Marty Rendon
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Contact
Marty Rendon (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Delaware House of Representatives to represent District 14. He lost in the Democratic primary on September 10, 2024.
Rendon completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Marty Rendon was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Rendon earned a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in 1972 and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1975.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Delaware House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
Democratic primary election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Mike Simpler advanced from the Republican primary for Delaware House of Representatives District 14.
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Rendon in this election.
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Marty Rendon completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Rendon's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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From working in the U.S. Congress and directing Congressional relations for UNICEF to serving the past 5 years as Chair of the Legislative Committee of the Delaware Human and Civil Rights Commission, my entire career has focused on bringing people together to address human needs and protect human rights. I want to use my legislative experience to represent and serve the 14th RD in the General Assembly effectively and responsively.
- I am asking the voters to hire me to represent them. I want to use my legislative experience to bring their issues and concerns to the Legislature. As their messenger, I will not get in the way of presenting their message and addressing their issues. It's all about serving them. I am ready to work full time for the 14th RD!
- Maintaing and improving our environmental quality, addressing overdevelopment and traffice problems, and creating more affordable workforce housing are urgent matters that affect the quality of our lives in Sussex County. These issues are interlinked and action to address them must be planned and coordinated between the state and our local communities.
- Increasing access to health care is a pressing challenge and addressing the needs of senior citizens is urgent. Finding ways to improve the lives of our seniors, such as increasing the pension exclusion in taxes, is a priority.
Meeting our environmental challenges; addressing overdevelopment and traffic congestion; expanding the availability of health care; preserving all our civil rights, including women's reproductive rights; and enhancing opportunities for small businesses.
Politics is one means of offering service on behalf of others in this life. We are here to make a positive difference in the lives of others, and political action should be directed to advancing the common good of all. As St. Francis said: "Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received -- only what you have given: a full heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice, and courage."
An elected official is there to serve and represent the constituency. One must be willing to listen to the constituents and become educated and informed on the issues. The legislator must then become the people's advocate and work effectively to advance their wishes. This involves being familiar with the legislative process and being willing and capable to interact with colleagues to achieve the outcomes sought by the constituents. It is essential to have the skills, energy, temperament, commitment, and heart to be of service.
First of all, the legislator must be in close contact with the constituency and be present and visible in the district to learn what they need and request. Communication in both directions is essential. The legislator must then be fully dedicated to working to pass the needed legislation and promote the required policies to implement the wishes of those served.
My first job was as a paid Senate intern after my first year of college. I had volunteered in the Senate office from September through May, and then received the paid internship from June through August. I got to see how the legislative process worked behind the scenes. I was like a legislative apprentice at the age of 18! Seeing how things worked and how I could make a difference set me on the way to a career in legislation, public policy, and advocacy.
I believe the Governor should propose a strong agenda to meet the many diverse needs of Delaware, and the Legislature should work with the Governor to enact positive changes for Delaware. We should act as partners to get things done. The Legislature, as the voice of the people, also must legislate creatively and responsively and seek the Governor's help and support for measures the Legislature wishes to advance.
The threats posed by Climate Change pose a serious challenge to Delaware as a coastal state. Environmental quality issues imperil our future over the next decade. We also are challenged to meet the needs of an increasingly aging population in Delaware. More workers are needed in our state, and we must secure affordable workforce housing, increased access to health care, and improved educational opportunities to attract and maintain the workers we need.
We have many urgent legislative challenges and we need legislators who are familiar with the legislative process, and know how to work with colleagues and enact legislation. Our legislators need to hit the ground running, and previous experience helps them to be effective. When you hire someone to do a job, you want them to know how to do it!
It is important to build relationships with other legislators, but not only with those with whom you agree. The most effective legislators know how to build relationships with a wide range of colleagues. Open communication can make a big difference and can lead to unexpected collaboration to advance the public good!
Having worked for decades as a U.S. Congressional aide and having worked for the past 5 years with the Delaware General Assembly, I have had direct contact with many outstanding men and women who have served as legislators. I most admire those who have put the interests of our nation and state first, and who have sought office in order to serve their constituents. Selfless service is a model for all those seeking office. And having the capacity to learn and grow in office is key.
No, I only am running to represent the people of the 14th RD. I have no plans to run for any other office.
I am most touched by our citizens who service others in our community by their volunteer activities. They inspire us to do more and they encourage us to work harder to be of service in our own ways. They should be celebrated, and our legislature should find ways to encourage their endeavors and respond appropriately as we should to address the needs they seek to fulfill by their personal engagement.
The legislature should be careful about emergency powers, but should grant and oversee them when the situation necessitates it.
I would like to work on State legislation to bring about more planning for development in our county. The State should not micromanage the county and localities, but more coordination and planning should be pursued.
Delaware Stonewall PAC endorsement; Moms Demand Action distinction; LGBTQ+ Victory Fund Qualified Candidate.
I believe in a team approach to serving our area in the legislature. I am flexible in regard to committee assignments. It will be important for me to see the committees other legislators in Sussex County are on and how the community could best be served by my being on a committee that will address unmet areas of concern. Because of my strong past experience in legislative service and learning about new issues and challenges, I am willing to work wherever my skills can best be applied. Given our area's concerns, my preferences would be committees that deal with issues such as the environment, transportation, health, housing, and judicial matters.
I strongly support measures to increase transparency in government transactions. The public needs to know what their elected officials are doing. Openness and sunshine in government are essential. Those in government must be held accountable for their actions in service to the public trust. They are here for us, not for themselves!
I believe Delaware, like other States, should have our citizens approve our Constitutional Amendments and other initiatives. I support more direct citizen involvement in these matters. It should not be left up just to the Legislature.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
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See also
External links
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on August 8, 2024
Leadership
Speaker of the House:Melissa Minor-Brown
Majority Leader:Kerri Harris
Minority Leader:Timothy Dukes
Representatives
Democratic Party (27)
Republican Party (14)
