Chris Coons officially starts his U.S. Senate campaign

The Coons for Senate campaign is officially underway following the traditional three-county tour of the state.

Chris Coons launched his campaign for Delaware’s open seat in the U.S. Senate with traditional three-county tour.  The Democrat started his day in Sussex County with an event on the Rehoboth boardwalk.  He made a midday stop in Kent County at the Delaware Agricultural Museum in Dover.  The campaign’s final stop was in New Castle County at the IBEW union hall in New Castle.

Coons, who is currently New Castle County Executive, says he’s running to bring new leadership, and a new way of doing things to Washington in 2010.  “We have tough choices in front of us, and I think they need new leaders with new ideas.  Folks who have energy and commitment to take on Washington politics as usual.”

Coons went on the offensive against his likely Republican opponent, long time Congressman Mike Castle.  Coons said, “Although I like and respect my opponent, and I honor his decades of service and his 18 years in Congress.  I really don’t think that all those years of experience as a Washington insider are the source for the solutions  that this country needs.”

Coons says he has not run negative campaigns in the past, and says that’s not something he should do now or in the future.  “I expect Congressman Castle and I will be respectful.  We’ll debate each other many times, and as a result of that we’ll give folks here in Delaware a chance to see the very clear and strong choice they’ve got between two people with two different values and who belong to two different parties,” Coons said.

Delaware’s two current U.S. Senators helped Coons launch his Senate bid.  Senator Ted Kaufman, who is stepping down after being named to take Joe Biden’s seat after he was elected Vice President, told the crowd gathered in Dover, “I am really looking forward to passing the baton to a man who will be a great United States Senator.”  Senator Tom Carper says Coons made a big impression on his Democratic colleagues in Washington when he visited Washington a short time ago.  “He blew people away.  They didn’t really know what to expect, and they sure didn’t expect the man that stood before them and spoke with authority in really an uplifting kind of way.”