Meet Curtis.
I'm a life-long Democrat and Wilmington Resident. I'm a father, runner, and the Business Manager of Delaware Laborers Local 199.
My story begins on the East Side of Wilmington, just around the corner from Howard High. I was raised in a house full of love, guided by three strong women: my grandmother, my aunt, and my mother.
I watched the women in my family work incredibly hard to keep us afloat. My mother was a hairdresser who worked out of our kitchen and cleaned office buildings at night. I learned early on that you do what you have to do to provide for your family.
But my life changed drastically when I was 14. My mother fell into a struggle with addiction that upended our household. I had to grow up overnight. I learned to survive, to fend for myself, and to navigate a world that doesn’t always offer a safety net. That experience gave me a toughness and a perspective that I still carry today.
After graduating from Newark High, I tried college, but life had other plans. When I became a young father, I had to put my education on hold to support my son. For years, I grinded through temporary services, warehouses, and retail jobs. I was working hard, but I was stuck in a cycle of low wages with no real future.
The turning point came in 2000. My stepfather, seeing me struggle to make ends meet, introduced me to the Laborers’ Union. That wasn’t just a job offer; it was a lifeline.
The Union gave me a career, healthcare, and a pension. It gave me the stability to buy my first home and, most importantly, the ability to send my son to private school and then to college. Today, he is a mechanical engineer. Being able to give him the opportunities I didn’t have is my proudest achievement.
I spent nearly a decade in the field, building landmarks like the Wilmington Courthouse and projects at UD. But I didn't stop there. I worked my way up from a laborer to the Business Manager of Laborers Local 199. I went from pouring concrete to managing complex budgets, negotiating contracts, and serving as a Vice President of the Delaware AFL-CIO. I’ve backed that experience with leadership training from Cornell University and construction management studies at WilmU.
I want to build a New Castle County where affordable housing isn’t just a catchphrase, but a reality for working families. I want to ensure that when developers come to our district, they bring real careers for Delawareans, not just empty promises. I’ve spent my life building things—now, I’m ready to help build a stronger future for District 4.
