I am no stranger to hard work, I was raised on the family farm by parents who taught me the value of a job well done, but I’m also no stranger to how much a few changes in fortune can leave even our hardest workers on the sidelines.

When I was just eleven, my father was in a traumatic accident that left him in a wheelchair and unable to work, and my mother and brother were both diagnosed with cancer. I am grateful every day that they were all fortunate enough to recover, but their struggles left a lasting impression on me, showing me how important it is that we build an economy that can support families in both good times and bad.

During the COVID pandemic, I fought to make sure that small businesses would make it out of the crisis. I was proud to co-chair an advisory council made up of over 50 Delaware leaders from health experts to entrepreneurs, and lead roundtables with small business owners from across the state to hear their concerns and help address issues caused by the pandemic. 

I know a fair economy is an equitable one. 

Leading weekly calls with figures from the Black, Latino, faith, and arts communities, I helped ensure that Delaware’s pandemic response efforts were not leaving anyone behind. To date, we’ve hosted over 200 calls to keep everyone’s voices included in the rebuilding process. 

Transitioning out of the dark days of the pandemic, I’m now moving those efforts toward making Delaware the best place to live, work, and raise a family. 

I created the division of small business to attract good-paying jobs to Delaware and worked with Governor Carney to restructure our economic development plans to allow for even better opportunities for Delawareans. I’m proud to say that my time as Lieutenant Governor has been spent working hard to build the kind of long-term economic and financial security that I hope to make even stronger as your Governor. 

We’ve made so much progress, but there’s still a lot left to do to make Delaware the best place to live, work, and raise a family. I hope you’ll join me in this fight.

Thank you for all you do, 

—Bethany Hall-Long