Greg Fuller listens and learns as he seeks 36th District seat

Greg Fuller first got a taste of public service in 2008 serving as Sussex County register of wills, and the Lincoln resident is now trying for the 36th District representative seat.

After running for lieutenant governor in 2016, he said, this time he is staying closer to home.

“The concept of being able to serve the people has always been a desire of mine,” he said. “We've tried countywide and statewide, and this time we've tried to stay closer to home in my district.”

As he canvasses the Lincoln, Ellendale and south Milford area, Fuller said he is listening to residents and their concerns.

“I've never been a guy who's going to tell you I'm going to be changing things,” he said. “But I do believe that these days there are those who aren't putting people's needs before their own. I'm the kind of guy who puts people's needs before my own.”

Fuller, 58, grew up in Philadelphia and went straight into the U.S. Army after graduating from high school. He worked 10 years in active duty, which included serving as an instructor at West Point Academy and a stint abroad in Germany. He worked another 11 years in the reserves in Philadelphia and Baltimore before retiring from the U.S. Army as a first sergeant in 2001.

He worked for Delaware Department of Correction for 26 years. He started at the Smyrna prison and eventually made his way south to the Stevenson Home in Milford, before working as a facilities inspector for juvenile detention centers. He retired from the state in 2017.

Fuller said his years of administration gave him a pragmatic approach to issues and problems in the workplace. If elected, he said, he would use a similar pragmatic approach in order to evaluate and consider issues as they arise in the state Legislature.

“You can do nothing in the Legislature without majority votes, so the first thing you need to do is to learn how to get cooperation from the other 39 representatives and see what you have in common that will benefit your district,” he said. “I'm not a person that will say I'm going to do this and do that, because I'm a man of my word, and my word means everything to me.”

Fuller said residents are talking about poor drinking water, and they are worried about affordable housing. He expects to hear more concerns as he meets more people. “I'm seeing what people are concerned about and what they think,” he said.

Close to his heart is making sure children, seniors and veterans receive the help and care that they need. “Those are the things that I hold dear,” he said.

Fuller, the father of two grown sons with his wife Esther, has served as a Big Brother, worked with the Boys & Girls Club and now mentors students at Milton Elementary School. “I've always been engaged with trying to help our kids,” he said. “Early childhood development is very important for children.”

As a board member for Home of the Brave, he said, he understands healthcare challenges faced by vets and seniors compounded by a shortage of physicians in the area. “I'm always going to be looking for the best interests of our veterans,” he said.

In 2018, Fuller was appointed to the Industrial Accident Board by Gov. John Carney, and he serves on the advisory committee for Delaware Community Foundation. He is a member of the Ellendale Fire Company and American Legion Post 28 in Millsboro.

“I hope to impact and serve people here on a local level,” he said.