Meet Curtis.

I’m a lifelong Democrat, a Wilmington resident, a father, and the Business Manager of Delaware Laborers Local 199. I’m also an avid distance runner, because I believe progress is built through discipline, persistence, and showing up every day.

My story begins on the East Side of Wilmington, just around the corner from Howard High School. I was raised in a home filled with love and resilience by three remarkable women, my grandmother, my aunt, and my mother. They taught me early on what strength and sacrifice look like. I watched the women in my family work relentlessly to keep our household afloat. My mother styled hair out of our kitchen by day and cleaned office buildings at night. From her, I learned a simple but lasting lesson: you do what you have to do to take care of your family.

At 14, everything changed. My mother fell into addiction, and the stability I knew disappeared almost overnight. I had to grow up fast, learning how to survive, how to stand on my own, and how to navigate a world that doesn’t always provide a safety net. That experience shaped me. It taught me endurance, the kind you carry with you long after the hardest miles.

After graduating from Newark High School, I tried college, but life had other plans. When I became a young father, my priorities were clear. I put my education on hold and went to work, taking jobs through temp agencies, warehouses, and retail. I worked hard every day, but I was trapped in a cycle of low wages and limited opportunity, with no clear path forward.

In 2000, my life took a decisive turn. I was working hard but going nowhere, doing everything I could to provide and still falling short. Seeing that struggle, my stepfather stepped in and introduced me to the Laborers’ Union. What began as a conversation became a door opening. The Union gave me more than paycheck, it gave my family breathing room and hope. For the first time, I could stop worrying about how we would get by and started thinking about what was possible. It meant a safe home, healthcare I didn’t have to fear losing, and the dignity of knowing that hard work could finally lead somewhere. Because of that chance, I was able to give my son the stability and opportunities I never had. I watched him walk across graduation stages I once thought were out of reach. Today, he is a mechanical engineer, and knowing I helped break that cycle is the proudest moment of my life.

I spent nearly a decade in the field, helping build landmarks like the Wilmington Courthouse and major projects at the University of Delaware. I worked my way up, from pouring concrete to leading Laborers Local 199 as Business Manager.  Managing complex budgets, negotiating contracts, and serving as a Vice President of the Delaware AFL-CIO, I strengthened that real-world experience with leadership training at Cornell University and construction management studies at Wilmington University.

I’ve spent my life building things personally and professionally. Now, I want to help build a New Castle County where affordable housing isn’t just a talking point, but a reality for working families. Where development creates good paying, union careers for Delawareans. And where every family can find purpose, possibility, and a path forward.

I know how to get things done, and I’m ready to put that experience to work for District 4. Let’s build a stronger future together.