State of the State: 2025 vs 2026
Matt Meyer (2025) to Matt Meyer (2026)
Delaware 2025 to 2026: From Broad Vision to Detailed Execution
Governor Matt Meyer delivered both addresses, but the tone and substance shifted dramatically between his 2025 inaugural address and his 2026 State of the State. The 2025 speech was a brief, high-level inaugural laying out five broad pillars — affordability, education, economic growth, behavioral health, and responsible governance — without specific dollar figures, program names, or legislative proposals. The 2026 address, by contrast, was a deeply detailed, operationally focused speech citing specific investments, naming individual legislators and cabinet members, and reporting concrete results from Year One.
Education remained central in both years but evolved from a general pledge to "invest in our education system" into a comprehensive agenda. In 2026, Meyer highlighted a nearly $50 million investment in early childhood education, a declared Literacy Emergency with Science of Reading adoption and literacy screeners in every K-3 school, the Your Voice, Your Choice program (delivering 41,000+ books and supporting 4,000+ classrooms), an $8.7 million federal literacy grant, and a push to overhaul the state's 1940s-era school funding formula. He also endorsed the Redding Consortium's recommendation for historic district consolidation — none of which appeared in the inaugural.
Healthcare underwent a major transformation in emphasis. The 2025 address mentioned a "behavioral health crisis" in general terms. By 2026, Meyer outlined 15 transformative healthcare programs, announced preliminary approval for what he called the largest competitive federal grant in state history for rural health transformation, proposed Delaware's first medical school, called for scope of practice expansion and Certificate of Need reform, expanded mobile health units to 300+ annual events, and criticized congressional Republicans for cutting ACA subsidies. The behavioral health framing gave way to a much broader healthcare access and workforce agenda.
Affordability expanded from a housing-focused message into a multi-front battle. In 2026, Meyer identified a shortage of nearly 20,000 affordable housing units, announced permitting and zoning reforms with nine local jurisdictions already participating, and launched a major new offensive on energy affordability — calling on the Public Service Commission to block Delmarva Power rate hikes and championing a 1.7-gigawatt offshore wind project (U.S. Wind), nuclear energy feasibility, and universal broadband (72% coverage reported). Energy costs were not mentioned at all in the 2025 inaugural.
Economic development and governance also became far more granular. Meyer touted Merck's $1 billion life sciences investment, a 14% increase in corporate incorporations (280,000 new entities), the EDGE grant program supporting nearly 50 small businesses, $14 million in deployed federal small business funding with another $20 million unlocked, a proposed film tax credit, port expansion at Edgemoor, $65 million in budget efficiencies, and a commitment to keep budget growth under 5%. He also reported a 70% reduction in the unemployment insurance backlog (from 7,000+ to under 2,000 claims) and highlighted the Attorney General's office saving $856.7 million by defending federal funding allocations. Public safety, veterans affairs, election reform, and honoring fallen officers became significant new themes absent from the inaugural.
New Priorities in 2026
- +Energy affordability became a major focus, with Meyer calling on the PSC to block Delmarva Power rate hikes and highlighting a family's bill jumping from $150 to $600/month.
- +Pursuit of Delaware's first medical school and the largest competitive federal grant in state history for rural health transformation, including 15 new healthcare programs.
- +A 1.7-gigawatt offshore wind project (U.S. Wind) and nuclear energy feasibility as key components of an energy supply strategy.
- +Proposal for a film tax credit, noting Delaware is one of the few states without one, to attract entertainment industry investment.
- +Universal high-speed broadband push, reporting 72% coverage and aiming to be the first state with complete coverage.
- +Public safety and law enforcement recognition, including honoring fallen Corporal Ty Snook and officers who thwarted a planned terrorist attack on the University of Delaware.
- +Elevation of Veterans Affairs to a Secretary-level role under new Secretary Karen Berry.
- +Election reform support, backing bills to improve the primary election system.
- +Certificate of Need reform and scope of practice expansion to increase healthcare access and competition.
- +Edgemoor Port expansion described as a once-in-a-generation infrastructure project.
- +Banking and payments framework modernization, described as the most significant update to banking laws in decades.
- +Lead exposure prevention initiative as a public health priority.
- +HOPE Center expansion model to Kent and Sussex Counties for vulnerable populations.
- +Standing up to federal government disruptions — including SNAP shutdown response and defending $856.7 million in federal funding through the Attorney General's office.
Dropped from 2025
- −The broad framing of a 'behavioral health crisis' covering addiction, mental illness, and suicide as a standalone priority was not carried forward as a distinct agenda item in 2026, though some elements were subsumed into the broader healthcare agenda.
- −The general call for 'eliminating waste' as a governance principle was replaced by specific figures ($65 million in efficiencies) but the broader rhetorical emphasis on waste elimination as a core governing philosophy was absent.
Shifted Emphasis
- ↔Education shifted from a general pledge to 'invest in our education system' to specific programs: a nearly $50 million early childhood investment, a declared Literacy Emergency, Science of Reading adoption, the Your Voice Your Choice program (41,000+ books, 4,000+ classrooms), an $8.7 million federal grant, funding formula overhaul, and district consolidation recommendations.
- ↔Housing moved from a broad call to 'pass meaningful housing legislation' to identifying a specific 20,000-unit shortage, launching permitting digitization and streamlining, zoning reforms with nine participating jurisdictions, and framing one-third of housing costs as attributable to red tape.
- ↔Economic development evolved from generic 'supporting small businesses and investing in infrastructure' to citing Merck's $1 billion investment, 280,000 new incorporations (14% increase), the EDGE grant program, $14 million in deployed federal small business funds, $20 million in new federal funds, and specific innovation economy companies (Aternium, Qnity, Incyte, ILC Dover).
- ↔Responsible governance shifted from an abstract principle to concrete metrics: $65 million in budget efficiencies, sub-5% budget growth, a 70% reduction in unemployment insurance backlog, and DNREC cultural transformation under new leadership.
- ↔Healthcare expanded dramatically from a narrow behavioral health focus to a comprehensive agenda encompassing rural health transformation, medical school creation, scope of practice reform, mobile health units (300+ events), Certificate of Need reform, and direct criticism of federal ACA subsidy cuts.
Policy Topics Addressed
Affordability
Governor Meyer called out Delmarva Power for overcharging families, citing one couple whose bill jumped from $150 to $600 monthly. He called on the Public Service Commission to stop approving rate hikes and emphasized the need for more homegrown energy including the 1.7-gigawatt U.S. Wind project and nuclear energy. He also highlighted housing challenges with a shortage of nearly 20,000 affordable units and promised the most streamlined permitting systems in the country.
Economy & Jobs
Governor Meyer highlighted record corporate franchise success with nearly 280,000 new entities incorporated in Delaware in the first ten months of 2025, up 14%. He announced Merck's $1 billion life sciences investment and emphasized small business support through the EDGE grant program and $14 million in federal small business funding. He proposed a film tax credit, noting Delaware is one of the few states without one.
Education
Governor Meyer declared a Literacy Emergency and reported all K-3 schools now use literacy screeners. Through the Your Voice, Your Choice program, over 41,000 books and 4,000 classrooms were supported. He called for passing a fair funding formula based on students' actual needs, highlighted the Redding Consortium's bold district consolidation recommendations, and announced an additional $8.7 million federal grant for evidence-based literacy in grades 4-8.
Environment & Energy
Governor Meyer called energy affordability "unacceptable," citing a couple whose bill jumped from $150 to $600 monthly, and demanded Delmarva Power stop overcharging families. He called on the Public Service Commission to stop approving rate hikes and emphasized the need for more homegrown energy generation, including the 1.7-gigawatt U.S. Wind project and safe modern nuclear energy, endorsing a Nuclear Energy Feasibility Task Force led by legislators.
Government Reform
Governor Meyer highlighted $65 million in new efficiencies and cost savings found by the Budget Director's team, with the proposed budget returning state growth to under 5%. He noted the unemployment insurance backlog decreased 70% from over 7,000 claims to fewer than 2,000, and highlighted DNREC's transformation into a culture of efficiency with new dashboards and improved permitting systems.
Healthcare
Governor Meyer announced Delaware received preliminary notice of the largest competitive healthcare grant in state history through the federal rural health transformation program, enabling pursuit of the state's first medical school. He proposed expanding scope of practice, reforming Certificate of Need, expanding mobile health units, and eliminating the gross receipts tax on medical services. He also highlighted aggressive efforts to address lead exposure.
Housing
Governor Meyer identified a shortage of nearly 20,000 affordable units statewide and noted that one-third of housing costs have nothing to do with construction but are due to red tape. He pledged to implement reforms making Delaware's permitting systems the most streamlined and efficient in the country, working with counties and municipalities on smart growth that fills housing needs while protecting farmland. He referenced collaboration with nine local jurisdictions on zoning reforms and plans for new HOPE Centers in Kent and Sussex Counties.
Infrastructure
Governor Meyer emphasized that Delaware is closer than ever to universal high-speed broadband, with 72% of residents able to make high-speed video calls from home. He highlighted the Diamond State Port Corporation's Edgemoor Port expansion as a once-in-a-generation project and called for increased energy generation including the 1.7-gigawatt U.S. Wind project and nuclear energy feasibility.
Public Safety
Governor Meyer honored Corporal Ty Snook, a Delaware State Police trooper killed in the line of duty, and recognized officers who thwarted a planned terrorist attack at the University of Delaware. He noted shootings in 2025 were at some of the lowest numbers in years and highlighted historically low recidivism rates. He emphasized the importance of continued work on public safety, noting that one shooting is one too many.
Social Services
Governor Meyer announced a nearly $50 million investment in early childhood education and highlighted the Lieutenant Governor's leadership on building stronger family support systems. He addressed housing shortages of nearly 20,000 affordable units statewide and proposed streamlining permitting to make Delaware the most efficient state for building affordable housing. He also mentioned plans for HOPE Center counterparts in Kent and Sussex Counties for vulnerable populations.
Tax & Budget
Governor Meyer highlighted $65 million in new efficiencies and cost savings in the budget and promised to return the state to manageable budget growth under 5%. He committed to a responsible budget that 'puts families first' and thanked legislative budget leaders for their partnership in sustainably funding critical services, while noting the state faces fiscal pressure from federal cuts that the Attorney General has fought to recover, saving $856.7 million.
Technology
Governor Meyer highlighted Delaware students winning a gold medal at the International Jamboree in Paris for bioengineering work, and noted 72% broadband connectivity with a goal of becoming the first state with universal high-speed broadband. He called for nuclear energy feasibility exploration and announced modernization of Delaware's banking and payments framework for an increasingly digital world.
Veterans & Military
Delaware honored Corporal Ty Snook with the Order of the First State, the state's highest honor, after he was killed in the line of duty. Governor Meyer recognized the establishment of a new Secretary-level role for Veterans Affairs under Secretary Karen Berry and thanked legislators including Senator Lawson, a combat veteran, for advocating for veterans. He also acknowledged National Guard Major General Benson's leadership during the longest federal government shutdown.