Delaware
Delaware gubernatorial candidates meet for latest head-to-head debate
Delaware’s gubernatorial candidates Matt Meyer and Mike Ramone faced off on the debate stage Thursday at the University of Delaware.
The debate included conversations on education, health care, housing and climate change, which led to several opposing takes from Meyer and Ramone.
While they agreed Delaware’s educational funding structure should be reworked, the pair clashed on the issue of voucher programs for charter and private schools. The Republican Ramone said constituents should have options.
“I absolutely believe if a child and their family’s only ability is to go to a failing public school, they should have the ability to go somewhere else, whether they have to get a tax voucher to offset that cost, or whatever,” Ramone said. “That’s our obligation – to allow children to go to a school that works.”
The Democrat Meyer – a former math teacher – said voucher programs are a dangerous route to take.
“It’s a right wing attempt, a Republican attempt, to drain the public school of resources and get tax breaks for wealthy people who are already sending their kids to private school,” Meyer said.
The candidates found themselves divided again when discussing how to address the affordable housing crisis in Delaware.
Ramone pointed to a loss of opportunity as the source of homelessness.
“We have municipalities that have created so many regulatory hurdles for builders to be able to build a community in a way that is affordable. If you’re making them have all these regulatory byproducts that they have to put in a home, they will never be able to produce affordable homes, and they’re only going to produce what makes money.”
Ramone added he wants to bring the real estate transfer tax down to 3% rather than raising it to 4%.
Meyer said he sees housing as a basic right.
“I don’t think tax cuts are a solution to our crisis of affordability. I think there are Delawareans out there really struggling,” Meyer said. “The rent is too damn high, and we’ve got to get up as leaders and get shit done.”
In the weeks following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the two were also asked about climate change and resiliency.
Meyer and Ramone both said climate change is real, though Ramone emphasized that it is both natural and manmade.
“It’s a little bit of both,” Ramone said. “But we have to come with strong, big solutions, not put sandbags up or whatever. We have to use our money – that when we have a void at the Indian River Inlet, we don’t sit there and babysit it for three years and let it run over.”
Meyer said Delaware needs to urgently invest in infrastructure and resiliency to be prepared as people living in low-lying areas.
When asked about resilience and climate change, Ramone brought up his opposition to an electric vehicle mandate, something Meyer later concurred with.
“I think you just asked my opponent about the challenges of resiliency in the face of these hurricanes, which are literally killing our fellow Americans because of lack of preparedness,” Meyer said. “… My opponent said a solution is to eliminate an electric vehicle mandate, which will not save lives. We need to invest in resiliency. We need to invest in infrastructure. Climate change is real, Mr. Ramone, and we need to act with urgency. It is truly an existential crisis.”
Evan Krape/Evan Krape / University of Delaw
When conversation turned toward transparency, Ramone identified part of Delaware’s problem as having Democrats largely at the helm of state government.
“How do you fix it?” Ramone asked. “That’s why God gave us two parties. You bring in balance. Delaware needs to decide whether they think we should have every single statewide seat, the governor’s seat, a super majority in the Senate, and, if my opponent’s last email to raise more money comes true, a super majority in the House – all of one party.”
Both candidates have supported creating an inspector general’s office to address transparency and accountability in Delaware.
“The first step to having ethics and transparency in government is making sure we elect ethical leaders,” Meyer said.
Even in their opinions on how to approach the role of governor, the candidates differed. Ramone said he currently looks to represent everyone in his district, regardless of their identities.
“I represent people. I help people. My job as a governor isn’t to exercise my morality. My job as a governor is to keep our community safe, keep our people in an environment where safety is always top,” Ramone said.
Voters elect leaders to make moral judgments, Meyer said.
“I think that there should be steps taken by our state government to make sure that historic inequities are being addressed. And so if I see bills or ideas that come across my desk, proposals from departments across our government that conflict with those ethics, with those ideals, I will veto them or work to stop them.”
Meyer referenced Gov. Carney’s decision to veto the medical aid in dying bill and said he respects the governor’s decision to cite his morals in his explanation.
In their concluding statements, Ramone and Meyer made their final asks. Ramone called on voters to shift Delaware’s one-party habits and balance out the state, while Meyer highlighted his passion, stoked by his time as a “pissed off math teacher” frustrated by a lack of real change.
VENTNOR, N.J. (WPVI) — A Delaware woman is behind bars in connection with a hit-and-run crash in November at the Jersey shore.
(The video in the player above is from previous coverage.)
The incident happened around 6:16 p.m. on Nov. 20 in Ventnor, New Jersey.
READ MORE | Video shows Jersey shore hit-and-run crash that left 92-year-old injured
Police said the 92-year-old victim was struck at Ventnor and Newport avenues. He sustained serious injuries and was transported to an area hospital.
Investigators said the driver, Leslie Myers, 51, of Weldin Park, Delaware, fled the scene after the crash.
She was arrested Wednesday on charges of assault by auto, leaving the scene of an accident and other related offenses.
Myers is being held in the Allegheny County Jail in Pennsylvania, awaiting extradition to New Jersey.
Copyright © 2026 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
This story is part of the WHYY News Climate Desk, bringing you news and solutions for our changing region.
From the Poconos to the Jersey Shore to the mouth of the Delaware Bay, what do you want to know about climate change? What would you like us to cover? Get in touch.
Delaware’s top environmental regulators have proposed steps to reduce climate-warming fossil fuel pollution, while protecting residents from threats like extreme heat and floods.
The state’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control on Wednesday released its 2025 Climate Action Plan. The nonbinding proposal outlines a path to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, as required by the state’s Climate Change Solutions Act.
Officials said Delaware residents continue to experience the impacts of climate change including severe storms like the 2021 Hurricane Ida, which forced people out of their homes, with some remaining unhoused a year later. In addition, sea level rise and beach erosion has flooded coastal communities and damaged critical infrastructure.
“Flooding, extreme storms and heat damage infrastructure that wasn’t built to withstand these conditions, including our energy systems,” said Susan Love, the agency’s climate and sustainability section administrator. “Sea level rise is drowning wetlands and uplands, and impacting water quality and availability. Damage from storms has increased costs for infrastructure and insurance coverage, and all of these impacts can negatively impact human health as well.”
Recommendations include strategies to reduce emissions from vehicles, industrial activities and electricity production — the source of the state’s top climate emissions.
The plan, which builds on similar goals set in 2021, comes as President Donald Trump’s administration has cut clean energy funding and prioritized U.S. reliance on fossil fuels.
“There is no doubt that the reduced funding in a lot of these areas from the federal government makes these goals and strategies harder to implement,” said DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson. “It is up to us to keep trying to work towards them, even knowing that it’s going to be a little harder to do without the federal resources that even a year ago we thought we could count on.”
Delaware officials plan to promote public transit, electric vehicles and clean hydrogen
The plan calls for increased bus and train ridership while improving access to electric vehicles and charging stations. Though lawmakers repealed a mandate that would have required manufacturers to produce a set number of electric vehicles, DNREC wants to expand programs that incentivize the optional sale of electric vehicles.
However, Love emphasized the state “can’t EV our way out of transportation emission.”
“A lot of work needs to be done as well to reduce the amount that we drive vehicles, by good land use choices, mass transit and making it easier for people to walk, bike and roll to their destinations,” she said.
E-bikes alternative to cars for commuters top seller for bike shops
Eletric bikes are growing in popularity and have become a hot item in the bike industry. Bikes with motors are replacing cars for urban commuters.
Sure, cars and motorcycles are popular ways to get around. But if you can’t afford either one, an electric bike might save the day like Delaware’s own Superman.
Then again, is it legal to cruise around on an electric bike or electric scooter in Delaware?
Here’s a guide to help you stay out of trouble when traveling in the Small Wonder:
What are Delaware laws for riding electric bikes?
An electric bicycle may be ridden anywhere bicycles are allowed (unless posted otherwise), which includes streets, highways, roadways, shoulders and bicycle lanes.
Delaware prohibits anyone under the age of 16 from operating an electric bicycle, which features pedal assist only and tops off at 28 mph.
Difference between electric scooter, triped and moped explained
A motorized skateboard or scooter is any vehicle with two wheels on the ground, handlebars and a hand-controlled throttle or brake, designed to be stood or sat upon by the operator, according to Delaware law.
While mopeds and tripeds are similar in design and size, mopeds have two wheels and tripeds have three wheels.
Where can you legally ride motorized vehicles?
Delaware law states that motorized skateboards or scooters can be used on public streets or highways as long as they are in the neutral position or the powertrain function is disengaged. However, in Newark, you can be fined $100 for riding motorized scooters on streets and sidewalks.
Mopeds and tripeds are prohibited on interstates and operating railroads, according to the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles.
Do you need insurance for a triped or moped?
No motor vehicle insurance is required for operating a moped or triped, according to the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles.
What rules are there for riding a scooter?
Delaware state law states that a person cannot operate a motorized skateboard or scooter while under the influence of alcohol or any drug.
Are there license and registration requirements for electric bikes?
If you want to operate scooters, they must be tagged and registered by the Division of Motor Vehicles, and the operator must have a valid driver’s license.
The Delaware DMV states that a basic driver’s license is required to travel with a moped or triped on public roadways.
The state of Delaware does not have any licensing or registration requirements for electric bikes.
Who can legally ride an electric scooter?
The minimum age to operate a scooter is 16. No person under 12 can operate a scooter unless they are under adult supervision or a parent or legal guardian.
Is there a law for wearing a helmet on a motorized scooter or skateboard?
To operate a motorized skateboard or scooter, bicycle-type helmets are required for those under 16, according to Delaware State law.
If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters
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