Delaware
An embarrassment of riches in Delaware’s District 14 House race
Gay, lesbian candidates and an ally competing in Sept. 10 primary

As summer draws to a close, attention is increasingly focused on the upcoming primary and general elections.
In Delaware’s 14th District of the state House of Representatives, which includes Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, and southern Lewes, three candidates are running to replace state Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, a longtime LGBTQ ally.
Kathy McGuiness, Claire Snyder-Hall, and Marty Rendon are all hoping to win the seat of the former speaker of the House, who announced he would not run for reelection after 20 years in office.
It’s an embarrassment of riches for the local LGBTQ community. Of the three running for the seat, two — Claire Snyder-Hall and Marty Rendon — identify as members of the LGBTQ community. McGuiness is a strong LGBTQ ally.
Snyder-Hall, a lesbian, has a long history in the 14th District and in politics. Drawing from her leadership at the Delaware office of Common Cause, a national organization dedicated to protecting and strengthening democracy, and her 20 years as a political science professor at George Mason University, she has extensive experience in politics.
“I’m representing the district, but I’m also representing our whole community,” Snyder-Hall said in an interview with the Washington Blade. “The LGBTQ+ community is so large — it’s not just Rehoboth Beach proper, which is one-mile square, or even unincorporated Rehoboth. We’re spreading out into western Sussex, going south. A lot of people don’t have any representation in the General Assembly because they have, I’ll say it, Republicans, representing them. I see myself as representing the entire community.”
Snyder-Hall said she has spent her entire life fighting for this community.
“I’ve spent decades working on LGBTQ+ rights,” she said. “My wife and I were lobby captains in Maryland for Equality Maryland before we moved to Rehoboth. I ran the phone bank with Chris Beagle at CAMP Rehoboth for months.”
This experience, she said, in tandem with how the current national political system is moving, is why she decided to run.
“This is the most important election of our lifetime. Choice is on the ballot. LGBTQ+ rights are on the ballot. Democracy is on the ballot, and indeed, the American Dream itself is on the ballot as we face a series of crises that are threatening our prosperity and quality of life.”
The complex community of the 14th District, Snyder-Hall explains, is diverse, and requires a representative who understands the nuanced issues of the area. Of these issues, healthcare in Delaware is a major focus of her campaign.
“Healthcare, including both reproductive healthcare and protections for gender-affirming care, are critically important across Delaware,” the former professor said. “We’re having a severe shortage of healthcare providers in eastern Sussex, and that’s something that I hear at the doorsteps all the time. I’ve knocked on thousands of doors, and it’s a common thing. We also have to make absolutely sure that reproductive choice is protected, and I favor a constitutional amendment to protect abortion, protect reproductive freedom, including abortion access.”
In addition to abortion protections, Snyder-Hall highlighted another aspect of healthcare policy she wishes to address: gender-affirming care. As states across the country begin to pass more laws restricting and regulating transgender healthcare, she is in favor of protecting the right to gender-affirming healthcare.
“We’re starting to become a state that’s receiving a lot of so-called ‘refugees’ from other states that are persecuting trans people,” she said. “I think it’s really important that we extend the protections that we already have in place for reproductive care to providers of gender-affirming care. So for a variety of reasons, healthcare is really pressing.”
Snyder-Hall added she encourages the state to pass legislation enshrining protections for the LGBTQ community.
“I would like to see a constitutional amendment that protects sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression and disability,” she said. “That’s something that was filed a couple years ago and didn’t move, but now we have a new speaker of the House, Valerie Longhurst, and she was the sponsor of that bill, so that makes me optimistic about its future.”
Marty Rendon, who is also running for the seat, highlighted protecting LGBTQ Delawareans as a major issue for his campaign. Rendon, who is gay and Mexican-American, worked in Washington for most of his career as a congressional aide and director for congressional relations for UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund).
Rendon remembers when Rehoboth was less welcoming of the LGBTQ community.
“I can remember when signs used to be up saying ‘Keep Rehoboth a family town’ and there were attacks on gay people, physical attacks, and there were slurs and things,” Rendon recalled. “It was not necessarily a welcoming place, but over time, thanks to the efforts of groups like CAMP Rehoboth and other groups like the Washington Blade, they helped plant the flag for us … We’re now a very viable part of the community. I think it shows you how far we’ve come, the fact that an openly gay man like me has a really good chance of winning the seat and representing everybody, not just our community, but everybody.”
Rendon added that an openly gay candidate winning the seat would be a welcome step in the right direction.
“It’s not every day that we have the opportunity to send somebody from the LGBTQ+ community to an elected position, particularly in Rehoboth Beach which has a very, very strong LGBTQ+ community,” Rendon said. “Why not send someone from our community?”
The Movement Advancement Project, which tracks more than 50 LGBTQ-related laws and policies in every state in the U.S., ranked Delaware as “Medium Overall LGBTQ Policies.” The project explains there are protections for gay couples to get married, but they are not as exhaustive as other states when it comes to other LGBTQ matters, including healthcare, adoption, and anti-bullying laws.
In addition to advocating for LGBTQ protections, Rendon also said that climate change and healthcare are his two biggest issues, as he explains they impact everyone regardless of sexuality, income, and background.
“One of the biggest issues we’re facing here as a coastal state is the effect of climate change,” Rendon began. “Right now, we’re worrying about tornadoes coming in every time there’s a hurricane alert. We worry that our shoreline is very low, and we worry about the ocean rising. We worry about our inland waterways that close. Climate issues are very, very concerning to us here, and I think everybody’s affected by that.”
His opinions on the issue of healthcare echoed Snyder-Hall’s views, and particularly highlighted accessibility in Delaware.
“The healthcare costs are important, but when I knock on doors here and I talk to people, the biggest issue is access to healthcare,” he said. “How do we, particularly, when you’re down here in southern Delaware, [get access]? Let’s say you need a specialist. Well, do you have to go to Wilmington, Philadelphia, Baltimore, D.C.? Where do you find the specialist? We need to attract specialists, but then the regular primary health care providers, the physician’s assistants, the nurses, we need more of those people, and we need to get them to come here.”
His solution, he told the Blade, is already in the works and is achievable if the work is put in. This would benefit everyone in the community, he explains, but particularly some of Sussex County’s most vulnerable (and growing) demographic — people who come to the beach to retire.
“One of the ways that a lot of folks have thought might be a part of the solution is this idea of getting a medical school here, particularly in Sussex County. And now that idea is not a pipe dream…There are people working on that, the Sussex development folks are working on it.”
“We also should think about incentives to encourage people to come to areas that are less medically served than others,” Rendon added. “We don’t want to send people to Philadelphia to school and then they stay there to pay off their medical school debts.”
Kathy McGuiness, the third candidate running for the state house seat also explained healthcare in District 14 is central to her campaign. McGuiness, who is a third-generation local resident of Rehoboth Beach, studied biology and DNA research in college, eventually going to Northeastern in Boston for a degree in pharmacy. After getting her degree, she returned to Rehoboth, started her family, and “bought an old dying pharmacy.”
McGuiness eventually turned to local government after working in medicine for 30 years. She was a City of Rehoboth Commissioner from 2000-2012 and in 2014-2018. This experience, she explained, allowed her to see the issues in her community up close and ways to address them.
“I think the most pressing issues are bringing the resources to the 14th District,” she said. “If I’m speaking for the 14th District, we need money here for infrastructure, for transportation. We were an underserved area in the healthcare world 30 years ago, and now we’re still underserved even more so actually. We’re federally recognized as being underserved. We don’t have enough healthcare professionals. We’re in a crisis. As a pharmacist, I see that firsthand.”
“I see a lot of folks that move here without an advocate. “‘[Delaware] has low taxes. Let’s go retire,’ and they’re still having to go back to New York or New Jersey or Maryland or Virginia to see their doctors because they can’t get an appointment here.”
Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf, the incumbent, endorsed McGuiness. Schwartzkopf has a long history of supporting LGBTQ issues despite not being a part of the community himself. McGuiness told the Blade this is why he chose to endorse her campaign.
“I think that’s why Pete has endorsed me, because he knows I’m aligned with his thinking. He knows that I will continue the good work and champion and be supportive of the LGBTQ community, and that that includes the trans youth and gender identity, you name it, I am there as a supporter, and I will be a fierce advocate. I will continue to champion or co-champion, or assist those who are bringing forth good legislation for our protections.”
Rendon says his independence is why he is the best fit for the job.
“At this point in my life, I’m retired,” Rendon said. “It’s my full job. I don’t have anything to distract me. I don’t have any special interests. I’m kind of dangerous because nobody controls me. No PAC controls me. No special interest. I’m not doing this for my law firm, my insurance company or my real estate, none of that stuff. I’m just doing this to serve.”
Snyder-Hall emphasizes that having experience within the community is what will make her a good representative. She pointed out that sometimes people don’t agree when writing laws, but that’s where the work starts.
“There’s no shortcut when you’re trying to pass legislation. You have to try to reason with people. You try to appeal to their humanity. You try to appeal to their hearts — like when we did the marriage equality fight. Try to appeal to reason, to people’s hearts, to their humanity, and to their interests.”
The primary election is Sept. 10. For more information about the election visit elections.delaware.gov and for information on each candidate you can visit their websites at: mcguinessfordelaware.com, martyrendon.com, and clairesnyderhall.com.
Delaware
Delaware governor issues executive order creating LGBTQ+ Commission
Body to ‘strengthen ties’ between government and community

Delaware Gov. Bethany Hall-Long on Jan. 16 signed and issued an executive order creating a Delaware State LGBTQ+ Commission that she said will hold public forums for the exchange of ideas on the needs of the state’s diverse LGBTQ community.
“The nine-member commission will serve to strengthen ties between the government and LGBTQ+ organizations,” a statement released by the governor’s office says.
The statement adds that the new commission will “help remove barriers to societal participation for LGBTQ+ people and improve the delivery of services to the community in Delaware to areas such as employment, equality, education, and mental health.”
It says that members of the commission will be appointed by the governor and serve without monetary compensation for a three-year term.
According to the statement, the commission members “will represent different facets of the LGBTQ+ community, taking into account age, race, gender, identity, background, life experiences and other factors, and reflect the geographic diversity of the state.”
Hall-Long’s executive order creating the new commission came at a time when she is serving in effect as interim governor for a period of just two weeks. As lieutenant governor, she became governor on Jan. 7 when outgoing Gov. John Carney resigned to take office in his newly elected position of mayor of Wilmington.
Carney, who served two terms as governor, could not run again for that position under Delaware’s term limit law. Democrat Matt Myer won the governor’s election in November and will be sworn in as Delaware’s next governor on Jan. 21, when Hall-Long will step down.
Myer was expected to appoint the commission members in the weeks following his assumption of gubernatorial duties.
“Ultimately, the commission will advise the governor, members of the governor’s Cabinet, members of the General Assembly, and other policymakers on the effect of agency policies, procedures, practices, laws, and administrative rules on the unique challenges and needs of LGBTQ+ people,” the statement released by Hall-Long’s office says.
“It is truly an honor to bring this commission to fruition, and I am very excited to see the positive changes the commission will make in the lives of our LGBTQ+ neighbors,” Hall-Long said in the statement.
David Mariner, executive director of Sussex Pride, an LGBTQ advocacy group based in Delaware’s Sussex County, which includes Rehoboth Beach, praised the new executive order as an important step in advancing LGBTQ equality.
“It is my hope that through this commission, we can address the critical issues facing LGBTQ Delawareans,” Mariner said in his own statement.
“This includes developing an LGBTQ health report with a tangible roadmap to health equity, increasing collaboration and communication on hate crimes and hate-related activities, and ensuring that nondiscrimination protections, guaranteed by law, are a reality for all of our residents,” he said.
The statement announcing the LGBTQ+ Commission and the full text of the executive order can be accessed here.
Delaware
Delaware advocacy group to host panel on media’s role in countering hate
Blade editor among journalists participating in Wednesday event

LEWES, Del. — Speak Out Against Hate (SOAH) will hold its bi-monthly community meeting at 5 p.m. on Nov. 13 at the Lewes Library and via Zoom. The meeting will concentrate on the role of the press in responding to the divisiveness and rising tide of hatred in our country and communities.
The meeting will feature a panel of journalists comprised of Chris Rauch, owner and publisher of the Cape Gazette; Benjamin Rothstein, journalist at the Daily State News and its sister paper the Greater Dover Independent; Kevin Naff, editor and co-owner of the Washington Blade; and Jake Owens, editor-in-chief of Spotlight Delaware.
Patty Maloney, president of SOAH said, “Following a national and state elections that saw our country nearly evenly divided, this important discussion with our local press will shine a light upon the role of the press locally and nationally in confronting the obvious chasm within our citizenry.”
For more information about the event and to register, please visit Speak Out Against Hate at soah-de.org.
Speak Out Against Hate was formed to confront and counter the rising tide of hate, whenever and wherever it exists.

The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected].
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Congratulations to Second Block Hospitality, winners of the Delaware Restaurant Association’s designation as Restaurateurs of the Year. This award was won by business partners Lion Gardner, David Gonce, Tyler Townsend, and Bob Suppies, whose Second Block Hospitality restaurants include Bodhi Kitchen, The Pines, and Drift, all in Rehoboth Beach, Del.
“The partners of Second Block Hospitality, each bring unique expertise from diverse business backgrounds, and have successfully united to create a flourishing restaurant group in downtown Rehoboth Beach. Their first venture, The Pines, was inspired by the rich history and hospitality of old Rehoboth Beach, where pine trees meet the ocean. Their newest ventures, Drift Seafood & Raw Bar, and Bodhi Kitchen, showcase sophisticated seafood and Asian-inspired street food, earning awards, accolades, and features in top regional publications. Driven by a mission of hospitality, innovation, and community, the team exemplifies the qualities honored by the Restaurateurs of the Year Award, celebrating their passion, diversity, and creativity in Delaware’s dining scene.”
Townsend said, “The entire team at Second Block Hospitality is thrilled to have won Restaurateurs of the Year. Since 2018, we have worked hard to bring the very best in dining, cocktails, entertainment, and décor.”
Suppies added, “Yes, winning this award truly validates we are on the right path to keep bringing innovative design paired with amazing food and drinks. More is coming from Second Block for sure.”
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