Matt Meyer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Matt Meyer
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Meyer in 2025
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| 76th Governor of Delaware | |
| Assumed office January 21, 2025 |
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| Lieutenant | Kyle Evans Gay |
| Preceded by | Bethany Hall-Long |
| 11th Executive of New Castle County | |
| In office January 3, 2017 – January 7, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas P. Gordon |
| Succeeded by | Marcus Henry |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 29, 1971 Bay City, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Lauren Meyer |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Brown University (BA) University of Michigan (JD) |
Matthew Stephen Meyer (born September 29, 1971) is an American politician and lawyer. He is the 76th governor of Delaware, a role he started in 2025. Before becoming governor, he was the New Castle County executive from 2017 to 2025. Meyer is a member of the Democratic Party. He also worked as a lawyer and advised former Delaware Governor Jack Markell. He was also an advisor for the U.S. State Department.
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Early Life and Education
Meyer was born in Bay City, Michigan. He grew up in Wilmington, Delaware. He went to Wilmington Friends School. Later, he studied at Brown University and the University of Michigan Law School.
While in high school, Meyer worked on Joe Biden's first campaign for president in 1988. He also worked on Bruce Sundlun's successful campaign for governor in 1990.
Career in Education and Law
Meyer joined Teach for America and taught in public schools in Washington, D.C. for three years. He also taught at Prestige Academy in Wilmington. After law school, he worked for Community Legal Aid in Wilmington. He then became a lawyer focusing on business deals.
Meyer served as a diplomat in Iraq for the U.S. State Department. He was a senior economic advisor in Mosul, Iraq. There, he helped military and aid leaders support the Iraqi people.
Later, he advised Delaware governor Jack Markell on economic matters. In 2003, Meyer received the Sam Beard Jefferson Award for public service.
New Castle County Executive
Meyer served as the executive for New Castle County from 2017 to 2025. This role is like being the top leader for the county government.
Winning Elections
In 2016, Meyer ran for New Castle County executive. His campaign focused on honesty and improving the economy. He won the Democratic primary election against the person who was already in office. Then, he won the main election in November with 67% of the votes. He started his job on January 3, 2017.
In 2020, Meyer ran for re-election. He won the Democratic nomination again. He then won the general election without anyone running against him.
Time as County Executive
As county executive, Meyer made history by choosing the first African-American police chief for New Castle County.
New Castle County was praised for how it used federal funds during the coronavirus pandemic. They used the money to help people and businesses recover. In 2020, Meyer wrote an article saying that teachers and students should go back to school in the fall.
In October 2020, New Castle County bought a hotel. They turned it into "The Hope Center." This center helped house over 350 people who were homeless during the pandemic.
Meyer also won a regional Emmy Award in 2022. He was an executive producer for a short film called "The Pathway Home." This film told the story of The Hope Center.
Governor of Delaware
Meyer became the Governor of Delaware in 2025.
2024 Governor Election
Meyer could not run for county executive again because of term limits. So, he decided to run for governor in 2024. He announced his campaign on June 6, 2023. He won the Democratic primary election on September 10, 2024.
In the main election, he ran against Republican Mike Ramone. Meyer's campaign promised things like universal pre-kindergarten and free school meals. He also supported canceling medical debt and making police more accountable. Meyer won the election, continuing a long history of Democratic governors in Delaware.
First Days as Governor
After he became governor, Meyer met with lawyers from big companies like Meta Platforms (Facebook's parent company) and Tesla. These meetings were to make sure these companies stayed in Delaware. A lot of Delaware's money comes from fees paid by companies that are based there.
On January 24, 2025, Meyer signed an order to make it easier to build affordable homes.
Political Views
In 2017, Meyer made an order that stopped county police from stopping people just because of their immigration status. This made New Castle County a sanctuary county. He said that the police's job is to keep everyone safe, not to enforce immigration laws.
Meyer supports a $15 an hour minimum wage. He raised the minimum wage for county workers to $15 an hour.
Meyer also supports a bill that allows seriously ill patients to make choices about their end-of-life care.
Meyer had disagreements with police unions in 2017 and 2019 about their contracts. He said he would not give much bigger pay raises to union leaders than to other members. Meyer supports the Black Lives Matter movement. He supported the guilty verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin, a police officer involved in the death of George Floyd. After a 2021 incident involving police force and Lymond Moses, Meyer ordered the release of body camera footage. He said that people in New Castle County have a "right to transparency." Moses's family agreed with Meyer's decision.
Personal Life
Meyer lives in Wilmington, Delaware with his wife, Lauren, and their son. He is Jewish.
Images for kids
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Meyer in 2025
See also
In Spanish: Matt Meyer para niños
