DOVER — One of the longest-serving legislators in Delaware history has filed to run for another term.
Sen. Bruce Ennis is seeking re-election.
Bruce Ennis
A Democrat in the 14th Senatorial District, which is centered on Smyrna and includes parts of New Castle and Kent counties, Sen. Ennis has served in the General Assembly since 1982.
He was in the House of Representatives until 2007, when he succeeded James Vaughn in the Senate.
Sen. Ennis serves as chairman of the Corrections, Agriculture and Veterans Affairs committees and is a member of the influential Joint Finance Committee.
“The papers say the economy is getting better and our revenue numbers are up,” he said in a statement. “But there’s still a lot of pressure on the budget and I want to keep working to make sure that the things that are important, not just to my constituents here in the 14th Senatorial District but up and down the state, are protected and properly funded.”
He cites rent-justification laws that protect residents of manufactured houses from dramatic rent increases as one of the bills he views as most pivotal.
“Before the law was passed, landowners could charge any rent they pleased and the increases forced people out of their homes,” he said. “We’ve now got a system that allows for fair rent increases, but that also gives landowners the ability to make bigger increases if they can prove a legitimate need for it. Because of it, residents can make sensible financial plans and protect their homes.”
Unlike other members of the Senate Democratic caucus, Sen. Ennis, a former state trooper, has taken a conservative stance on issues such as capital punishment and mandatory minimum sentencing.
Business owner Carl Pace has also filed to run for the seat as a Republican.