DELAWARE - Delaware Senator Tom Carper’s announcement that he will not be seeking re-election has elicited an outpouring of support and well-wishes from his fellow Democratic lawmakers.
Governor John Carney released a statement lauding the Senator’s decades-long service to the First State.
“I was fortunate to serve on then-Governor Carper’s staff, and in his cabinet,” Carney said. “For me, the Senator has been a friend, a mentor, and a constant source of good advice. And I know I’m not alone in that respect. Throughout his time in Congress, as Governor, and his four terms in the U.S. Senate, he mentored countless public officials who came behind him.”
“There’s not a corner in Delaware that has not been shaped and uplifted by Senator Tom Carper’s nearly five decades of passionate service to our state,” said Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long. “Beloved for his unique wit, his unparalleled work ethic, and his unofficial record of shaking more hands than any other Delaware elected official, Senator Carper is a servant leader to his core.”
Delaware State Senate President Pro Tempore Dave Sokola, Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, and Senate Majority Whip Elizabeth Lockman released a joint statement Monday as well.
“As a U.S. Navy veteran, a former state treasurer, a former U.S. Congressman, a recovering governor, as he liked to say, and nearly a quarter century as our U.S. Senator, Tom Carper’s accomplishments are almost too numerous to count, his impact on Delaware too enormous to fathom, and his legacy too great to fully comprehend,” they said.
In his remarks this morning, Senator Carper endorsed Delaware Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester to replace him in the Senate. Blunt Rochester also released a statement praising Carper.
“To me, this is Tom Carper’s legacy,” Rep. Blunt Rochester’s statement reads. “That he deeply loved our state of neighbors. That he worked tirelessly every single day to make it a better place. And that in his endeavor, he succeeded.”
Carper’s fellow Delaware Senator Chris Coons had this to add: “Senator Carper isn’t just a colleague and a friend, he has shaped Delaware across more than 50 years of service.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also released a statement on Carper’s announcement: “I know everyone in the Senate will certainly miss Tom, especially myself. To Tom and his entire family, thank you for everything you have done for our county.”
“Senator Carper is one-of-a kind,” Delaware’s Governor Carney concluded in his statement. “His leadership in Washington will be sorely missed - but I’m confident he’ll find ways to stay involved for the good of our state.”
