Khalil Saliba enters race for Lewes City Council

Lewes Beach resident Khalil Saliba has announced his candidacy for a seat on city council. 

Saliba is a Lewes native, having attended Shields Elementary as a child. He’s owned a home on Lewes Beach since 2000.

He jumped into the race because he believes the beach community needs representation on council.

“There’s a lot going on over here,” he said. “There are a lot of issues, and we all need a voice.”

Saliba, 59, recently served on the city’s beach parking committee, which spent several months dissecting issues related to public safety, cleanliness and quality of life before submitting recommendations to mayor and city council in February.

Some of the more significant items such as parking permits are still awaiting action, and one of the reasons Saliba wants to serve on council is to ensure those recommendations come to fruition.

“I believe any government, whether Lewes or state or other, should be focused on their constituents in terms of safety and quality of life,” he said. “The parking issues over here have definitely caused some safety concerns and also quality-of-life issues.”

Saliba is no stranger to politics. He founded Saliba Action Strategies in 2000 and works in public policy advocacy in Washington, D.C., operating on behalf of several clients in the hospitality industry such as Outback Steakhouse and Subway. His client list also includes a faith-based nonprofit called Islamic Relief Worldwide, which does humanitarian disaster relief work.

Before COVID, Saliba would travel to Washington, D.C., a few days a week. Since then, he’s primarily worked from home. The time commitment required to serve on city council was his top concern when contemplating candidacy, but after taking time to think about it, he’s confident it won’t be a problem.

“I definitely considered all the different angles and options, and I know I can make it work,” he said.

Saliba attended high school at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown. Upon graduation, he attended the University of Richmond, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history. He later earned a master’s in international relations from Catholic University and a juris doctor degree from Howard University.

He recently served on the city’s police department review ad hoc committee with fellow candidates Rob Morgan and Carolyn Jones.

In addition to his work on city committees, Saliba is currently serving on the boards of Beebe Medical Foundation, Greater Lewes Foundation and St. Andrew’s board of trustees.

Regarding long-term goals, Saliba would like to see Lewes evolve in a way that is responsible and beneficial to citizens and visitors.

He has an idea to locate an entrepreneurial center in Lewes to bring together business owners, business groups and others to network and find opportunities for funding. Besides a private investor approach, he said, there is federal and state money available to run the program locally.

“I have worked in Washington for a long time,” he said. “I have a really good relationship with the congressional delegation of Delaware. This may be a very unique time in Delaware’s history to secure meaningful federal funding.”

Saliba has been married to his wife Marcy for 29 years, and together they have three daughters. He said he’s not accepting campaign contributions and looks forward to going door-to-door to discuss issues with the Lewes community.

“I want this to be a positive, collaborative journey,” he said. “I don’t think I would make any decision in a vacuum. I will consult with as many people as possible and try to make the right, good-faith decision based on input from the community.

“We’re inevitably going to disagree, but I want to be open, transparent and receptive,” he said. “I just want people to know they have a voice.”

Quill withdraws from race

Lewes Beach resident and businessman Rick Quill withdrew from the race after Saliba officially submitted his paperwork. He said Saliba is the right person for the job.

“I want someone who will represent the whole town instead of parts of it,” Quill said. “I think we had the right candidate step up to the plate.”

Filing deadline approaches

Those interested in seeking a seat on council have until 4 p.m., Thursday, April 1, to submit the necessary paperwork to City Manager Ann Marie Townshend.

To be an eligible candidate, a person must be at least 21 years old and a full-time Lewes resident for at least one year, and shall not have been convicted of a felony.

The voter registration deadline is Friday, April 23. To be eligible to vote, a person must be at least 18 years old as of May 8, 2021, and a full-time Lewes resident. A person is removed from the city’s voter registration list if they have not voted in two consecutive elections – 2020 and 2014 are Lewes’ most recent elections.

Absentee and mail-in ballots may be requested by calling city hall at 302-645-7777.

To download a voter registration form or find other election-related information, go to ci.lewes.de.us/273/Election-Information.