Adriana Leela Bohm

Delaware families are struggling with rising electricity costs, and they should not be asked to subsidize the enormous energy demands of the wealthiest corporations in the world. Data centers should not come to Delaware. If they do, we need to make sure they pay their fair share, bring new clean energy onto the grid, and don’t make electricity less affordable or reliable for everyone else.

I support creating a separate rate structure so large data centers bear the transmission and distribution costs they create rather than shifting them onto households and small businesses (HB 233). I also support requiring data centers to produce or procure enough clean energy to meet their demand (HB 445), and stronger oversight of utility infrastructure spending so families aren’t left paying for investments primarily serving large industrial customers (SB 326).

I would also require local approval and a transparent public process before large-scale data centers can be built, including review of impacts on energy costs, grid reliability, water use, and our environment. If we cannot guarantee that new data centers will not raise residents’ utility bills or harm surrounding communities, I support stopping new development until those protections are in place.

I grew up in Wilmington, and as a mother, I think about the Delaware we are leaving to the next generation. I want children growing up here to inherit communities that are healthy, safe, and resilient. That requires confronting environmental racism and ensuring communities that have historically borne the greatest burden of pollution and environmental harm are prioritized as we respond to climate change.

I support fully implementing Delaware’s Climate Action Plan and developing a statewide coastal-resilience strategy that prioritizes communities most vulnerable to flooding. That means investing in natural protections like wetlands, marsh restoration, and living shorelines, alongside modernized stormwater infrastructure. We should also strengthen our laws so new development is planned around future flood and sea-level risks, not historical conditions.

Residents deserve clear information about risks facing their homes and a meaningful voice in how we respond. Where repeated flooding makes rebuilding unsustainable, I support voluntary buyouts and assistance to elevate or protect homes. Families should not be left to shoulder the costs of climate change and environmental damage alone, and we should hold major polluters accountable for the harm they cause. I also support a Green Amendment recognizing every Delawarean’s right to a clean and healthy environment.

As a mother, aunt, and godmother, this trend alarms me! The answer is not fear-based messaging or a return to the failed War on Drugs. Punitive drug policies have disproportionately harmed Black and Brown communities. We need prevention that is honest, evidence-based, and focused on giving young people the support they need to make healthy choices.

I support fully funding prevention efforts in Delaware schools and communities, including age-appropriate education, peer-to-peer campaigns like #MyReasonWhyDE, and screening that connects young people struggling with mental health or substance use to support early. We should also invest in what helps young people thrive: accessible mental health care, quality education and after-school programs, affordable housing, and livable wages.

Now that recreational marijuana is legal in Delaware, we must make sure the cannabis industry is not targeting young people. I support strong restrictions on marketing and packaging that appeal to kids, meaningful age verification, and monitoring youth use. As an educator, mother, and previous school board member, I know the research shows that young people respond better when we give them a voice in the conversation and meaningful adult support & guidance, not when we try to scare or punish them into making good choices.