Delaware House Speaker, Valerie Longhurst, D-Bear, Delaware City, could face a primary opponent.
Kamela Smith this week announced she is considering a run for Longhurst’s seat. Smith is the director of Community Education and Engagement at ChristianaCare.
“I am not a politician but I am a citizen who believes in representation and speaking for the silenced, the marginalized, and the voices of those vulnerable who may not get heard in Legislative Hall,” she wrote in a note to the media. The wording of the note seemed to suggest that Smith is gearing up to run for office.
Earlier in the week, former DNREC Secretary Colin O’Mara, in a surprise announcement, confirmed he was considering a run for the governor’s post.
“I am not politically connected nor do I come from a wealthy family. I am simply someone who sees that there are challenges facing our community and I want to work through them with a sense of urgency, someone’s life depends on it, Our lives depend on it,” Smith wrote.
Smith went on to cite work in career development, mental health and other areas.
“I have developed programs that will expose youth and expand their reach to career possibilities. Setting youth up for success, now that is my jam! So when you see me, you will see youth on my team. They are our future policymakers, organizers, and leaders. I am focused on amplifying the voices in our community; the marginalized voice, the youth voice, and the silenced voice,” she wrote.
Smith is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc, a graduate of the James H. Gilliam, Sr. Fellowship through the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, a member of Seeds of Greatness Bible Church, and a Board of Trustee member of the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation.
“Rather than continuing the division and behind-the-scenes obstruction that so often influences our legislative process, I want to be a listener. I want to be proactively connected to the community. Only persuaded by the interest of those I serve and not the interest that only serves me. I will not conform to status quo politics nor will I compromise on the Christian-rooted value system I believe in so firmly,” Smith wrote.
While choosing her words carefully and telling Delaware Public Media she did not have a problem with Longhurst, Smith’s candidacy seems to reflect the unhappiness of progressive Democrats with leadership that includes term-limited Gov. John Carney. Longhurst is the first female speaker of the House.
The General Assembly has a growing number of progressives in northern Delaware, whose views diverge from more moderate Democrats on tax increases, fiscal restraint and social equity issues.
Former House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf warned earlier this year that funding requests for social programs from the progressive wing did not take into consideration the fiscal realities facing the state.
