Republican Valerie Jones Giltner won Thursday’s special election to fill the seat vacated by former State Rep. Ruth Briggs King.
She defeated Democratic candidate Jane Hovington by just over 700 votes in an election that saw nearly 3000 district residents come out to the polls.
With legislative session starting in January, Giltner says she’s going to focus her attention on supporting working families in the 37th district- making sure they have the resources to not only survive, but thrive.
“And that includes safe and secure classrooms for kids, making sure everyone has access to healthcare, and making sure we support the businesses that are the source of income for those families,” said Giltner.
But she notes one of the most prominent issues for residents is lack of affordable housing.
“We’ve had a 20% population expansion in not only this district but also farther east of here. And it’s made it tough for working families to find affordable housing,” she explained.
Giltner also wants to use her new position to avoid what she calls government mandates - like the state’s recently approved clean car regulations - which she believes can be burdensome to Delawareans and are not always in their best interest.
Giltner is past president of the Delmarva Christian High School Parent-Teacher-Fellowship Board, and a retired nurse and healthcare consultant.
She will serve the remainder of Ruth Briggs King's term which expires on election day next November.
