Matt Meyer for Delaware governor | Endorsement

Despite being one of the nation’s smallest states, Delaware faces some enormous challenges.

Its school system is underperforming, it is heavily reliant on corporate fees and gambling to pay its bills, and its cost of living — which has historically been gentler than its neighbors Maryland and New Jersey — has begun rising, as well.

To address those issues, the First State needs a governor with a wide range of experience and the proven capacity to get things done. In this election, the best person for the job is Matt Meyer.

As New Castle County executive, Meyer serves as the head of the state’s largest local government. Since winning the office in 2016 and earning a second term in 2020, Meyer has led his constituents through the pandemic, built Delaware’s largest shelter, reduced blight, embraced reform-minded community policing, and increased fiscal transparency.

In the Democratic primary, Meyer defeated Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, who was favored by the party. Had she become governor, Hall-Long’s campaign finance reporting omissions and record of improperly enlisting her state House staff to help with her gubernatorial run threatened to undermine the public trust.

A lawyer by trade, Meyer spent time as a diplomat, serving in Mosul, Iraq, during wartime. He also taught middle school math in Delaware’s public schools, served as an economic adviser under former Gov. Jack Markell, and was a successful entrepreneur. Meyer’s achievements and expansive résumé could be major assets as governor.

Meyer’s Republican opponent, State Rep. Mike Ramone, is also an accomplished businessman, with a laudable record of public service.

Ramone voted in favor of marriage equality back in 2013, before the U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. He’s also voted in favor of a woman’s right to choose and accepts the validity of President Joe Biden’s 2020 election win.

While these positions may align with those of most of his constituents, they set Ramone apart from the extreme candidates his party has put forward in other races around the country and the region, many of whom have refused to meet with this board and other journalists who might ask questions about their records.

Ramone tells voters and journalists alike that he’s not red or blue, he’s Delaware yellow. He said he’s counting on the local and small-scale nature of state politics to counteract the large cash and voter registration imbalance. That’s a refreshing sentiment that is all too rare inside the GOP these days. Still, his campaign faces one significant challenge: his impressive and better-qualified opponent.

Beyond having a stronger portfolio, Meyer also has more substantive plans to tackle the state’s problems.

While many of Ramone’s criticisms of state policy hit the right notes, his plans often lack detail. On education, for example, Ramone has promised to ensure more dollars reach the classroom, rather than being used in administration. That sounds great, but those kinds of cuts, if not done judiciously, can end up costing districts more than they save. On health care, Ramone pledges to “empower Delawareans to make health choices and improve quality of life.” Voters deserve to know precisely what that means if Ramone wants to earn their support.

Meyer, on the other hand, has published a 93-page “Real Plans Policy Book,” spelling out exactly how he’d tackle critical issues in Delaware. More than a fifth of the document is dedicated to education alone, and other key issues — including housing, health care, infrastructure, and the needs of rural communities — are also addressed with thoughtful and measured proposals. Meyer’s policy playbook reaches across the political spectrum in search of the best ideas and carefully considers needs, trade-offs, ramifications, and benefits — all with an emphasis on how to best promote the public good.

For his breadth of experience, the depth of his policy proposals, and his commitment to independence and transparency, Delawareans should make Matt Meyer their next governor.

» READ MORE: The Inquirer’s 2024 general election endorsement guide