DOVER – Recognizing the growing threat of political violence and harassment directed at public officials, lawmakers introduced legislation Thursday that would allow Delaware candidates and elected officials to use campaign funds for personal security measures.
Sponsored by House Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown and Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend, House Bill 448 would make security expenses an authorized campaign expenditure.
“Sadly, political violence is becoming more common in our society, and as we saw with the tragic murder of Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, these threats are not confined to the national level,” said Speaker Minor-Brown.
“This is not a partisan issue. I know many of my colleagues in the General Assembly received threats to their safety simply because they chose to serve their communities in public office. We have to lower the temperature of our political discourse, but until we do, elected officials should have the ability to take reasonable steps to protect themselves and their families, just as federal office holders are already able to do.”
While threats against federal officials have received most of the attention in recent years, violence and intimidation directed at state and local elected officials have also increased across the political spectrum. In 2025, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s official residence was targeted in an arson attack during Passover. Weeks earlier, New Mexico’s Republican Party headquarters was also damaged in a suspected arson attack.
According to a 2024 survey conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice, nearly 40 percent of state legislators reported an increase in the frequency of abuse.
In 2024, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) clarified that federal candidates and office holders are able to use campaign funds to pay for certain security measures to protect themselves, members of their families, and employees.
HB 448 would extend that same right to office holders and candidates in Delaware. Under this measure, candidates would be able to utilize campaign funds to cover:
- The reasonable costs of installing and monitoring a home or office electronic security system
- Personal security
- Cameras, fences, or other comparable security-related equipment or devices reasonably necessary to address a security risk arising from the candidate’s status
“Political violence has no place in our State or our country,” said Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend. “House Bill 448 is a commonsense proposal that would allow candidates to take measures to protect their families and themselves while seeking to serve their communities.”
Several other states across the country already have policies allowing campaign funds to be used for security expenses, while several others are actively considering similar legislation.
HB 448 has been assigned to the House Elections Committee.
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