Laura Sturgeon

Laura Viviana Sturgeon (born February 15, 1965) is an American politician. She is a member of the Delaware Senate for District 4 and the first Latina to serve in the Delaware General Assembly.[1]

Laura Sturgeon
Member of the Delaware Senate
from the 4th district
Assumed office
January 8, 2019
Preceded byGregory Lavelle
Personal details
Born (1965-02-15) February 15, 1965
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materBrandywine High School
University of Delaware
ProfessionTeacher
WebsiteOfficial website

Early life and career

Sturgeon was born in Florida and raised in Delaware.[2][3] Her parents were immigrants from Argentina.[1] She graduated from Brandywine High School and received her bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Delaware. She taught in Delaware public schools for over 20 years and served as a leader in the Delaware State Education Association (DSEA), the largest union in Delaware.[3]

Political career

Sturgeon was active in community groups and nonprofit organizations but had never held public office prior to challenging Republican incumbent Greg Lavelle, who had been in the General Assembly for 18 years, where he served as one of the leaders of the Republican caucus.[2] The race between the two was considered a key race to watch in 2018.[4][2] Sturgeon was endorsed by former Vice President Joe Biden.[2]

On November 6, 2018, Sturgeon defeated Lavelle by winning 11,251 votes (53%) in the general election.[5][6] Her victory was a major upset and was one of several losses for prominent Republicans in Delaware.[7][8]

References
  1. Barrish, Cris (October 19, 2018). "Two Latina candidates aim to make history in Delaware Legislature". WHYY.
  2. Patterson, Mitchell (November 6, 2018). "Lavelle vs. Sturgeon: A key race you ought to watch". UD Review.
  3. "About Laura". Campaign website. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  4. Schmidt, Sophia (November 2, 2018). "Races to watch: 4th State Senate District". Delaware Public Media.
  5. "Delaware Election Results - Election Results 2018 - The New York Times". nytimes.com. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  6. "State of Delaware General Election Official Results". Dover, Delaware: Delaware Commissioner of Elections. November 6, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  7. Schmidt, Sophia (November 7, 2018). "State House and Senate Minority Whips ousted by Democratic challengers". Delaware Public Media.
  8. Goss, Scott; Parra, Esteban (November 6, 2018). "Political newcomer ousts state Senate's No. 2 Republican". The News Journal.
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