Sen. Laura Sturgeon

10/16/2026

Good news after a frightening incident.

Suspicious Mail Incident Update: Initial Test Results Show No Hazardous Substances Detected - State Election Commissioner's Office Public Service Will Continue at the DOE Kent County Office in an Abundance of Caution

DOVER, DE – The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services Division of Public Health (DHSS, DPH) completed the initial testing of the white powdery substance found in the suspicious mail received and opened at the State Election Commissioner’s Office yesterday. The initial test results show that no hazardous substances were detected. Confirmatory testing of the white powdery substance by DHSS, DPH is in progress and final test results are expected to be issued by Wednesday of next week. DHSS, DPH has indicated that it has a high degree of confidence that the confirmatory test results will be negative as well.

Out of an abundance of caution, the State Election Commissioner’s Office public services will operate out of the Department of Elections Kent County Office until further notice. The DOE Kent County Office address is as follows:

Department of Elections Kent County Office
100 Enterprise Pl Ste 5
Dover DE 19904

General Election preparations are proceeding to plan, and the DOE is fully prepared to welcome voters to Early Voting Sites statewide next Thursday, October 22, 2026, the scheduled first day of the 10 day early voting period. The Early Voting Sites and Schedule are posted at https://de.gov/votinglocations.

The investigation by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and testing by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) is ongoing.

The DOE will keep the public informed of any updates.

Updates will be posted on the Department's website at https://elections.delaware.gov/public/suspiciousmail.htmlhttps://elections.delaware.gov/public/suspiciousmail.html

10/16/2026

The Delaware Public Service Commission is holding an in-person public comment session regarding Delmarva Power & Light’s application for a base rate increase, also known as Docket No. 25-1555. The event will take place at the Carvel State Office Building in Wilmington at 6pm on Wednesday, October 21st.

Public comments shared in person or online are entered into the official record of the rate case being heard before the Commission.

This session is an opportunity for you to share how the proposed rate changes could affect your households, businesses, and organizations. Comments are summarized and submitted as evidence to the Commissioners for consideration.

Customers and stakeholders may submit public comments online or via email through November 4, 2026. Public comments may be submitted regarding any matter before the Commission. Deadlines apply.

10/16/2026

Suspicious Mail Incident Update: State Election Commissioner's Office Relocated & Normal Department of Elections Operations Resume Statewide

DOVER, DE – The Delaware Department of Elections (DOE) State Election Commissioner’s Office in Dover has been temporarily relocated as the investigation of yesterday’s suspicious mail incident continues. The Commissioner’s Office and all DOE offices statewide have resumed normal operations. The State Election Commissioner’s Office will operate out of the Department of Elections Kent County Office until further notice. The DOE Kent County Office address is as follows:

Department of Elections Kent County Office
100 Enterprise Pl Ste 5
Dover DE 19904

Election preparations including all public meetings, absentee ballot processing, logic & accuracy testing are proceeding uninterrupted, and the DOE is fully prepared to welcome voters to Early Voting Sites statewide next Thursday, October 22, 2026, the scheduled first day of the 10 day early voting period. The Early Voting Sites and Schedule are posted at https://de.gov/votinglocations.

The FBI has taken over the investigation and the Commissioner’s Office building has been closed until further notice by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC). The United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) is testing the envelope and its contents.

To recap the incident, on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at approximately 2:00 p.m., an employee in the State Election Commissioner’s Office of the Delaware Department of Elections (DOE) received and opened an envelope, which was discovered to contain a white powdery substance. Staff members followed security and USPS postal instructions on handling suspicious mail. The envelope was isolated, staff members were decontaminated and evacuated, and the HVAC system was shut down. Additionally, state and federal law enforcement and other partners arrived at the office to conduct an investigation into the incident and test the substance.

The DOE will keep the public informed of any updates.

10/15/2026

Will post updates as they come in. Praying the substance is benign and everyone exposed is safe.

Today, October 15, 2026 at approximately 2:00 p.m., the Delaware Department of Elections (DOE) received and opened a letter which was discovered to contain a white powdery substance. Staff members followed security and USPS postal instructions on handling suspicious mail. The mail piece was isolated, staff members were decontaminated and evacuated, HVAC system was shut down, and law enforcement, state and federal partners have arrived at the office and are conducting the investigation and testing.

All election offices statewide have sent their non-essential state employees home in an abundance of caution.

Additional information will be provided to the public as the response continues.

10/14/2026

Congratulations to our newest Teacher of the Year!

A multilingual learner teacher from the Christina School District is Delaware’s 2027 State Teacher of the Year. Dr. Jessica Liu of Etta J. Wilson Elementary School now is Delaware’s nominee for National Teacher of the Year. Secretary of Education Cindy Marten made the announcement tonight during...

10/13/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Bud8M6zNh/?mibextid=wwXIfr

A reminder that the next State Board of Education meeting is later this week on October 15th at 5pm in the Sussex County Vocational Technical School District Office. For more information including the agenda and the zoom, see below link.

https://publicmeetings.delaware.gov/ #/meeting/86618

10/13/2026

As we transition into the fall season, I wanted to share important updates and events happening across our District 4 community.

You can read my newsletter below to hear more about updates from Legislative Hall and beyond.

Email from Delaware State Senate Democratic Caucus Updates from the Office of Sen. Laura Sturgeon Friends and neighbors,  Summer has officially come to an end in Delaware and our warmer days are behi

10/12/2026

Today is Indigenous Peoples' Day, a cultural celebration of our State's indigenous communities.

State offices are open today.

10/09/2026

For the young people who have never experienced a drive-in theater, this is not to be missed!!! And for us oldies, what a fun night of nostalgia.

We are very excited to announce our Halloween Carpool Cinema! Experience an old-fashioned drive-in style night at Charcoal Pit with retro, spooky movies on a 26-ft outdoor screen as we bring foods and desserts right to your car! Reservations are required and space is limited, and tickets can be purchased through the link below!

https://CPmovienight.eventbrite.com/?aff=FB

Tickets include a $20 parking spot reservation, and order-ahead food from a limited menu.

Have questions? We strongly recommend you read the full details on our Eventbrite page, and check out the FAQs. Still wondering about something? Drop your question in the comments and we’ll be happy to help!
A couple notes just to clear things up:
- Each ticket reserves a parking spot for the movie, and food ordering options. We have 4 ticket options available - dinner for 2, 3, 4, or 5.
- We strongly recommend sedans and other smaller passenger vehicles for optimal group viewing experience.
- Sound will be played directly through your car's stereo, so guests are expected to enjoy from inside their vehicles, not in chairs or picnic blankets.
- Weather related cancellations are subject to the movie screening rental company's discretion. We plan for a rescheduling in the case of a cancellation, or will issue a full refund.
- This is our first attempt at this, and we hope to do more in the future if this works out well!

10/09/2026

It’s been over a year since the Office of Inspector General was established in Delaware, and now, the Office has officially launched its website and an accompanying tipline to report potential instances of waste, fraud, and abuse.

After years of attempts, I sponsored SB 4 last year to establish this much-needed Office, and I’m excited that its mission to w**d out corruption has gotten underway. Delawareans deserve trust in their government, and the Inspector General will be key in delivering faith to our neighbors and accountability to those engaged in wrongdoing.

For more information, visit https://oig.delaware.gov/.