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Dana Paskins announces county council candidacy
Retired Air Force veteran Dana Paskins officially declared her candidacy for Sussex County Council Oct. 13 at a kickoff event at the Lewes library.
Paskins, a Democrat, is running for the District 3 seat currently held by Republican Mark Schaeffer. The election will be held in November 2024. District 3 encompasses an area from Slaughter Beach to Delaware Bay and includes Lewes, Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach.
A retired Air Force major, Paskins was introduced at the kickoff event by Rep. Stell Parker Selby, D-Milton, and Sen. Russ Huxtable, D-Lewes. A resident of Rehoboth Beach and graduate of Cape Henlopen High School, Paskins moved back to Rehoboth in 2020, five years after she retired from the Air Force, to be closer to her family.
She said she decided to run for county council after seeing a lack of affordable housing in the area, despite a large amount of development. Paskins said that lack of affordable housing filters down to key industries like hospitals and doctors’ offices, which cannot hire enough workers because those workers cannot afford to live in the Lewes-Rehoboth area.
“Today is just the beginning,” Paskins said. “There is a lot of ground to cover between now and next November when the election happens. There is a lot of work to do in Sussex County. We want to make it a great place for all.”
Delaware native running for Sussex County Council
Delaware native running for Sussex County Council
SUSSEX COUNTY, Del.- Delaware native Dana Paskins has officially thrown her hat in the ring for the Sussex County Council District 3 set.
This marks Paskins first run for political office. She was born and raised in Sussex County and served in the U.S. Air Force for over 30 years.
She told 47ABC her platform is focused on bringing more affordable housing to the area.
We’re also told there’s never been a person of color to hold a seat on the council and Paskins said the council should be representative of all those who call the county home. “I just think that the council needs to representative of Sussex County in its entirety,” she said.
“In order to have a great community, you have to have a diverse community. I really do believe that.”
This race will be a part of next year’s general election that will be held on November 5th.
Dana Paskins announces bid for Sussex County Council
Dana Paskins, a retired U.S. Air Force major and Rehoboth Beach native, is running for the Sussex County Council District 3 seat. The lifelong Democrat will formally announce her candidacy Friday, Oct. 13.
Paskins, served in the Air Force for more than 30 years, retiring in 2015 as a personnel officer. Since then, she has been active as a leader in a number of local organizations.
She served on the board of the Cape Henlopen Senior Center, and currently sits on an advisory committee at Delaware State University and an advisory board for the Bryan A. Stevenson School of Excellence. She is also a member of the Sunshine Circle Club, a community civic organization, and Sussex County alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. In addition, she has volunteered as a customer service specialist for the USAF Retiree Activities Office.
A product of Rehoboth and Cape Henlopen public schools, Paskins earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Delaware State College, a master’s degree in paralegal studies from George Washington University and a graduate certificate in administration from Central Michigan University.
Paskins moved back to Rehoboth in 2020 during the height of the COVID pandemic to be closer to her family. She recalls being troubled by the overdevelopment and the high cost of living in the area (District 3), and she vowed to come back and continue her life of service in the local area. Among her main campaign issues are increasing the amount of affordable housing and preserving the environmental assets in District 3.
“A lot of people can’t work here because they can’t afford to live here” Paskins said. “We need housing that ensures doctors, nurses, teachers, first responders, veterans, young professionals and those in the service industry who want to work in the community can do so. People should be able to live where they work and work where they live.”
Paskins is running for the Sussex County Council seat currently held by Republican Mark Schaeffer. District 3 comprises Broadkill Beach, Dewey Beach, Henlopen Acres, Lewes, Long Neck, Primehook Beach, Rehoboth Beach and Slaughter Beach.
“Sussex County has an opportunity to become the nation’s model for what a diverse, balanced and inclusive community should look like. This is what drives me to run for office,” Paskins said.
For more information about the Paskins campaign, go to paskinsforsussex.com.