Candidates for 20th District come together on issues

Candidates for the 20th District House of Representatives seat were in agreement on most issues presented during a debate Nov. 1 in Milton.

Sponsored by the League of Women Voters, Democrat Stell Parker Selby and Republican Dallas Wingate fielded questions on the environment, healthcare, resident rights, mail-in voting and gun safety – offering contrasting opinions on the latter two issues.

“I’m not doing this for fortune or fame, I’m not doing this for race, I’m doing this because I am Sussex County. I grew up here. I know what it was. I know where we are now, and I know what we don’t want it to be. And all of you who’ve moved here, I love you … but we don’t want New York City on our little two-lane highways so that we can’t get out of our yards,” said Parker Selby.

Providing affordable housing for young people who work locally is a big need for the area, Parker Selby said. “We have to help our people in order for us to survive and be helped,” she said.

Wingate also harkened to his Sussex County roots as the biggest contributor to his run for office. The economy, inflation, public safety and supporting small businesses are his top priorities, he said.

“My upbringing is Sussex County. I learned the values of Sussex County and I carry them with me today. Everybody is treated equally, everyone looks out for each other, and everyone keeps a calm head in crisis. I consider myself a son of Sussex County,” he said. 

On the subject of students obtaining contraception, an abortion or sexual modification drugs without parental notification, both candidates agreed that parents should be involved.

Parker Selby said she supports a woman’s right to choose, but she is a strong believer that no one under the age of 18 should be on their own making decisions. “Parents should still be in charge of children under 18,” she said.

Wingate agreed that parents should have a say in medical and education decisions regarding their children. He said he is pro-life, but he understands that many residents of the 20th District are pro-choice, and he respects that.

“I made a promise in my campaign early on that I would always represent the people of this district even when their views conflict with mine ... I will not do anything to change the current status quo,” he said, referring to legal abortion in the state.

On gun safety laws, Parker Selby said she supports them because she does not believe young people should be able to buy military-style weapons, such as those that have been used in school shootings across the country. “We haven’t had that type of crime or danger here, and I’m going to do my best to make sure that doesn’t happen in our district or any district in our state,” she said.

Wingate, a Gulf War veteran and retired officer of the Delaware National Guard, said many common-sense gun laws get caught up in terminology – the AR designation for some rifles refers to the manufacturer, and does not stand for assault rifle.

“Most crimes are committed with handguns, not rifles or weapons,” he said. “There has been a lot of terminology and scary tales put out there that are not necessarily the absolute truth. Am I in favor of common-sense gun laws? Yes, I think our state has enough of them.”

Both candidates said they support LGBTQ+ rights, including the right to marry, and both agreed that cultural diversity is important for all people.

Growing up under Delaware’s segregated school system, Parker Selby said her teachers taught her to appreciate all cultures, and as an educator, she passed that on to the students she taught.

“We learned to read ‘Tom Sawyer.’ What was wrong with it?” she asked. “We are the United States of America, my friends, and I have never forgotten that, and I will never forget.”

Wingate said celebrating diversity is our strength. “It’s about appreciating each other's cultures and heritages that makes all of us stronger,” he said.

In response to a question about racial justice issues in Sussex County, Parker Selby said communication that includes young people is key to resolving them. Statewide, she said the racial thermometer has been better than what is reported nationally by the news media.

“What is race, race, race? I’m so sick of it,” she said. “We are all human beings. We can’t worry about who's brown, and who’s white … we’ve got to worry about how we’re going to survive on this planet.”

Wingate said Parker Selby is absolutely right. “You won’t get any argument from me on that issue,” he said.

The two did differ on their opinions of a mail-in voting law that was overturned by the Delaware Supreme Court, disallowing mail-in voting for the Nov. 8 general election.

Parker Selby said she would continue to support voting rights for citizens, while Wingate said some homework is needed before he would vote for a constitutional amendment allowing mail-in voting, in order to make sure the process is legal.