Simpler is simply the best candidate

I am a lifelong Democrat and am so disappointed that District 14 has a Democratic Socialist running in place of an actual Democrat for our state House seat. Claire Snyder-Hall only recently joined the Democrats and is not the candidate that embodies coastal Sussex ethical values. She states in her own book, on Pages 170 and 171 of “Battling the Prince,” that she is devoted to the Democratic Socialists of America, a fundamentally anti-capitalist and divisive fringe party, as well as her ambivalence toward the Democratic Party – my lifelong political affiliation. With only a handful of Socialists in Sussex, real Democrats like me need a candidate who represents us, and that candidate is the lifelong coastal Sussex native fireman in the race, Mike Simpler.

I’m also a domestic violence survivor turned survivors’ advocate. In our LGBTQ community, lesbians have the highest prevalence of reported domestic violence at about 63%. That’s a staggering six out of 10 women in such situations (according to the 2018 statistics). Claire Snyder-Hall is a part of the LGBTQ community and yet I have not felt supported by her as a survivor of domestic violence. In fact, it’s been the direct opposite. Claire Snyder-Hall is aware of my situation and she has made zero effort, in my opinion, to research the facts and support my case, as one would expect from anyone objectively looking at the situation. Worse yet, I have even felt bullied at times by her and her supporters. I’ve also learned that sentiments of her students, documented on Rate My Professor, clearly indicate that this political candidate lacks the values needed to effectively govern on behalf of anyone with whom she disagrees. We do not need an ideologue in Dover; we need a collaborative doer, and that’s apparently not Claire.

For this House race, I am now crossing party lines, being true to myself and supporting a man who truly supports us – all of us here in coastal Sussex regardless of sexuality, color or creed. Now I, along with a large and growing group representing #gaydemocratsforsimpler, will be supporting Mike Simpler, Rehoboth Beach’s Volunteer Fire Company president.

Mike is an authentic and honest family man who will fight for all of us, not just the some of us with whom he agrees. He’s the right person, for the right job, at the right time. As Mike has been a champion for our first responders, he will be a champion for all, and he holds the core values needed in our state to be effective. I’ve seen him with other domestic violence survivors, and he listens. He strives to understand and support, and he will be a collaborative ally that we need on so many issues in Dover. Please join me, a lifelong Democrat, a lesbian, a domestic violence survivor and advocate for others, in supporting the candidate who really deserves our support and votes. Vote for Mike Simpler for our House District 14.