Christiana Care’s Director of Community Education and Engagement Kamela Smith says she’s exploring a run that would force a Democratic primary in the 15th District.
Valerie Longhurst has represented the Bear area district since 2004. She was elected House Majority Whip in 2008, House Majority Leader in 2012 and won the speakership earlier this year.
Smith says her potential run is a personal one and not directly based on policy conflicts with Longhurst.
“I know that she has been in her seat for a long time, and I know that she has politics and she has legislation that I agree with. But I want to be a representation of this district as well," she said.
Before her current position, Smith worked in mental health at a local nonprofit. Destigmatizing mental health care is one of the pillars of her platform, as well as youth and education and good government, hoping to reduce corruption and increase responsiveness and efficiency in local government.
She says she wants voters to have the opportunity to see themselves in their elected representative.
“I want people to see me and see a piece of them in any way – whether a woman, whether a mother, whether a person of faith, a Black woman," Smith said.
She does not yet have a timeline for officially filing to run, but says she is starting to knock on doors and gauge community interest.
