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Kerri Harris challenges Carper in September primary

Campaign photo
Kerri Harris

Progressive activist Kerri Evelyn Harris will challenge Delaware’s senior Sen. Tom Carper in September’s primary election.

Harris is an Air Force veteran and a member of the State Human Relations Commission.

Harris said she’s running because Carper has lost touch with regular people and their concerns. She points to his vote against allowing low cost prescription drugs to be imported from other countries - as well as his support of former drug executive Alex Azar as Secretary of Health and Human Services last month.

“He is a bit disconnected and when it comes time to make the hard decisions, oftentimes he doesn’t side with the people,” she said. “The difference in how we approach things is my openness as to why I would make the votes that I would make. And two is, the whole purpose of my campaign is to make it without having to be solely dependent on corporate funders which then has to make me have to be responsible to them.”

Harris’ platform includes universal pre-K, raising the minimum wage and banning offshore drilling. She’s also calling for single-payer healthcare.

Carper, a longtime fixture in Delaware politics, is running for his fourth Senate term.

Republicans Chuck Boyce and Eugene Truono are also running for the seat.

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