The 29th House District has been blue since 2012, when Trey Paradee, now a state senator, won the seat and held it through 2018.
Now, Bill Bush is seeking to hold it for a fourth term against political newcomer Monica Shockley Porter.
Both candidates said they spend time listening to local voices. Bush takes morning walks through different communities in District 29 and hosts meetups over coffee.
“I truly enjoy what I do, constituent service is my passion,” Bush said. “I am in this position because I really love to help people, and what I really love is in my communities, and I get the opportunity to help my constituents with all kinds of problems.”
“I don't want to just make these blanket general statements that are safe. I really wanted to drill down on what the issues were within the community and what folks were sharing with me.”Monica Shockley Porter points to her constituents when it comes to her priority list.
Shockley Porter said, heading into her campaign, it was her constituents that built her priority list, which originally included voting rights, gun safety regulations, and abortion rights.
“I don't want to just make these blanket general statements that are safe,” Shockley Porter said. “I really wanted to drill down on what the issues were within the community and what folks were sharing with me.”
So, her list shifted. She now focuses on mental health, education, road safety, and workers’ rights.
Shockley Porter and Bush have some overlapping priorities. Bush also prioritizes education. He previously served on the Caesar Rodney School Board and the Board of Trustees for Delaware Technical Community College.
Bush sponsored legislation during his first term boosting mental health services in elementary schools. He sponsored another bill signed in August doing the same in Delaware high schools.
“Especially after coming out of Covid, I think there's a greater need now than there has ever been for more mental health services within our schools,” Bush said.
Bush also sees a wider need for health care facilities to help address the state’s growing senior population, including in Kent County.
“I hope we can think about maybe more facilities up in that area,” Bush said. “I think we also need more doctors, so people don't have to wait for an appointment or things along those lines.”
Shockley Porter’s background is in education and mental health, and she currently works for the Capital School District. She has firsthand experience working with families who need mental and behavioral health support and has experienced it in her own family.
“We, on our end, need to make sure it's a great place for businesses to set up, that we're supportive, that we can do different things... so that they can be successful."In Delaware and in Kent County, Bill Bush wants to ensure both are attractive to businesses.
Shockley Porter aims to make sure wellness centers for students remain well-funded, but says there’s also a broader need for mental health care, particularly in areas like Kent County.
“Especially in our more rural communities, there's a huge need for mental health services and mental health supports to be available,” Shockley Porter said. “Again, that's a funding issue. So I definitely believe that there's a need to pour more resources into mental health.”
The economy is also a key part of both Shockley Porter and Bush’s campaign platforms.
Bush says he wants to make sure Delaware and specifically Kent County are places businesses want to be with a goal of creating jobs with higher wages.
“We, on our end, need to make sure it's a great place for businesses to set up, that we're supportive, that we can do different things in terms of helping to hopefully keep down different insurance rates and other rates, so that they can be successful,” Bush said.
Bush wants to see more manufacturing companies settle in Kent County and notes some companies, like Delmarva Corrugated Packaging, are already bringing new jobs to Delaware.
“Workers are essential… I am very focused on just the average working family, so I'm really wanting to drill down on what they need, and not necessarily what companies may need or corporations may need.”Regarding workers' rights, Monica Shockley Porter says they're integral to a healthy economy.
Bush was the primary sponsor of a bill that includes a loan program for microbusinesses, which might otherwise lack the resources to start up or keep doors open.
Shockley Porter emphasized workers’ rights, such as ensuring employees have sick time and safety leave, when discussing the economy.
“Workers are essential,” Shockley Porter said. “We can't operate or maintain anything without our staff members or workers… I am very focused on just the average working family, so I'm really wanting to drill down on what they need, and not necessarily what companies may need or corporations may need.”
Bush said he also supports workers. He co-sponsored a bill earlier this year that would require Delaware employers provide a minimum of one hour of earned sick time and safety leave for every 30 hours worked. That bill stalled in committee.
There are a variety of other issues each candidate says figure predominantly in their agendas.
Shockley Porter would like to see the General Assembly continue to pursue strong gun safety legislation.
“I definitely believe that gun violence is a health crisis, and definitely stand for gun safety regulations,” Shockley Porter said. “I have experience losing loved ones to gun violence, so that's something that I believe needs to continue to be addressed here in Delaware and across our nation.”
Bush said Delaware state government needs to address racial inequities, including those present in criminal justice and health care.
“Systemic racism is something I want to ensure that we eliminate within our criminal justice system, as well as within all of our government itself,” Bush said. “There's probably some things I'm going to continue to move forward with and trying to eliminate, some things where I see systemic racism.”
As they make their final pitch to voters, Bush says that residents of the 29th district know him and what he can do.
“I am a hard worker, and I believe in work with my constituents, helping my constituents, and I think what I do in our communities is really good, and I think I am the best person for the job."Bill Bush believes that residents of the 29th district trust him as their representative.
“What I can tell you, I am a hard worker, and I believe in work with my constituents, helping my constituents, and I think what I do in our communities is really good, and I think I am the best person for the job,” Bush said.
Shockley Porter wants voters to know she’s deeply rooted in the district – and in Delaware.
“My family has been in Delaware – oh my goodness – we can trace our roots back to the 1700s, which is pretty amazing,” Shockley Porter said. “I'm an African American woman. We can trace our roots to a plantation, actually, in Sussex County, and Delaware is just near and dear to my heart."
The winner of this race faces Republican Anthony Egipciaco Jr. in the November General election in a district where Democrats hold a nearly 2-1 registration advantage, but independents make up nearly a third of voters.
