Bensing, who would be the first openly gay man elected attorney general of any state in the country, is activating voters with a message of generational change and unwavering persistence, drawing a clear contrast to establishment two-term incumbent Kathy Jennings.
WILMINGTON, Del. — With just eight weeks until primary election day, the insurgent progressive primary campaign by civil rights attorney Dwayne Bensing to unseat two-term incumbent Kathy Jennings is seeing historic momentum. The AG race will be toward the top of the ballot in September. With no Republicans running, the primary winner will become the state’s next Attorney General.
"For too long, the Delaware political establishment has told people to wait their turn and accept business as usual. Our campaign is proving that voters are ready to turn the page. Every volunteer, every donor, and every new supporter is sending the same message: it's time to pass the torch to a new generation of leadership that will fight for working families, defend civil rights, and put people ahead of corporate special interests,” said Dwayne.
Since entering the race in May, Dwayne has:
“Dwayne’s insurgent, populist campaign is a needed departure from what the Attorney General has offered during the last eight years of her service as a career prosecutor. As an energetic and progressive civil rights attorney, Dwayne inspires hope that we can move on from an Attorney General who protects corporations to one who represents the people,” said Leslie Calman of Sussex County.
“As an activist, I look for leaders who don’t just make promises during election season, but who have a proven track record of doing the work. Dwayne Bensing has been on the front lines fighting for educational equity, civil liberties, and criminal justice reform in Delaware for years. More importantly, he’s the kind of leader who stands side by side with the communities he serves; listening, showing up, and doing the work alongside us, not just speaking on our behalf. He has my full support for Attorney General because he has the integrity, vision, and heart to deliver real, systemic change,” said community activist Maria Beauchamp.
Dwayne Bensing is running for Delaware Attorney General to tackle corporate greed, ensure independent government oversight, and protect our civil rights. Justice is a relay race. It’s time to pass the torch.
Delaware's laws should protect consumers and workers, not shield those who exploit them.
In a state with more corporations than people, it’s imperative that the Attorney General ensure that entities taking advantage of Delaware’s corporate franchise do not engage in fraud, waste, and abuse. Instead of bending over backwards to protect the “broligarchy” class of billionaires, Dwayne will embolden the Department of Justice’s fraud section to rigorously prosecute corporate fraud that illegally targets Delaware consumers. A one-sided system that only incentivizes incorporation in Delaware without any accountability to the public fails us all. Delaware’s shareholders, consumers, and small business owners cannot afford to be drug to the bottom by corporate abuse by the billionaire class.
No one is above the law, not even the institutions meant to uphold it.
The Attorney General is an independent legal officer whose duty is to ensure that the State upholds its obligations to the people. When elected officials swear to uphold the Constitutions of the United States and Delaware, it is the Attorney General’s role to ensure that those officials adhere to that oath. This means that when a state agency engages in abuse of power, the Attorney General represents the people, not the agency. Dwayne has fought to ensure that agency officials adhere to their constitutional duties while the State has paid millions of taxpayer dollars to defend indefensible abuse and corruption. Too often, elected officials forget that they serve those who elected them instead of the institutions that keep them in power. Dwayne is not beholden to any political party or incumbent class. Delaware deserves an Attorney General who’s not afraid of holding other elected officials accountable to the people.
Protections on paper mean nothing without leaders willing to enforce them.
Dwayne’s entire legal career has been dedicated to enforcing civil rights, including advancing voting rights, protecting free speech and privacy, and fighting cruel and unusual punishment. He has served as Vice Chair on Delaware’s Human and Civil Rights Commission, enforcing the state’s civil rights statutes prohibiting discrimination in public accommodations and housing. Unfortunately, too often the Department of Justice has failed to prosecute claims of discrimination, either burdening the Division for Human and Civil Rights and its Commissioners, making them incapable of enforcing the laws, or leaving complainants with no remedy whatsoever. Dwayne will empower Delaware’s Human and Civil Rights agencies, including the Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust, to ensure that there is no place for discrimination in Delaware.
