DELAWARE - After 48 years in office, Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) visited polling places across the state of Delaware on his final election day in office, reflecting on a long career and meeting the communities he served.
During his time in public office, Carper has held the roles of State Treasurer, Congressman, Governor, and Senator. The senator told WBOC that, as he visited polling places today, there was always a warm welcome.
"People could not have been kinder and more thoughtful," Carper said. "Thanking me for my service. If I'd known people were gonna be this warm and friendly I might've quit sooner! Not really, not really."
After decades of public service, Carper said this election day, the first one he hasn't been on the ballot on since 1976, was bittersweet. However, the Senator said that not running for re-election is a bit of a relief.
"My wife and I decided to announce about 6 months ago that I wasn't going to run for re-election, and about every other day she turns to me and she says 'Aren't you glad you're not running for anything?'," Carper said. "And I say 'You know, I am glad.'"
Carper isn't the only long-standing Delaware politician marking the end of his career this election. The Senator and President Biden spent years working together in office.
"I'm gonna give him a call in a couple of days and see if he wants to have breakfast and we'll compare notes," Carper said. "We'll talk about how he convinced me to run Congress a long, long time ago and how much we've gotten done by working together."
As ballots are counted tonight, the senator said he's proud to pass the torch to a new generation of Delaware leadership.
"One of the great joys for me has been to see people who were part of my team when I was governor, members of my cabinet, serve as governor and secretaries of this and that and congresspersons and even in the US Senate," Carper said. "That is enormously satisfying for me."
Carper said, once his retirement starts, he hopes to travel the country visiting national parks with his family. He also stressed the importance of voting, urging Delawareans to get out to the polls before they close at 8 pm.
