Presidential candidate finds relief in Rehoboth

Democratic presidential candidate and former Maryland Congressman John Delaney had been campaigning for 13 straight days before he was able to take one day off in Rehoboth Beach July 5.

Delaney said he’s had his North Shores home for 10 years now. He said he and his family knew Rehoboth was where they wanted a vacation home ever since visiting with friends many years ago.

“It’s a great family place, and this is a great family community,” he said. “With two of our daughters living in New York, it just becomes kind of a destination place where we reconnect. Really, all we do here is see family and friends and get a chance to relax.” He said he will be spending less time here this summer than he would like, but Rehoboth gives him a couple of days to recharge his batteries.

Delaney and his wife April have four daughters. His youngest, he said, still enjoys going to Funland on the Boardwalk in Rehoboth. “Funland has always been a consistent part of the Rehoboth family experience,” he said.

After thinking it over for a moment, Delaney said his family’s favorite place to eat dinner is Lupo Italian Kitchen on Rehoboth Avenue, and their favorite ice cream is Kohr Bros.

Shifting to politics, Delaney said the Democratic debates in Miami are still a hot topic for people all over the country, and he was pleased with how they went. “I wish I could’ve gotten more time. I think all you want is more time, and I had to fight for the time I got.”

He said the moderators could have done a better job allowing a few candidates to answer the same questions. He thinks it’s important for all Americans and more importantly, Democratic primary voters that they get to hear answers from different candidates about the same topic.

Delaney says he has visited Iowa 30 times and New Hampshire 20 times; he’s talked to thousands of voters during those visits. “I’ve probably talked to more Democratic primary voters than anyone else so far.”

After all those trips, he said the biggest thing voters are talking about is healthcare. “That’s the No. 1 issue,” he said. Jobs, pay, public schools and climate change, he said, are among other big issues that voters also worry about.

Climate change, he said, is a solvable problem, but it needs to happen fast, and it needs a solution that works for the average working American. Delaney has proposed a carbon fee that would put a price on carbon to make fossil fuels less attractive. He said the goal is to change behavior, not take money out of people’s pockets.

“I think we can do it, but we need a real plan,” he said. “We need a real solution and not a bunch of impossible promises.”

The next Democratic primary debates are at the end of July in Detroit. Delaney said he will not be approaching these any differently than those in Miami. He said Detroit is a great example of a rising city that has been successful, with the community working well with the government. It excites him to have that city as the backdrop, he said.

After spending the Fourth of July in New Hampshire, where he made appearances in two parades and three barbecues, Delaney was excited to have the day off.

“So we just got here today, and we leave again tomorrow. Thankfully, it’s a nice day. If you only get one day here, it’s great that it’s a nice day,” Delaney said.

After a day relaxing on the beach, Delaney and his family left again the next morning.