Russ Huxtable is the right choice for the Delaware Senate 6th District seat. He is an intelligent, sensible and moderate candidate who grasps and brings a fresh perspective to the complex issues that plague and undermine Sussex: our affordable housing crisis; environmental degradation; inadequate healthcare resources; an economy heavily dependent on low-wage businesses; a high percentage of the workforce earning less than a living wage; and, of course, an inadequate transportation infrastructure.
These issues are long-standing and painfully obvious to anyone paying attention; they continue to negatively impact all voters in the district, not just those who reach out for personal help. Constituent responsiveness on individual issues is admirable, but no legislator should claim success on that basis alone.
We need a fresh start in Dover. If we are ever going to make progress against these systemic issues, we need someone with the skills, solutions and political will to tackle them with speed and purpose. That person is Russ Huxtable. Russ’s values, long-standing community commitment, and business and nonprofit experience will give him a running start in representing our collective best interests in Dover. Along with his established relationships with state officials and legislators, and his willingness to secure and harness Sussex’s fair share of state resources for Sussex’s benefit, his election would give us our best hope for real progress.
Voters are weary of decision after decision exacerbating already-untenable problems, weary of decision-makers throwing their hands up with excuses like, “That’s the law we have to follow,” or “We don’t control that, they do.” Regardless of where control and decision-making authority rest, there is so much more that can be done at the local and state levels than anyone would admit if we had legislators with the political will to do more. Russ Huxtable understands this.
We will not move the needle on these obstacles electing someone who has had 10 years to make a meaningful dent but has not. I appreciate and respect Mr. Smyk’s public service and his expressed concerns about farmland preservation, responsible growth and local waterways. Given his concerns, one would have expected his decade-long record as a legislator to reflect a strong track record of meaningful steps to address these issues. But it does not. Nor does he have much to say about affordable housing for our workforce. It is also troubling that he did not oppose the budget vote forcing state retirees into Medicare Advantage, and that he voted against the minimum wage increase and gradual increase to $15 despite knowing that even that increase does not afford a living wage here in Sussex.
District 6 needs Russ Huxtable. He will represent our collective best interests and fight for Sussex’s fair share of state resources and attention. He will not ignore the complex and difficult issues that incumbents and local officials often brush aside. He will work tirelessly to bring durable solutions to the table.
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