John Carney Launches Congressional Campaign
April 15, 2009

Carney Tells Delawareans: I will be a strong, independent voice fighting to help address the challenges we face as a state and a country

Wilmington, DE – This morning, former Delaware Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Finance John Carney filed an official Committee to run for Delaware’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Carney, a Claymont native and long time Wilmington resident who served two terms as Lieutenant Governor from 2001 through January of 2009, issued the following statement announcing his candidacy:

“With our economy in a recession and unemployment continuing to rise, our country and our state are facing unprecedented challenges. To address them, we need strong, experienced leaders who can rise above partisanship and bring people together to address these challenges. I’ll be that kind of leader in Congress – one who works with both Republicans and Democrats to move our country forward, starting with a focus on creating jobs and getting our economy back on track.”

“Throughout my career in public service, it’s been a great privilege to serve the people of Delaware. I’m running for Congress to continue my commitment to public service. In the tradition of Vice-President and former Senator Biden and Senator Carper, I’ll be a strong, independent voice in Congress for all Delawareans and I will work with President Obama and his administration to get our economy moving again and to address the significant challenges we face as a country.”

Carney has spent almost two decades serving the people of Delaware, first as a staff assistant to then Senator Joe Biden, as the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for County Executive Dennis Greenhouse, as Deputy Chief of Staff and Secretary of Finance under former Governor Tom Carper and later as Lieutenant Governor. Throughout his career he has worked to save and create jobs at the Wilmington Riverfront, the Port of Wilmington and most recently with his new private sector position as President and Chief Operating Officer of Transformative Technologies. Recently, Governor Markell recognized Carney for his assistance with the Barclays Bank expansion in Delaware, which was announced in February.

As Lt. Governor, Carney also worked tirelessly to improve schools through his Models of Excellence in Education project. He visited schools across the state and volunteered his time to mentor students at Warner Elementary School in Wilmington. He is now leading an Urban Education Initiative through the Hope Commission.

Carney has also worked hard to expand health care for the uninsured in Delaware. Through his role as Chair of the Delaware Health Care Commission, Carney developed a plan to move to universal coverage with a smart, affordable approach. He has also promoted health, nutrition and physical activity through the Lt. Governor’s Challenge and worked to fight cancer and reduce cancer rates as a member of the Cancer Consortium. Carney fought to pass Delaware’s smoking ban which has significantly reduced rates of smoking among teenagers and adults. As he has throughout his career, Carney plans to make health care reform a priority in his campaign for Congress.

As Secretary of Finance, he worked with Governor Carper and the General Assembly to provide the people of Delaware with over $200 million in personal income, business, and senior citizens property tax cuts while creating jobs and growing Delaware’s economy.

Carney launched his campaign’s website this morning, www.johncarneyforcongress.com