Governor Carney Sworn in for Second Term as 74th Governor of the State of Delaware

DOVER, Del. – Governor John Carney and Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long were sworn in for their second terms on Tuesday, January 19. The 74th Governor of the State of Delaware and 26th Lieutenant Governor took their oaths of office at Legislative Hall in Dover in a livestreamed virtual ceremony due to COVID-19 precautions.

Rewatch the inaugural ceremony at de.gov/inauguration.

Click here to view photos from today’s event.

INAUGURAL ADDRESS—GOVERNOR CARNEY

*As prepared for delivery

The past year brought once in a generation challenges to every single Delawarean. No one has been exempt from the reaches of this pandemic. And too many of our friends and neighbors paid the ultimate price.

It’s a bond we all would’ve chosen to forgo.

But the pain of the pandemic is not the only thing this year gave us.

It also gave us a clear picture of what we could do as a state – with each other, and for each other.

Doctors and nurses worked nights and weekends to treat patients with COVID.

The National Guard staffed testing sites up and down the state – and over half of all Delawareans stepped up and got tested.

Child care providers and correctional officers went to work every single day even while the virus surged.

You sacrificed visits with loved ones, family traditions, the camaraderie of the office or the classroom, a high school sports season, all to keep our most vulnerable citizens safe.

And now the vaccine has arrived – and there is hope on the horizon.

For me, and for so many of you, this year has been a balancing act.

We’ve tried to protect public health, while protecting our economy.

Preparing for the next year, and the next four years, will require this same balancing act.

We’ll continue to deal with the crisis at hand, but we will also plan for the future.

We will march forward with optimism and hope.

2021 is a year of hope and optimism. It won’t be easy. There’s a lot of work ahead. But I’m confident that Delaware will come out of this current crisis stronger than ever.

Four years ago, I promised to get our fiscal house in order. We kept that promise. As a result, unlike so many states around the country, Delaware is not facing budget challenges this year.

That means we’re well-positioned to rebuild. As our President-Elect says, to build back better.

We made promises last year — before the pandemic hit — and I intend to make good on them.

We will create jobs by investing in the largest infrastructure program in our state’s history.

We will make sure every Delaware family has clean drinking water.

We will build a new school on the east side of Wilmington. It’ll the first new school in Delaware’s largest city in more than a generation.

We’ll make historic investments in public schools statewide, focused on students who need our help the most.

We’ll continue strengthening our economy. And we will help those businesses recover that have been hit hard by the pandemic.

My job as Governor is to make sure Delaware comes out on top in a world that’s more connected and competitive than ever.

And to make sure all Delawareans get a fair shot to succeed.

Of all the lessons this past year has taught us, perhaps the most important had nothing to do with the pandemic. The George Floyd protests here in Wilmington and Dover and across the country showed us that we cannot continue to ignore the injustices our brothers and sisters of color endure. We cannot return to the old normal – to the normal of just last year. Here too, we need to build back better. And we will.

For the past two decades, you have trusted me with the responsibility and privilege of representing you.

You’ve given me the opportunity to get to know you and our state, and to understand what’s important to you.

While an inaugural address normally lays out what the next four years will look like, this last year has made crystal clear that none of us knows what the future holds.

But regardless of what lies ahead, I promise to continue working hard, every single day, to support the causes you care about. To fight for what’s important to you. And to make life better for every single Delawarean.

Thank you for the privilege of serving as your Governor.

God bless you and God bless the State of Delaware and God bless our great United States of America.

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State Auditor R. Thomas Wagner, Jr.’s Inauguration

Dover, Del. – State Auditor R. Thomas Wagner, Jr. reaffirmed his Oath of Office for his seventh term as Delaware’s Auditor of Accounts. Supreme Court Justice Henry duPont Ridgely administered the Oath of Office in a small ceremony held in the State Auditor’s office on Tuesday.

It is my honor and privilege to serve and represent Delawareans in the fight against fraud, waste, and abuse across the First State. I am very proud of my Office’s record; but, I am also firmly dedicated to looking to the future. I am fortunate to have the most credentialed and qualified staff in the Office’s history. I will continue to rebuild my office to a more appropriate staffing level with well qualified professional staff. My Office will do its part to face the ever changing challenges in Delaware.

For more information, please contact Kathleen Davies, CPA-PA, CISA, CGFM, CGAP, Chief Administrative Auditor, at 302-857-3919 or kathleen.davies@delaware.gov.


Markell, Denn To Begin Second Term with Week of Service and Inaugural Events

(Dover, DE)   Governor Jack Markell and Lt. Governor Matt Denn are announcing their inaugural events will include an interfaith prayer service, a public inaugural ball, a series of volunteer projects during a Week of Service and a call for donations to a new Boys & Girls Club revitalization initiative, in addition to the traditional swearing-in ceremony.

The Governor and Lt. Governor, along with their spouses, are urging Delawareans to join in service projects scheduled between January 11 and 21, listed at https://volunteer.delaware.gov

“I often say that this is a state of neighbors, and one of the great things about neighbors is they take care of each other,” Governor Markell said.  “The start of my second term serving the state is a great time to highlight that effort.”

“Thousands of Delawareans volunteer their time and their talents every day, and our state wouldn’t function as well without their efforts,” said First Lady Carla Markell, who has spearheaded volunteerism efforts during the first term and is leading the Week of Service for the inaugural. “We want to celebrate all those who already volunteer while encouraging others to participate.  It’s easy to get involved.”

The Markells and Denns will participate in the following projects to illustrate some of the many ways that Delawareans can serve others.

Friday, January 11, 10 a.m.: A kickoff of the Week of Service with the Governor, Mrs. Markell,  cabinet secretaries and staff from the office of the Governor doing renovations and repairs at the Boys & Girls Club, 454 Central Ave., Laurel.

  • Friday, January 11, 11 a.m.: Lt. Gov. Denn, who has encouraged companies to allow employees to mentor in schools, will speak to potential mentors at Chesapeake Utilities, 909 Silver Lake Blvd., Dover.
  • Saturday, January 12, 1 p.m.: Gov. Markell will take part in a work day at the DuPont Nature Center, 2992 Lighthouse Road, Milford.
  • Sunday, January 13, 8 a.m. – Mrs. Markell will help serve breakfast to women and children at the Sunday Breakfast Mission, 110 N. Poplar St., Wilmington.
  • Monday, January 14, 1 p.m.: Lt. Governor Denn brings four U.S. Army veterans to William Penn High School to talk with the AFJROTC about their service to our country.  They will share stories of their 53-man remote deployment near the Pakistan border.  William Penn High School, 713 East Basin Road, New Castle.
  • Wednesday, January 16, 11 a.m.: Lt. Governor Denn will join the Delaware Mentoring Council during their “Forum on Mentoring in Juvenile Justice Settings” at Delaware State University Student Center, Parlor C,  1200 N. DuPont Highway, Dover
  • Wednesday, January 16, 2 p.m.: Gov. Markell and Lt. Gov. Denn will help sort donated food at the Williams State Service Center, 805 River Road, Dover.
  • Thursday, January 17, 11:30 a.m.: Mrs. Markell will read to preschoolers at the Latin American Community Center, 403 N. Van Buren St., Wilmington
  • Friday, January 18, 11 a.m.: Gov. and Mrs. Markell will attend a Blood Bank of Delmarva Community Blood Drive at the Springer Building on DHSS’s Herman Holloway Campus, U.S. 13, New Castle.

“One of the great things about volunteering is how rewarding it can be for the person doing the volunteer work,” Lt. Governor Denn said. “I’ve been mentoring a young man once a week at his school for the last four years.  He is now in sixth grade and it has been gratifying to me to see him mature.”

In commemoration of the inauguration and in keeping with the theme of service, the Markells are also requesting donations to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware “Project Renewal.”  Project Renewal aims to mobilize volunteers, community leaders, and resources across the state in a coordinated effort to renew and upgrade the facilities at Boys & Girls Clubs in Delaware. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware serve 20,000 children annually at 41 sites around the state.  Donations can be made online at  www.bgclubs.org/projectrenewal

The inaugural events, all of which are open to the public, include:

Sunday, January 13, 4 p.m.: An Interfaith Prayer Service, Arts & Science Center Theater, Delaware Technical Community College, Georgetown.

  • Tuesday, January 15, 11 a.m.: The Inauguration Ceremony, Legislative Mall, Dover, followed by Public Greeting inside Legislative Hall (inclement weather location is Central Middle School Auditorium, 211 Delaware Avenue, Dover).
  • Tuesday, January 15, 7 p.m.: The Inaugural Ball, Chase Center on the Riverfront, Wilmington – advance registration and $25 per person ticket required from www.markell.org/ball

 

The interfaith prayer service participants will include Dr. Jeffrey Hawtof of the Seaside Jewish Community, Delaware National Guard chaplain Lt. Col. Ed Brandt, Seaford City Councilwoman Pat Jones, Common Pleas Judge Kenneth Clark, the Rev. Max Wolf, St. George’s Chapel/ All Saints Episcopal Church, Sister Rosa Alvarez of the Carmelite Sisters of Charity, Mouad Bekka Imam, Islamic Society of Central Delaware and representatives of other faiths. Music will be provided by the Sussex Vo-Tech High School Choir and by Dover High School music teacher Brad Whitenight.

The inaugural ceremony, where Gov. Markell and Lt. Gov. Denn will take their oaths, deliver their inaugural addresses and officially begin their second terms, will feature the Newark High School Band and the 287th Army Band of the Delaware National Guard, as well as singing by University of Delaware student Elizabeth I. Rivera and Cab Calloway School of the Arts student Chad Michael Jervis. Participants in the program will include Delaware State University President Dr. Harry Williams, Catholic Diocese of Wilmington Bishop W. Francis Malooly, and Rabbi Peter Grumbacher. The ceremony will feature a 19-gun salute by the Delaware National Guard and posting of the colors by the Delaware State Police. Supreme Court Chief Justice Myron Steele will administer the Governor’s oath and Superior Court Judge Jan Jurden will administer the oath to Lt. Governor Denn. The swearing-in is an outdoor ceremony in front of Legislative Hall in Dover, but if the ceremony must be moved inside nearby Central Middle School for weather, an announcement will be made at 7 a.m.

A public greeting will follow the ceremony, where residents can meet Gov. Markell and Lt. Gov. Denn in the Governor’s office on the second floor of Legislative Hall. Captain Shane Mason, Commander of the 1049th Transportation Company of the Delaware Army National Guard, will act as Military Aide to the Governor for the greeting.

The theme of the inaugural ball is “Celebrating Volunteerism In Our State” and will feature photos of volunteers in action around Delaware. The ball will highlight the culinary creativity and talent of the state with hors d’oeuvres provided by restaurants of the Delaware Restaurant Association as well as beer and wine tastings by Delaware breweries and wineries. Entertainment is by legendary Delaware band Love Seed Mama Jump and disc jockey Marc Emerick. The ball, which is black tie optional, requires advance registration and space is limited. Tickets are $25 per person and there will be a cash bar with complimentary soft drinks.

Those interested in attending any of the events – but especially the ball — can RSVP at www.markell.org/ball or by calling (302) 528-0207. The deadline for ball RSVPs is Thursday, January 10. Inauguration security protocols will be in effect at all events, so attendees should allow adequate time to enter.

Note for Media Coverage:

Reporters and photographer should plan to prominently display their media outlet employee identification on their person for inaugural events.  It will be required for entry to the designated media area.  To register for the three main inaugural events, reporters should email Cathy Rossi   catherine.rossi@delaware.gov to confirm their attendance at the Prayer Service, Inaugural Ceremony, Inaugural Ball. Security protocols will be in place and media representatives’ names will need to be on the media list for admission to designated media areas.  Special instructions and more detailed information will be added to our day-ahead schedules.

Photos can be viewed here.