Eugene Young announces he’s running for Delaware’s lone U.S. House seat.
Young is currently Director of the Delaware State Housing Authority. He was appointed to the position by Gov. John Carney in May 2021.
If elected, he would be the first Black man to represent the First State in Congress.
He previously served as the President and CEO of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, and co-founded Network Delaware. He ran for Wilmington mayor in 2016, coming in second to current mayor Mike Purzycki in a 8 person Democratic primary.
Young says he wants to continue his service to Delawareans.
“This all boils down to being about the service,” he explained. “And when I think of service, I think about the countless moms, dads, and families that are trying to make each day happen. Put food on the table, being able to make sure their kids are getting a quality education, being able to try to afford that one vacation every summer. And so this for me is an opportunity to speak about the issues impacting those families.”
Those issues include rising healthcare costs, lack of affordable housing, and lack of overall economic opportunity.
Young hopes to implement a $15 an hour minimum wage indexed to inflation, create a more equitable healthcare system, and continue to combat the affordable housing crisis in Delaware and across the nation.
He says he wants to hear from every Delawarean, and plans to have the most diverse campaign in the race.
“And not just diversity in terms of race. Geographic diversity: people from everywhere, from Claymont to the bottom of the state in Selbyville. To socioeconomic status, age, gender orientation…. We plan to have the most diverse campaign that reflects what is going on and what people need here in our state.”
Young faces State Sen. Sarah McBride and State Treasurer Colleen Davis in the 2024 Democratic primary.
They are seeking to replace current Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester, who is running for retiring Sen. Tom Carper’s seat.
