3 candidates for Governor join forum devoted to entrepreneurship | The Latest from WDEL News

Half of the six candidates running to be Delaware’s next Governor turned out for a forum on entrepreneurship Tuesday in Wilmington.

The exchange was hosted by Spur Impact. Issues included how to encourage each of Delaware’s three counties to thrive, and what the state’s role should be in encouraging entrepreneurship.

The question of how to define an entrepreneur was addressed by New Castle Executive Matt Meyer, who is seeking the Democratic nomination. 

“It’s about creating new solutions to old problems,” Meyer said. “A lot of that comes down to how you first define the problem.”

Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long, another Democratic candidate, said looking at it through the lens of small business, “we have small business grants now, we’re bringing in $60-million from the Treasury to uplift, to say ‘hey folks, come here and stay in Delaware.’ And, to be an entrepreneur you’ve got to have quality of life.” 

Bobby Williams, a Republican candidate who filed only in early July, views entrepreneurship as “being able to take something you enjoy doing and making a living at it, making yourself happy by doing it, and making yourself worthwhile in this world that we live.”

As the topic turned to serving the needs of Delaware’s three counties – close in distance, but each with its own character – Williamson, who resides in Bridgeville, said parts of southern Delaware are still held back from accessing resources due to gaps in broadband coverage.

“We have to have the professionalism, that we are equipped as a state to handle this kind of influx, to make them desire to come to Delaware and help grow our state,” Williamson said.

Hall-Long said if elected, she’d have dedicated staff ready to help – “that you have a person or two that you can go to, working with our larger Delaware Prosperity Partnership, our Small Business Office, so that you have those resources.”

Meyer addressed proportionality: “we need to make sure that our tax dollar is being invested equally in economic development across the three counties, and across the communities of our state.”

Meyer, Hall-Long and Collin O’Mara, National Wildlife Federation President & CEO, are competing for the Democratic nomination. Williamson is facing Jerry Price and Representative Mike Ramone for the GOP nomination in the September 10th primary.

To view the forum, click HERE 

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