A prominent gay civil rights lawyer is launching a primary challenge against gay men. of delaware Incumbent attorney general launches what could be one of the most high-profile in the state. Democratic Party This year’s contest.
Dwayne Bensing, General Counsel, ACLU Delaware and many years LGBTQ+ advocate announced Sunday that he will run for Delaware attorney general against incumbent Democrat Kathy Jennings, who is seeking a third term.
Bensing made the announcement during Delaware Stonewall PAC’s spring fundraiser in Rehoboth Beach. His campaign is a challenge to entrenched political power and corporate influence as civil rights struggles increasingly play out through state attorney general’s offices across the country.
“Yesterday’s strategies cannot solve the challenges we face today,” Bensing said in a press release announcing his candidacy.
Bensing, 42, said his campaign would focus on tackling corporate greed, ensuring independent government oversight and protecting civil rights.
“From the classroom to the courtroom, I have proven throughout my career that I will always stand up for what is right,” Bensing said.
The race is expected to test whether the Delaware Democratic Party is seeking a more confrontational progressive approach at a time when calls for LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive health care, and public empowerment are on the rise. educationgovernment accountability has become an increasingly central issue in Democratic politics.
Bensing joined the ACLU of Delaware in 2020 after serving in both the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. Before becoming a lawyer, he taught middle school science and social studies in Philadelphia public schools as a Teach For America corps member after being named a Truman Scholar in 2006.
His legal practice in Delaware includes litigation and advocacy on issues such as educational equity, voting rights, free speech, prison conditions, and police accountability. In recent years, Bensing and the ACLU of Delaware have challenged allegations of abuse in state prisons and filed lawsuits over Wilmington police practices.
Bensing also drew national attention for raising concerns about how the Department of Education handled civil rights issues surrounding transgender students under the Trump administration.
Now he offers that background as a counterpoint to what he characterizes as political complacency.
“I’m running for attorney general who is not beholden to the status quo,” Bensing said.
Jennings has served as Delaware Attorney General since 2019 and is running for re-election in 2026.
“We are proud of Dwayne’s candidacy,” said Tara Sheldon, director of Delaware Stonewall PAC. “He is exactly the type of leader we need at a time when corporate special interests too often have more influence than most citizens.”
“I had the opportunity to work with Dwayne over the last few years as he led Stonewall, Delaware,” Sheldon added. “If there’s a player who can break the status quo and win, it’s Dwayne Bensing.”
Source: Advocate.com – www.advocate.com
