By Joseph Edelen

DOVER — Republican Eric Hansen — who seeks to represent Delaware in the U.S. Senate — is a political outsider.

The first-time candidate is running for the seat of Sen. Tom Carper, a Democrat who announced his retirement in May 2023.

The position is also being pursued by Independent Dr. Michael Katz and Democratic U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester.

For Mr. Hansen, of Wilmington, there were a few motivations, such as seeing Delawareans grapple with the cost of living, crime and the state’s dwindling educational outcomes.

“Across political parties — Democrats, independents, nonaffiliates, Republicans — they all are saying the same thing up and down the state, which is the No. 1 issue that I am concerned about: the cost of living,” he told the Daily State News.

“It’s just too expensive, whether it’s housing costs, insurance, health care, utilities, food. About 60% of people are living paycheck to paycheck, and everyone is saying it’s just too expensive now. Economy and cost of living are absolutely everyone’s No. 1 priority and is not exclusive to political parties.”

Prior to seeking office, Mr. Hansen served as a Walmart executive for nearly a decade. Before that post, he was employed by Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson.

After moving to Delaware in 2020, Mr. Hansen said he was prompted to run for a political seat due to what he called a “lack of public service in favor of self-service.” He stated that politicians are more focused on being reelected than delivering for the constituents they represent.

Should the contender win Tuesday, he would become the first Republican member of Delaware’s congressional delegation since 2011, when then-Rep. Mike Castle was succeeded by now-Gov. John Carney.

On the ticket this November is also a race for Rep. Blunt Rochester’s vacating spot. The candidates are Democratic state Sen. Sarah McBride of Wilmington and Republican John Whalen III.

If Mr. Hansen becomes the lone Republican in the delegation — joining Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat — he said that would only benefit the people of Delaware and Congress as a whole, given the diversity of viewpoints between those representing the First State.

“I think it would be good for Delaware and the nation for Chris Coons and I to sit down and have honest debates about these issues and come up with shared policies about how to tackle these problems. That’s the first step in getting the collaboration,” he said.

“Chris Coons and I would be a good team to advance the ball in a way that just doesn’t happen right now. We have a really unbalanced state right now, where we don’t have checks and balances, and checks and balances are a necessary part of getting to good solutions.”

Among the potential senator’s priorities are addressing inflation and the overall health of the economy, such as his proposed Hansen Tax and Price Reduction Act, which would aim to reduce prices, lower taxes and decrease interest rates.

He also hopes to secure the country’s borders and reduce violent crime in the state. The candidate pointed to recidivism and offered the solution of appointing a federal prosecutor to address such issues in cases that the state Department of Justice would plead down.

Further, Mr. Hansen has been an outspoken advocate for term limits for members of Congress.

If elected, he continued, his loyalties would lie with Delawareans and not with either political party or the next president.

“I’m not beholden to my party, and I’m not beholden to the president. If Kamala Harris is doing the right thing for Delaware, I’ll support her. If Donald Trump is doing the right thing for Delaware, I will support him,” he said.

“But if they’re doing something that doesn’t benefit Delaware, then again, I would consider it a badge of honor to vote for Delaware versus voting for my party or myself.”

Department of Elections