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Wilmington city councilwoman is latest to join Lt. Gov. race

Wilmington city councilwoman Sherry Dorsey Walker is joining the race for Lieutenant Governor.

Walker announced her candidacy Tuesday night a New Castle union hall. In an earlier interview with Delaware Public Media, she says she's hoping to carry on Gov. Jack Markell's focus on criminal justice reform as part of her platform:

"Really it's an issue of who has access to resources," she says. "We need equity as it pertains to our criminal justice system as well as our juvenile justice system."

In addition to her work on youth issues and job creation for Wilmington's city council, Walker owns a film production company that's looked at questions of race and poverty all over the world. She also wants to emphasize education and job creation for all on the campaign trail.

And she also wants to work on environmental justice -- specifically as it relates to Delaware's nationwide-high breast cancer rate.

 

"When you have cancer clusters in a state this small, that is a problem that really needs to be addressed expeditiously, and we must look at our environment in order to deal with these issues in a way they have not been dealt with in the past," she says. "I believe we can make those necessary changes just by educating people about the water and the soil."

 

Walker was the first person of color elected to represent Wilmington's sixth district, and narrowly lost a state Senate primary to longtime incumbent Robert Marshall last year. He's now a candidate for Mayor of Wilmington.

 

Walker joins an already crowded race to be the state's second in command. She'll face fellow Democrats including Kent County Commissioner Brad Eaby and Rehoboth Beach Commissioner Kathy McGuinness, plus former Sussex County Register of Wills Greg Fuller and current New Castle County Register of Wills CiroPoppitti.

 

No Republicans have announced for the lieutenant race yet.

 

Meanwhile, Congressman John Carney is the only Democrat to declare in race to succeed Jack Markell as governor. Markell is completing his second and final term.

 

The Republican field is is in flux. State Sen. Colin Bonini (R-Dover South) is mulling whether or not to continue his campaign. Should he drop out of the race, retired state trooper Lacey Lafferty would be the lone candidate seeking the GOP nomination for governor.

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