve Sussex, holds about $75,000 in its coffers ahead of the Sept. 10 primary election, which is nearly three times more than the leading county council candidate has raised, Spotlight reported Aug. 26 .

“We can't just let the deepest pocketed individuals control the future of our communities,” Meyer said. “We need smart growth.”

Not ‘beholden’ to any one donor

Even though Meyer’s campaign has far surpassed his Democratic opponents with nearly $1.6 million in his war chest, according to the latest campaign finance reports filed with the Delaware Department of Elections, the county executive said he’s not “beholden” to any one donor.

Meyer has faced criticism for receiving donations from local developers and Republicans, but he pointed out that he’s received “nearly 10,000 contributions” with about 80% of them from Delawareans.

“It’s not hard when you have 10,000 contributions to find one or two or three or five people and build a narrative,” he said. “But to say I’m beholden to that person among 10,000 contributions in any way is kind of crazy.”

Easier access to public records

If elected governor, Meyer said he would also look to expand and provide easier access to public records.

Delaware’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) law outlines how government and public entities must go about providing access to public information, but it also provides several exemptions that Delaware governments are fond of using to block access.

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“I think we need a FOIA-type open checkbook,” Meyer said. “I think there’s a certain set of documents we should talk about and say we have an obligation to put (them out) just like meeting minutes.”

Those records could include pertinent emails or letters from other department heads and government agencies, he said.

“It’s something that as a Delawarean really pisses me off,” Meyer said about government transparency. “Like the unavailability of data about lead exposure to our children in schools is absolutely unacceptable."

Got a tip? Contact Amanda Fries at afries@delawareonline.com, or by calling or texting at 302-598-5507. Follow her on X at @mandy_fries.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Meyer promises to focus on people vs. special interests in Delaware governor's race