Rep. John Carney enters 2016 governor race

WILMINGTON ““ Rep. John Carney announced his second run for governor of Delaware today. He said he originally had intended to support the late Attorney General Joseph R. Biden III for the job.

John C. Carney, Jr.

“I had intended to support Beau Biden as our state’s next governor and continue my work in Congress. Beau knew there are big challenges facing our state — and he would have been the man to meet them. Like so many across our state, I wish he’d had that chance,” Carney said.

Carney, a former lieutenant governor, lost a gubernatorial bid in 2008. Since 2011, he has served as Delaware’s Congressman. In the late 1990s, he served as state secretary of finance.

“Through my three decades working in federal, county, and state government, I’ve seen how government works and learned how to make it work better. I’ve learned that you don’t get anything done by fighting, or demonizing your opponents. I’ve learned that Delawareans want their public officials to be honest and straightforward,” Carney said in the press release announcing his run. “I’ve learned that to be an effective leader, you need to stay true to those who elected you to lead. And I’ve learned that you need to stay true to yourself. I’ve tried to bring those lessons to bear in my work as Delaware’s Congressman. And it’s the kind of governor I hope to be.”

Carney said that, although he was filing now, his active campaign will begin sometime in 2016. “There will be plenty of time for that as we get closer to the election, and there’s too much important work to do in Congress right now,” he said.

Immediately after Carney’s announcement, Sen Tom Carper, endorsed his candidacy.