Jack Markell (D)

Governor of Delaware since 2009

Why He Matters

A former executive at Nextel, Markell was prepared for his role as governor by his time as state treasurer. He moved into the governor's mansion in 2009 facing an unprecidented $800,000 budget shortfall. After taking a 20 percent pay cut, he instituted an eight percent pay cut for state employees.

One of the few steadfastly popular governors to come out of the 2008 election cycle, Markell attributes his popularity to governing a small state, which he says fosters intimacy and accessibility. He was reelected governor in 2012.

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News From Around The Web

Businesses look to cash in on Del. marriage law via Washington Blade

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A Big Move for a Small State -- Delaware Bans Shark Fins via Switchboard

Del. panel updates revenue forecast via The Washington Examiner

The Losing Arguments Of Anti-LGBT ‘Alliance Defending Freedom’ via Think Progress

Article

Markell joins GE Aviation officials in touting new jobs, Newark plant expansion

Associated Press

NEWARK, Del. — Gov. Jack Markell is joining officials with GE Aviation to tout the addition of about 70 jobs at the company’s Newark plant.

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State House approves effort by Markell to get HealthSouth hospital built in Delaware

Associated Press

DOVER, Del. — With no discussion, the state House has approved a legislative effort by Democratic Gov. Jack Markell to circumvent Delaware’s courts to get a HealthSouth hospital built in Middletown.

Article

Delaware panel updates official revenue forecast as lawmakers prepare for budget markup

Associated Press

NEW CASTLE, Del. — The panel that sets Delaware’s official financial projections increased its revenue estimates by about $20 million Monday, giving budget writers in the General Assembly a little more money with which to work.

Article

Markell joins Pa. governor to discuss National Governors Association on employing disabled

Associated Press

DOVER, Del. — Delaware Gov. Jack Markell is in Pennsylvania touting his initiative as chairman of the National Governors Association to improve employment opportunities for the disabled.

Article

Delaware school districts plan layoffs with focus on support staff

Associated Press

DOVER, Del. — School districts throughout Delaware are planning layoffs with a focus on support staff.

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Teacher preparation bill headed to Del. governor via San Francisco Chronicle

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Delaware school layoffs focus on support staff via San Francisco Chronicle

Coming to a state near you via Wisconsin State Journal

GE Aviation expands, hires at Del. plant via Philadelphia Inquirer

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Markell signs bill expanding background checks for gun purchases to include most private sales

Associated Press

DOVER, Del. — Gov. Jack Markell has signed a bill expanding criminal background checks on gun purchases in Delaware to include most transactions between private sellers and buyers.

At a Glance

Career History: Delaware State Treasurer (1998-2008), Nextel Senior Vice President of Corporate Development
Birthday: November 26, 1960
Hometown: Newark, Delaware
Alma Mater: Brown University, B.A.; University of Chicago, MBA
Spouse: Carla Markell
Religion: Jewish

DC Office: 444 N. Capitol Street NW Suite 230 Washington, DC 20001 (202) 624-7724
State/District Office: Tatnall BuildingWilliam Penn Street, 2nd Fl.Dover, DE 19901 (302) 744-4101
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Path To Power

With a solid academic pedigree coming from Brown and the University of Chicago, Jack Markell offers his home state a blend of corporate experience and political savvy. Before entering politics, Markell was the 13th employee and the vice president of corporate development for telecommunications firm Nextel, the company he also named.

Markell spent a decade as Delaware state treasurer, preparing to tackle the state budget crisis that he faced once he became governor. He created the "Health Rewards" program that helped reduce medical costs for state employees through comprehensive physical examinations, and he worked to raise awareness about earned income tax credits (EITCs), a federal tax break that can return millions of dollars into constituents' pockets.

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The Issues

Since his 2009 gubernatorial campaign, Markell has focused on the links between creating jobs and providing better education for Delawareans.

Awarded federal grant money through the "Race to the Top" program, Markell has leaned on also passed legislation to improve the state's school testing programs. He has said, "The only way we're going to have a strong economy going forward is to build on the great things happening in Delaware schools."

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He has also expressed his desire to lure jobs to Delaware based on the state's school system and partnering with international corporations. "Employers want to expand in places where there are great schools for their kids and where they can eventually hire the next generation of great workers," he said. "We must work to increase our exports and attract investment from international employers. Chinese companies and consumers partnering with Delaware businesses and producers could contribute to the solution."

In addition to Markell's focus on job growth, education,and balancing the state budget, Delaware's profile as an energy-efficient state has also been raised under his supervision.

In 2009, Markell signed precedent-setting legislation for the state, outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation.

In early 2010, Markell's pro-union stance was highlighted in an op-ed he penned for Politico about Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's (R) battle with public-employee unions. "I'm not the likeliest candidate to speak out on behalf of the labor demonstrators in Wisconsin," Markell wrote. "It's true that my job as governor would be easier without having to deal with public-sector unions...But my job as governor is not to make my own job easier. It's to make sure that the quality of life for my constituents will be better tomorrow than it is today."

The Budget

Despite entering office with an $800,000 budget shortfall, Markell was able to balance the state budget two years in a row. In addition to cutting his own salary, he cut state employee salaries by eight percent.

Though he pushed to expand sports betting in Delaware to help alleviate some of the state's budget woes, in 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld an earlier decision that federal law prohibited expanded gambling.

Education

In 2010, Markell signed SB263, a measure that links student achievement to teacher tenure.

"It creates a link between a teacher's ability to obtain the highest level of protection against termination and student performance," Markell said of the bill, which is meant to support his other educational initiatives, including abolishing the controversial Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP).

Markell's plans for a statewide overhaul of the educational system are funded in part by the U.S. Department of Education's "Race to the Top" program, which gave Delaware $119 million in 2010.

The Network

Markell has worked successfully with his state legislature to pass a number of landmark bills, including equal rights legislation to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workers from discrimination.

New Jersey GOP Gov. Chris Christie has praised Markell's non-partisan approach to politics, saying that he "works really hard in Delaware to do the right thing and is a real voice of common-sense inside that room without a lot of partisanship."

Additional Resources

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