Matt Meyer: Difference between revisions

| office = 11th [[NewGovernor Castle County,of Delaware|NewGovernor-elect Castleof County ExecutiveDelaware]]

| term_start = January 321, 20172025

| term_end =

| predecessor = [[ThomasJohn P.Carney Gordon(Delaware politician)|John Carney]]

| children = 21

'''Matthew S. Meyer''' (born September 29, 1971) is an American politician and attorney who has served as the 11th [[New Castle County, Delaware|New Castle County executive]] since 2017. He is a member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]. Meyer is the [[Governor of Delaware|governor-elect of Delaware]], following his win in the [[2024 Delaware gubernatorial election]] to replace term-limited incumbent governor [[John Carney (Delaware politician)|John Carney]], winning against [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee [[Mike Ramone]] in the general election.

Meyer joined Teach for America, and taught public school in Washington, D.C. for three years.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Owens |first1=Jake |title=C-Suite with Matt Meyer |url=https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/news/c-suite-matt-meyer/ |website=delawarebusinesstimes.com|date=December 7, 2020 }}</ref> He also taught at Prestige Academy in Wilmington. He won a [[Skadden Fellowship]] upon graduation from law school and used it to work for Community Legal Aid in Wilmington. He then became an attorney working in mergers and acquisitions with [[Simpson Thacher & Bartlett|Simpson Thatcher and Bartlett]]. He served in Iraq as a diplomat for the [[United States Department of State|U.S. State Department]], as a senior economic adviser on the ground in Mosul, Iraq, working with military and economic aid leaders to assist the Iraqi people.<ref>{{cite web |title=Matt Meyer - County Executive |url=https://www.newcastlede.gov/125/Matt-Meyer---County-Executive |access-date=16 August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Owens |first1=Jacob |title=In the C-Suite: Matt Meyer, New Castle County Executive |url=https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/news/c-suite-matt-meyer/ |website=DelawareBusinessTimes.com |date=December 7, 2020 |access-date=16 August 2024}}</ref> Later, he worked as an economic advisor to [[List of governors of Delaware|Delaware governor]] [[Jack Markell]] and was a partner at Potomac Law Group.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Matthew Meyer - Potomac Law Group|url=http://www.potomaclaw.com/attorney-profiles/matthew-meyer/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160917092752/http://www.potomaclaw.com/attorney-profiles/matthew-meyer/|archive-date=September 17, 2016|access-date=August 8, 2016|website=|language=en-US}}</ref> In 2003 at the [[Kennedy Center]] in Washington, Meyer was awarded the [[Sam Beard Jefferson Award]] for the Greatest Public Service by an Individual 35 Years and Under; at that same ceremony [[Condoleezza Rice]] received a Jefferson Award.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Jefferson Awards Foundation Past Winners|url=http://www.jeffersonawards.org/past-winners/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170623124533/http://www.jeffersonawards.org/past-winners/|archive-date=June 23, 2017|access-date=August 8, 2016|website=|language=en-US}}</ref>

In the [[2016 New Castle County Executive election|2016]] Democratic primary for New Castle County executive, Meyer's campaign focused on integrity and economic policy.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Meyer for New Castle County|url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFI4ylg1x1dbZE3SYqTOJfw?&ab_channel=MeyerforNewCastleCounty|access-date=October 12, 2018|website=YouTube|language=en}}</ref> On September 13, Meyer upset three-term incumbent [[Thomas P. Gordon|Tom Gordon]], winning 52% of the vote.<ref>{{Cite web|title=State of Delaware - Department of Elections · Office of the State Election Commissioner|url=http://elections.delaware.gov/results/html/election.shtml|access-date=September 14, 2016|website=elections.delaware.gov}}</ref> Meyer defeated Republican Mark Blake in the general election in November with 67% of the vote. He took office on January 3, 2017.

In [[2020 New Castle County Executive election|2020]], Meyer faced a primary challenge from more [[centrist]] Maggie Jones.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McAneny |first=D. J. |title='We need to work together' {{!}} Maggie Jones challenging Meyer for New Caste County Executive seat |url=https://www.wdel.com/news/we-need-to-work-together-maggie-jones-challenging-meyer-for-new-caste-county-executive-seat/article_cc4fca24-ca07-11ea-8973-a357846161bd.html |access-date=December 9, 2022 |website=WDEL 101.7FM |date=July 20, 2020 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cherry |first=Amy |title='The people won' {{!}} Meyer wins another 4 years as New Castle County Executive |url=https://www.wdel.com/news/the-people-won-meyer-wins-another-4-years-as-new-castle-county-executive/article_8f26bb58-f7c5-11ea-a493-afb6caf60847.html |access-date=December 9, 2022 |website=WDEL 101.7FM |date=September 16, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> In July, Meyer faced allegations he made "belligerent" calls to two mayors who were supporting his opponentinopponent in the Democratic primary. [[Elsmere, Delaware|Elsmere]] mayor Eric Scott Thompson and [[Newark, Delaware|Newark]] mayor Jerry Clifton said Meyer's phone conversations with them were heated, and they felt the county executive made threats toward their communities by telling them that he "will remember this". Meyer refused to specifically address the accusations.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Parra |first=Esteban |date=July 24, 2020 |title=Was Matt Meyer 'belligerent' to those supporting his opponent? |url=https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2020/07/24/matt-meyer-belligerent-those-supporting-his-opponent/5471541002/ |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=July 26, 2020 |website=Delaware Online}}</ref> On September 15, Meyer won the Democratic nomination, defeating Jones with 57% of the vote.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=2020 State Primary Election Report|url=https://data.delaware.gov/api/views/yg7x-kgjc/rows.csv?accessType=DOWNLOAD&bom=true&format=true&cacheTime=1600404981617|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918045941/https://data.delaware.gov/api/views/yg7x-kgjc/rows.csv?accessType=DOWNLOAD&bom=true&format=true&cacheTime=1600404981617|archive-date=September 18, 2020|access-date=September 18, 2020|website=}}</ref> Meyer won the general election unopposed.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Delaware Election Results |url=https://elections.delaware.gov/results/html/index.shtml?electionId=GE2020 |access-date=December 9, 2022 |website=Department of Elections |language=en}}</ref>

Meyer, as a second-term county executive, is limited to serving two consecutive terms in office. He was widely considered a [[front-runner]] for the Democratic Party's nomination for [[List of governors of Delaware|governor of Delaware]] in [[2024 Delaware gubernatorial election|2024]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 22, 2020|title=Why wait to speculate on Carney's eventual successor?|url=https://delawarebusinesstimes.com/news/carneys-successor/|access-date=September 7, 2021|website=Delaware Business Times}}</ref> and announced his campaign on June 6, 2023.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Newman |first1=Meredith |title=New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer becomes first to enter 2024 governor's race |url=https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/politics/2023/06/06/matt-meyer-delaware-governor-race-2024-campaign-election-politics/70290971007/ |publisher=[[The News Journal]] |date=6 June 2023}}</ref> He became the Democratic nominee on September 10, 2024, defeating incumbent [[Lieutenant Governor of Delaware]] [[Bethany Hall-Long]] in the primary. He will facedefeated [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] challenger [[Mike Ramone]] in the general election.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Overturf |first1=Madeleine |title=Matt Meyer celebrates Democratic Primary Win, likely becoming Delaware's next governor |url=https://www.coasttv.com/news/matt-meyer-celebrates-democratic-primary-win-likely-becoming-delawares-next-governor/article_a8c987d6-6fe2-11ef-acdb-cf3b62d9ae4d.html |work=[[WRDE-LD|WRDE (Coast TV)]] |date=September 10, 2024}}</ref> Meyer's campaign has focused on a progressive platform, with stated goals such as [[Universal preschool|universal pre-K]], [[Free school meals|universal free school meals]], the cancellation of [[medical debt]], [[police accountability]], and a state constitutional amendment enshrining the right to [[Abortion in Delaware|abortion]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vision for Delaware |url=https://mattmeyer.org/vision-of-delaware/ |access-date=2024-09-18 |website=Matt Meyer - Democrat for Governor |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Edelen |first=Joseph |date=2024-04-15 |title=Gubernatorial candidate Matt Meyer unveils plan to improve education in Delaware |url=https://baytobaynews.com/stories/gubernatorial-candidate-matt-meyer-unveils-plan-to-improve-education-in-delaware,132850 |access-date=2024-09-18 |website=Bay to Bay News |language=en}}</ref>

== Political views ==

== Personal life ==

Meyer lives in [[Wilmington, Delaware]] with his wife Lauren and their son.<ref name="PVS">{{cite web |url=https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/187275/matt-meyer|title=Matt Meyer's Biography|publisher=[[Vote Smart]]|access-date=September 30, 2024}}</ref> He is Jewish.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Garfinkel |first=Imogen |title=Who is Matt Meyer, the second Jewish governor in Delaware history? |url=https://www.thejc.com/news/usa/who-is-matt-meyer-the-second-jewish-governor-in-delaware-history-anlb1nfp |access-date=2024-11-06 |website=www.thejc.com |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==

== External links ==

* [https://mattmeyer.org/ Campaign website]

* [https://www.newcastlede.gov/125/Matt-Meyer---County-Executive New Castle County Executive website]