Candidate name: Susan Clifford

Party: Democratic

Age: 63

Hometown: Seaford

Political experience: none

Professional experience: educator (retired, special ed and elementary ed).

What uniquely qualifies you for this office?

What uniquely qualifies me for state representative for the 39th District is the fusion of my lived experiences and how it enables me to see and celebrate people’s accomplishments, understand and empathize with their challenges, and act decisively to create positive outcomes. I was one of eight children raised in a rural community; I was the first in my family to graduate high school and college. While raising two daughters as a single mom, I taught elementary education and special education in New York and Delaware before retiring. I have been active in the Seaford and Blades community for all of the more than 20 years I have been living here — attending events and being supportive, yes. But more importantly, actively working for positive change: volunteering with the library by raising funds as a board member; sorting and distributing food with the Food Bank of Delaware; and serving meals, for a Code Purple program, to veterans experiencing homelessness. I have also used my action-oriented, problem-solving skills in petitioning and canvassing concerning issues at the state level, such as increasing the minimum wage.

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

The top three issues that the voters in my district have voiced repeatedly are related to the environment, education and housing. Veterans, working families and older adults want to be able to live in our communities where they work, but the lack of moderately priced homes and the frustrations of repairing credit ratings damaged during the worst of the pandemic make their goal hard to achieve. Limited oversight of well systems, compost-labeling regulations and programs that limit release of methane and carbon dioxide into our communities’ air need to be addressed for the safety of our children and elders. The impact of the pandemic shutdowns on children’s academic and emotional well-being cannot be overstated. Although educators are doing all they can with academics, a rigorous, statewide approach is needed on the mental health front. I have specific, commonsense proposals and solutions to these issues on my website (see susancliffordforde.com).

What would be your top priority if elected?

If elected, my top priority will be ensuring that legislation is promptly passed, and implementing regulation promptly written, to provide mental health counseling to all students in grades K-8: in the classroom for 30 minutes each week.

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

I would consolidate all local, municipal and state elections to follow one schedule (rather than each having its own primary and general election days), so that primary candidates for all offices up for election in that year appear on one ballot — for one primary election day — and general election candidates for all offices up for election in that year appear on one ballot for general Election Day. I also favor making general Election Day a state holiday.

What can Delaware do about its workforce issues?

The workforce issue is multifaceted, and the positive impacts of some changes will occur over time — not immediately. Parents, educators and counselors have believed for decades that a four-year college education is the “only” goal and answer. This mind-set is a myth and has negatively influenced children, young adults, employers and the workforce. For decades, too, educators assumed parents were teaching children the “soft skills” employers need employees to demonstrate daily — civility, dependability, accountability, time management and critical thinking/problem solving; parents assumed educators were teaching these to students. These skills should be part of curricula for grades K-12. More staff are needed at our career and technical schools, so that more high schoolers can attend and become well-grounded in technical and skilled-trade careers in a wide range of industries. Although large companies can afford to train (“upskill”) employees for advancement, small employers do not have those same resources. Using federal and state workforce development programs, Delaware can help small businesses establish strategic industry partnerships that can use pooled resources to offer training and other programs to employees that strengthen skills and the companies’ bottom lines. Some of my specific ideas and solutions about workforce development are on my website (see susancliffordforde.com).

What, if any, gun laws would you change?

I do not think Delaware’s gun laws need to be changed.

How would you protect or change abortion rights in the state?

I would not change abortion rights in Delaware. I would work to ensure that clinic facilities, medical professionals and staff, and the patients themselves are better protected from physical violence and verbal intimidation. I would also support streamlining and simplifying paperwork for women to receive any/all types of reproductive health care, as well as support allocating additional budgetary resources for medical staff to handle an increased workload (due to other states’ lack of health care rights for women).

Do you support the State Employee Benefits Committee’s move to a Medicare Advantage plan for state retirees? Why?

I do not support the committee’s action. The committee should have used a more transparent process, and that process should have included a wider representation from the various stakeholder groups.