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With the presidential election just a few days away, the high-stakes race is never completely out of mind for Delawareans running errands or out shopping.

Republican candidate former President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris are making their final pitches this week ahead of Election Day.

GOP voters ducking into stores in a shopping center in New Castle County voiced concerns this week about the state of today’s political discourse and hope a new administration will put America on a positive track.

Norm Jacobs, a retired police officer, said he supports Trump for president because he liked Trump’s policies when he was in office four years ago.

Jacobs said one reason he likes Trump is because he opposes noncitizens entering the country through the U.S.-Mexico border. The former president is promising mass deportations of undocumented migrants.

“People are getting raped, getting killed,” Jacobs said. “You know, people are living in fear.”

Data compiled by academics and think tanks have shown that immigrants do not commit crime at a higher rate than native-born Americans. 

Jacobs said he’s also voting for Trump because of his support for Israel in its war in Gaza and his opposition to transgender people playing on women’s sports teams.

Wilmington resident Kane Phillips said while he’s a registered Republican, he’ll be supporting Kamala Harris this year. He said he hopes the “hate-mongering” will go away after the election, including the kind of remarks made at a recent Trump rally at Madison Square Garden in New York.

“There were some very derogatory comments made to American citizens,” he said. “I don’t care for that.”

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe received fierce blowback for calling Puerto Rico “a floating island of garbage” during his rally speech. Another speaker, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, falsely described Harris at the rally as “low IQ” and inaccurately described Harris’s race, which is Black and Asian American. Trump also has questioned the vice president’s intelligence.

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A Delaware group hoping to set the agenda for the next 10 years of improving the state’s schools is out with its latest proposal.

Since 2005, the Vision Coalition of Delaware has focused on shaping education through 10-year plans, starting with Vision 2015 and followed by Student Success 2025. Now in its third phase, the group aims to improve funding equity among districts, better support teachers and improve student outcomes both after high school and in early childhood classes.

Organized by the Rodel Foundation, the coalition consists of leaders across various industries, working to shape the future of Delaware’s education system.

“The Vision Coalition, from the time it began … has been focused on working alongside our education systems in Delaware to support work in the necessary areas,” said Shelley Rouser, department chair for the education department at Delaware State University.

“So while the vision to support school systems and making sure that practices and policies are an alignment with school needs, that’s been a constant focus for the Vision Coalition. What’s changed over time are …  you know what those needs are. So while that has evolved, the mission has remained constant.”

With over 30 years in education — from classroom teaching to district leadership and now a university role — Rouser gained first-hand insight into the field’s evolution. As part of the leadership team, she’s seen how the changing educational landscape affects students, educators and policies, identifying unique needs and challenges at every level.

In 2023, the coalition surveyed educators, parents and the public to assess the current state of education. The findings highlighted notable improvements statewide in educational technology, mental health support and early childhood education, reflecting positive changes across diverse perspectives.

Despite those advancements, Rouser said that after hearing ideas and concerns from the public at various forums, there’s still areas in need of improvement.