Gov. John Carney’s second term is now officially underway, after a much different than normal inauguration for Carney and Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long Tuesday.
Carney took the oath of office to kick off his second term as Delaware’s chief executive at a largely empty Legislative Hall in Dover. The event was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a pre-recorded speech following his swearing in, Carney praised doctors and nurses in the fight against the virus.
He also praised the Delaware National Guard’s work helping set up testing sites, and thanked residents for sacrificing family traditions to keep everyone safer.
He calls 2021 a year of hope and optimism, and he says the state is well prepared to come out of the pandemic strong.
"I'm confident that Delaware will come out of this current crisis stronger than ever," said Carney. "Four years ago I promised to get our fiscal house in order. We kept that promise as a result unlike so many states around the country Delaware is not facing a budget challenge this year. That means we're well positioned to rebuild, as President-elect Biden says to build back better."
Carney also promised to deliver on promises made before the pandemic.
“We will create jobs by investing in the largest infrastructure program in our state’s history. We will make sure every Delaware family has clean drinking water," " said Carney. "We will build a new school on the east side of Wilmington. It'll be the first new school in Delaware’s largest city in more than a generation. We’ll make historic investments in public schools statewide, focused on students who need our help the most.”
He adds helping businesses hit hard by the pandemic to recover will be another priority.
Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long also took the oath for her second term at Legislative Hall, and echoed much of the agenda Carney laid out for the next four yeats..
"Over these next four years we will work to provide a first-class education for all children, ensure good paying job and extend support to small businesses and address systemic racism and discrimination in our institutions," said Hall-Long. "We have built a strong foundation to achieve these goals beginning with the multiple vaccines that will become more widely available in the coming months. Getting vaccinated is one of the most important things you can do this year to help protect yourself, your loved ones, and our state."
Hall-Long says she's committed, along with the governor, to ensuring the timely, equitable, and accessible distribution of the vaccines for all Delawareans.
