Candidate Name: Kyle Evans Gay

Office you are seeking: Lieutenant Governor

Party: Democratic Party

Age: 38

Hometown: Wilmington, DE

Political experience: State Senator serving Delaware’s 5th Senate District 7.

Professional experience: Attorney

What uniquely qualifies you for this office?

My experience has prepared me for the challenges of leading our state. As an attorney who has practiced in Delaware’s courts, I am uniquely qualified to chair the Board of Pardons, and my work in our State Senate has prepared me to preside in the same chamber. I have a track record of effective leadership and advancing policies benefiting Delawareans and their families.

My time in elected office has given me the opportunity to see the challenges facing so many of my fellow Delawareans – and I can relate. Just like them, I know that the cost of living is too expensive, and I will continue to work as Lieutenant Governor to address rising costs for our communities. I want a strong public school system that will provide a quality education for my two daughters and kids across our state. I share Delawareans' concerns about combating climate change; too many government officials have passed the buck on this issue, and it’s unacceptable to continue to burden future generations with this liability. And as I see voting rights and reproductive freedoms being eroded at the national level, I join other parents who are concerned about the future our children may face.

To me, policies are more than politics – they’re personal, impacting my family’s future and yours. As Lieutenant Governor, I will lead with a passion for progress and make Delaware a place where we all can thrive.

What are the top three issues for this office in your view?

Delawareans need an economy that supports our middle class. As a working parent, I know many families are trying hard just to afford the basics like groceries and gas, and the dream of first-time homeownership is moving farther out of reach. In the State Senate, I’ve been an advocate for working families by supporting a $15 minimum wage and working to lower prescription drug costs. I have led the fight to make childcare more affordable and more accessible, and as Lieutenant Governor, I’ll keep fighting to address rising costs.

Delaware’s local economy cannot grow without renewed and strategic investment in education and workforce development. Our educational outcomes currently do not meet our expectations, and work must be done to ensure that we are improving proficiency, opportunity, and equity in the education system. I have advocated for a modernization of the educational funding formula so that resources can be better allocated based on need. Strategies like investment in early childhood education, pathways, and apprenticeships must also be a part of the solution.

Delaware has the opportunity to be a national leader on gun violence prevention. I am committed to keeping Delawareans safe by passing common-sense gun safety legislation and investing in community-based violence intervention and violence prevention programs. This work goes hand-in-hand with efforts to reform our criminal justice system and strengthen our reentry policies to reduce recidivism and promote better outcomes for returning citizens. As Lieutenant Governor, I would bring my legal experience to the role of Chair of the Board of Pardons, and I plan to facilitate broader criminal justice reform conversations across our state.

What would be your top priority if elected?

It is beyond time to reimagine investment in early childhood education, which is good for all Delawareans. Early education sets kids up for success, it gets parents back to work, and over time it reduces costs in many other areas such as juvenile corrections. As a working mom with two young children, I know both the value and the cost of high-quality childcare. The research is clear: children who have access to early learning attain much higher academic achievement and economic advancement. But quality care is expensive and oftentimes out of reach. For many families, the monthly cost of care exceeds their mortgage or rent payment. I believe focusing on early childhood education is one of our best opportunities to improve K-12 outcomes, and I know it will take partnerships across our state and across industries to achieve real change.

Last year, I conducted a series of town halls across the state to hear more from parents and guardians, childcare workers, business owners, and other stakeholders. I took the feedback I gathered from those sessions with me to Dover, where I filed a package of legislation to support families, teachers, and early childcare providers. I’m proud that my advocacy led to millions of dollars being reinvested to reduce costs for families without further burdening taxpayers. Whether it’s securing funding, connecting parents and business owners with resources, or passing landmark child protection legislation, I know my work is impacting our youngest Delawareans.

I believe it’s my duty to ensure that the state is investing in our children’s futures, and keeping our kids safe. As Lieutenant Governor, I will always be a voice for children, and I will continue to make supporting quality, affordable childcare a priority.

If you could change or protect one state policy or law, what would it be?

Reproductive freedoms are under attack in our country, but thankfully in Delaware, we are committed to individual rights. I’m proud to have passed legislation to expand access to the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare - including prenatal care and maternal mental healthcare - and to protect licensed medical professionals who deliver that care. But women in Delaware still have fewer protections than women who live in the many states that have added reproductive freedom to their state constitutions. Geography should not determine your right to healthcare. I support amending the Delaware Constitution to permanently enshrine the right to personal reproductive liberty in our state.

What can Delaware do about its workforce issues?

Though Delaware’s economy has grown over the last decade, we continue to have severe workforce shortages across multiple industries, with thousands more job openings than people looking for work. And while Delaware continues to periodically attract large employers, we have struggled to sustain and support a diverse small business landscape.

In order to continue to have a competitive economy, Delaware must invest in its workforce. That means providing the education and training necessary for employment within in-demand fields – such as the science and technology sectors – that provide stable and good-paying jobs. I’m interested in facilitating a variety of career pathways that provide opportunities for partnerships between schools, higher education, and employers. This includes thinking outside the traditional pathways and expanding apprenticeship programs in areas like education and construction.

Additionally, Delaware must continue to be an attractive destination for employees to live and work. We must continue to improve workplace benefits such as paid family leave, invest in infrastructure like roads and affordable housing, and create a quality public education system that effectively attracts and retains workers based on our quality of life in the First State.

How would you protect or change state employee benefits?

The Lieutenant Governor is a member of both the State Employee Benefits Committee (SEBC) and the Retiree Healthcare Benefits Advisory Subcommittee, and is a critical voice representing the interests of state employees and retirees. Benefits are an important piece of the state employee compensation package and an essential resource for state retirees. As a member of the Delaware State Senate, I voted in support of legislation to make the SEBC more independent and to ensure that the membership of the SEBC better reflected public input.  

But the real question of cost – for employees, retirees, and the state itself – will continue to be a challenge. We must tackle the rapidly rising costs of prescription drugs and demand healthcare and prescription drug price transparency so that we can responsibly manage the state’s budget while maintaining the state’s commitment to providing employees, retirees, and their dependents access to high quality health care.

What would you do to improve the quality of education in the First State?

Supporting student success is my top priority. Students can’t learn effectively when facing additional, nonacademic challenges like unstable housing, hunger, trauma, and mental health challenges. Educators cannot be expected to deliver a curriculum while also serving as social workers. The more we can do to surround kids with wrap-around services and resources outside the classroom, the more we support learning and improve outcomes inside the classroom.

Delaware must invest in competitive educator salaries. As Lieutenant Governor, I would work to increase minimum teacher pay, adjust salaries for veteran teachers, and ensure the compensation of education support professionals reflects their valuable contributions. Securing funding will not be easy, but not acting is no longer an option. Investing in our educators is investing in our students, and I am committed to continuing to support student success.

Finally, we need to recognize the varied needs of students and continue to combat the learning loss suffered during the pandemic. By modernizing the funding formula and working with local school districts to right-size funding, we will have the ability to be nimble and responsive to the different challenges faced by individual communities and individual students across our state.

What issues do you strongly support and would not compromise?

I am a strong supporter of reproductive freedom, protecting and expanding our constitutional rights to free speech and to vote, and eliminating all forms of discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, economic status, or sexuality.

How do you improve civility and thoughtful dialogue in Delaware politics?

I have always believed that Delaware’s small size is one of its strengths. Delawareans work to find common ground, and when we do disagree, we still understand that we have a responsibility to work together on behalf of our constituents. I believe collaboration is the key to getting things done in Dover, and I believe that I have demonstrated – both in Legislative Hall and in this race – that I am a leader who values civility, respect, and commitment to the facts. My approach to tackling tough issues has always included coalition-building. I strive to be proactive and include impacted stakeholders in my decision-making process.

Throughout my time in the State Senate, I have worked across party lines and supported legislation based on the merit of the policy, not the political affiliation of the sponsor. For legislation addressing one of my top priorities – increased funding for early childhood education in Kent and Sussex counties – I asked Senator Brian Pettyjohn, my colleague from Georgetown, to lead the bill with me.

As Lieutenant Governor, I would bring that same willingness to partner and collaborate to the Executive Branch. No single political party or group has a monopoly on good ideas, and as Lieutenant Governor, I will always keep an open door and an open mind to solve challenges together.

How do you perceive the “Delaware way” today?

The “Delaware Way” has historically been a symbol of Delawareans’ commitment to work collaboratively – across party lines – to achieve common goals. I’m proud of the First State’s ability to put the needs of our neighbors above the partisan politics that stymies progress in other states and at the national level.

However, criticism of the “Delaware Way” – that it promotes a lack of transparency and accountability, excludes community voices, focuses too much on compromise, and dilutes important policies – is valid.

I will bring a new generation of leadership as Lieutenant Governor. I will be inclusive and responsive, and I will work with people who are invested in getting the job done, regardless of whether they are inside or outside the traditional political sphere.