REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - Less than a month after former Speaker of the House Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, said he planned to retire at the end of his current term, the race for his seat has begun. Marty Rendon, a commissioner from the Delaware Human and Civil Rights Commission, announced his candidacy for district 14 on Wednesday.
"The 14th district has been fortunate to have the speaker as its representative in Dover," Rendon said in his campaign announcement. The district covers Rehoboth and Dewey beaches.
The commission is part of a larger division that focuses on enforcing fair housing laws and participates in the mediation of conflicts between police, communities, schools and state employment agencies. Rendon has been on the commission for four years since his appointment by Gov. John Carney and is currently the chair of its legislative committee. He has worked on projects like the right to counsel for tenants, no-excuse absentee voting, Constitutional protection for the LGBTQ community, law enforcement transparency and reform of Delaware's expungement law, to name a few.
According to his bio, Rendon retired in 2018 after 25 years serving as the vice president for public policy and advocacy for UNICEF USA. He is a graduate of Georgetown University and the Georgetown Law Center.
Rendon said that he plans to have an issue-oriented campaign. Key issues cited include the preservation of the character and historic beauty of district 14, addressing environmental concerns, working to remedy traffic congestion, provide more job opportunities, create affordable housing and address increasing needs of the senior population.
Rendon built his current home in Rehoboth Beach in 2005 and moved to it permanently in 2018 following his retirement.