Mara Gorman is no stranger to leadership and advocacy. Currently running to represent the 23rd district of Delaware, Gorman is dedicated to the fight for gun safety and reproductive rights.
“As early as 2015, I was going down to Dover and advocating on behalf of gun safety bills,” Gorman said.
Prior to her campaign, Gorman created a blog titled “The Mother of All Trips,” which detailed her travels and advice for traveling with children. Through her time blogging, she learned direct skills that contributed to her current campaign.
“When you learn to be a writer, you learn to be an observer,” Gorman said. “You pay attention to what’s going on around you. You learn to read people, see what they are feeling and listen. All of those are important skills, both in running for office and eventually being a legislator.”
After the 2016 election, Gorman was very energized to change things. She was directly involved in Moms Demand Action, the largest grassroots gun safety organization in the country. Eventually, she became their election lead in 2020.
“Moms Demand led me to a lot of advocacy work, working with legislators, being on the side of advocating for things that I believed in,” Gorman said.
The decision to run for office came to her during her job as public affairs manager for Delaware’s Planned Parenthood. Through her time lobbying for reproductive justice, Gorman decided it was time to start making the policy instead of advocating for it.
True to her word, Gorman’s campaign focuses on laying a strong foundation for Delaware’s future of reproductive rights.
“We need a constitutional amendment to codify Roe v. Wade in our state constitution,” Gorman said. “We have it codified in our law, but that means you can get a governor or legislator who could strike it down.”
Gorman wants to challenge the notion that abortion is permanently protected in Delaware.
“Many people think Delaware is safe because abortion is legal and gender-affirming care,” Gorman said. “The problem is we don’t have enough providers. There is not equal access to care for everyone, and there is no equity at all.”
The ideals of equity are a common theme in Gorman’s campaign. Alongside reproductive rights, Gorman believes that equity could solve the gun safety issues Delaware faces.
“There are a lot of factors that lead communities to have gun violence,” Gorman said. “We need to look at housing and jobs and make sure everyone has access to those things. That our educational system is supporting every child in Delaware and making sure they are not turning to fighting or violence as a thing to do after school.”
Education has also been heavily discussed in Delaware politics, as the funding system has been questioned for being inequitable. Delaware has faced inadequate funding for children with disabilities, and the state’s disadvantaged communities have also received a lack of support. Gorman says she is tackling the challenge head-on.
“Looking holistically at the entire school system and figuring out where the inequities lie is important,” Gorman said. “Every kid, no matter what family they come from, should have access to a quality education.”
Alongside funding, Gorman’s campaign is focused on providing arts education throughout schools. Being a former writer herself, Gorman is passionate about making sure Delaware citizens have access to creative outlets.
“I would love to make sure that we continue to have arts education, and that children and adults have access to arts education in Delaware,” Gorman said. “A part of living a full life is to have access to those creative outlets.”
Gorman, the mother of two sons, is particularly focused on the innovation and passion of the youth in the first state.
“I learn a lot from young people. The new generation has great ideas and they have a lot of sympathetic understanding,” Gorman said. “They lived through a pandemic, they understand what mental health is, they understand what trauma is. I want to help serve them in my role as legislator and help lift up their voices.”
With an election coming Sept. 10, Gorman has been canvassing around Newark neighborhoods. She faces no opponents in the upcoming election.
Having moved to Delaware in 1997, Gorman is proud of the state and the opportunities that come from it.
“You have incredible access in Delaware,” Gorman said. “You can connect with the people in charge very easily, there are not a lot of barriers. I want to make sure my door is always open to those who come by.”
