DOVER – Upon Thursday’s announcement that Rep. John Kowalko will retire at the end of this term, House Democratic Caucus leadership – Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst and Majority Whip Larry Mitchell – issued the following joint statement:
“John Kowalko has been a stalwart legislator who has faithfully served his community and his state for the past 16 years. He has been a champion of working-class Delawareans, the marginalized and the underprivileged during his time in office. We could always count on John to constantly challenge the status quo in the General Assembly, asking hard questions and pushing goals previously thought to be out of reach into focus.
“It wasn’t always a fun process – John’s passion could sometimes lead to some very heated conversations – but we all know that it came from a position of wanting the best for every resident in our state, and that in turn made us think more critically about whether our actions were right.
“Rep. Kowalko’s departure leaves a sizable hole in our caucus, in the House and in the General Assembly, and it will be incredibly difficult to fill that void. Delaware is losing a fierce and fearless advocate, but we are grateful to have served alongside him, from the time all four of us were in the minority together, through to today. We will miss him terribly and enjoy these last few months and inevitable sparring matches this spring.”
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