Emory taking on 15-year incumbent Simpson

There are two candidates running for the Senate District 18 seat. Incumbent F. Gary Simpson is a Republican from Milford. Challenger Patrick Emory is a Democrat from Lincoln.

District 18 stretches from the Delaware Bay to the Maryland line. It begins at the northern border of Sussex County and includes Milford, Ellendale and Greenwood.

Patrick Emory

Age: 55

Residence: Lincoln

Occupation: Director of Community Services for the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

Education: Bachelors of Science from Salisbury University; Graduate of the State Police Academy

Family: spouse, Judy; children, Hunter and Janna

Reason for running: I have new, innovative ideas to grow our economy and return our area to prosperity; we shouldn't accept the status quo, because it hasn't worked; I believe it is time for a fresh start for our district.

Gary Simpson

Age: 67

Residence: Milford

Occupation: Full-time legislator

Education: BS & MS degrees from the University of Delaware

Family: Married to Debbie, with three daughters and six grandchildren

Reason for running: I am running because I enjoy my work, and I think I bring valuable knowledge and experience to the legislative process.

A recent report says tidal flooding will increase dramatically along the Delaware coastline over the next 30 years. What can the state do to help the residents of coastal communities and others who live in the low-lying areas of Delaware?

Patrick Emory: There are several solutions to this – beach replenishment and making sure we have proper dunes and vegetation in place. If the sea rises as predicted by many scientists then no amount of dunes or beach replenishment will matter.

The real question is "Are we going to wait and react, or are we going to make a plan that helps deal with this?" We need to be prepared. This could mean construction of seawalls in densely populated areas to wholesale changes in the way we construct homes near the shore. Anyway you look at it, it will be controversial, and there may be some painful decisions. It is important that we make sure that the public is included every step of the way and that land owners are always treated with respect.

Gary Simpson: First and foremost we need to educate residents and those looking to build along the coast as to the potential hazards of coastal flooding as well as helping them prepare for emergency situations in the future. We also need to adequately fund additional sewer systems in order to prevent those homes with septic tanks in low-lying areas from further polluting our Inland Bays, rivers and streams during times of increased flooding. The same goes for central water systems as they will help provide clean drinking water during times when ground-water contamination is most prevalent with flooding. The county also needs to be proactive in enforcing building code regulations, especially in low-lying areas.

Other than flooding, the two issues facing the district needing the most attention at the state level?

P.E.: I know you asked for two, but I am going to focus on employment. Employment is number one, two, three, and four for me. We need to grow the economy in Delaware, and we need to do this by trying to attract higher-paying jobs. We can do this through improving our schools, infrastructure and corporate tax rate to make sure that this is where businesses want to relocate. We need to rethink the way we look at some jobs. In the past, service industry jobs were often not populated by older employees trying to support families. Now they are. We need to recognize this, and use tax policy to allow employers in these industries to give their employees raises. Imagine a dollar for dollar tax incentive for an employer to pay employees more in these industries.

G.S.: Providing an economic environment for retaining and growing high quality jobs, and continued emphasis on providing a high quality education for all our students.