DOVER — Change is afoot everywhere as new federal and statewide administrations step into power in the coming months, but two new leaders say the spirit of Delaware legislature won’t change much in the mix.
With the 2025 legislative session a little less than a month away, both the Republican and Democratic Caucuses have seen shake-ups. After Rep. Valarie Longhust (D-Bear) lost in the primary election, the House Democrats regrouped and nominated Rep. Melissa “Mimi” Minor-Brown (D-New Castle) as the next house speaker.
This time, the Republican House also changed up its leadership with Rep. Tim Dukes (R-Laurel) as the House minority leader, and with Rep. Jeff Spiegelman (R-Clayton) as the House minority whip. As the legislators are counting down the clock, there’s some anticipation in what comes next when Gov.-elect Matt Meyer takes the oath of office.
“I think everybody is in a wait and see mode. The biggest thing is the idea that it’s a brand new day,” Spiegelman (R-Clayton), the newest minority whip for the House, told the Delaware Business Times.
“We have new leadership here in our caucus and new leadership on the other side, as well as in the state and across the country which really could have profound effects on the federal side of things,” he added. “As a caucus, here in Delaware, we have some things that we’d like to accomplish and constituents that we’d like to serve. There are big decisions to make here.”
Looking at the numbers, 14 representatives make up the Republican Caucus in Delaware’s House after the most recent election, leaving 27 Democrats in their neighboring seats. But Spiegelman said working across the aisle is something Delaware excels at with its residents and businesses in mind.
“The reality of the map here is that anything Republicans propose must have bipartisan support,” he told DBT. “And we’re still a [small state]. The access you get to your legislators here is unparalleled to most states in the country. There’s not a lot of states where you can have the kind of one-on-one meetings with shot callers in the government like you can here. We have a more responsive and more nimble government and that has helped us along the way.”
Minor-Brown (D-New Castle), who will head up the session as her first its leader, echoed many of Spiegelman’s comments in a separate interview.
“Bipartisanship is all about communication and we do that well here to dive into who a bill will impact, which population, and really look at things from a holistic approach. It’s not about which party you represent,” she said. “Every piece of legislation that we pass in this state impacts every person in some way. We need to look at how we can be proactive and protect progress made in Delaware so far. Building trust, finding common ground and pursuing the greater good is key to that and that means unity is at the greater heart here.”
While both leaders hinted at upcoming issues of concern for the business community, both also declined to name specific policies without having concrete information to share.
Spiegelman mentioned several key issues which went unresolved or had not yet been implemented from the two-year General Assembly that just passed which “could have a major effect on the business community,” such as a homeless bill of rights, electric vehicle mandates, family leave and the ongoing growth of Delaware’s budget.
“There’s always bills in other states that are quite blue like we are such as minimum wage increases and rent control that the business community should probably watch to keep an eye out for the things we don’t want to see happen here,” he told DBT, adding that he hopes the state doesn’t see proposed changes to its corporate franchise structure amidst the vast number of changes on the horizon.
He and Minor-Brown both told DBT that they are excited for their new roles in the House and are looking forward to working with the business community as they work in the legislature that will affect every Delawarean.
“I will say that there’s a crisis of hope that people are feeling right now [from the federal and state administration changes] and as a caucus, we have to continue to exemplify those values we talked about when we ran for office. That also means we have to work with the other side of the aisle and think outside of the box,” Minor Brown said. “But I’m optimistic and ready to help identify our state’s kitchen table needs. Our community is looking at us as leaders to get stuff done. We need to be focused on maintaining our progress and continuing its growth.”
