Valerie Longhurst
Val Longhurst | |
|---|---|
| Speaker of the Delaware House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office June 30, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Peter Schwartzkopf |
| Majority Leader of the Delaware House of Representatives | |
| In office January 8, 2013 – June 30, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Peter Schwartzkopf |
| Succeeded by | Melissa Minor-Brown |
| Member of the Delaware House of Representatives from the 15th district | |
| Assumed office November 3, 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Nancy Cook |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 17, 1963 Kewanee, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | West Chester University |
Valerie J. Longhurst (born December 17, 1963) is an American politician. She is a Democratic member of the Delaware House of Representatives, where she serves as speaker.[1] She was elected in 2004 to represent the 15th district, which covers parts of Bear, Delaware City, and St. Georges.
Career
[edit]Financial career
[edit]Longhurst began her career in the insurance industry and was formerly director of operations for AIG Insurance in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.[2]
Political career
[edit]Longhurst was first elected to the Delaware legislature in 2004 and served in the state House of Representatives for nearly two decades. Just four years after joining the General Assembly, she became House Minority Whip and went on to serve as House Majority Leader for 11 years. In 2024, she faced her first contested primary since 2016, defeating Democratic challenger James Burton by 28 points.[3] In the 2024 Democratic primary, Longhurst was defeated by progressive Kamala Jones, 53% to 47%.[4][5][6]
Electoral history
[edit]In 2018, Longhurst won the general election with 7,329 votes (87.9%) against Libertarian nominee Amy Merlino.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ Chase, Randall (20 September 2024). "Delaware governor draws criticism from fellow Democrats for vetoing doctor-assisted suicide bill". The Seattle Times.
- ^ "Rep. Valerie Longhurst Biography". dehousedems. State of Delaware. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
- ^ Petrowich, Sarah (12 September 2024). "How a new challenger beat the House Speaker, what it means for the future of progressive candidates". Delaware First Media.
- ^ Brennan, Shane. "New Castle County state representative primary results: Speaker of the House upset". The News Journal. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
- ^ Edelen, Joseph (September 11, 2024). "Newcomer ousts Delaware House speaker in primary". Bay to Bay News.
- ^ Rainey, Doug (10 September 2024). "Meyer wins out over Hall-Long in race for governor; Carney wins mayor's race House Speaker loses race". Delaware Business Now.
- ^ "State of Delaware General Election Results". Office of the State Election Commissioner. Delaware Department of Elections. November 6, 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
External links
[edit]Statewide political officials of Delaware | ||
|---|---|---|
| U.S. senators |  | |
| U.S. representative |
| |
| State government |
| |
| Senate |
| |
| House |
| |
| Supreme Court |
| |
.gif){kind=small} | This article about a Delaware politician is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |