Apologetic Rep. Gerald Brady To Retire After ’22

State Representative Gerald Brady, D-Wilmington, announced Monday that he would not seek reelection in 2022 as he again apologized for an email that contained a slur against Asian women and that seemed to make light of human trafficking.

Brady had previously been reprimanded by the leadership of the House Democratic Caucus, which also ordered him to undergo sensitivity training. The email was apparently misdirected.

Brady’s complete statement follows:

“Serving in the General Assembly has been an honor and a privilege for me, a highlight of a professional career that included years serving on Wilmington City Council and decades in the Delaware National Guard. I have always prided myself on providing excellent constituent services to all residents I have been elected to represent.
“However, my recent actions – using a deeply offensive anti-Asian slur and attempting to make a crass joke about human trafficking – make it more difficult to effectively provide the kind of representation all residents of the 4 th District expect and deserve. All residents should have elected officials who serve and treat others with dignity and respect, whether it’s in public forums or in private communications.
“There can be no excuse for my actions, and after careful reflection these past several days, I have decided that I will not seek re-election when my term ends. I cannot in good conscience ask the voters to put their faith in me again after I betrayed theirs. I can only humbly and unequivocally apologize again for my actions, for which I am solely responsible.
“I will complete the prescribed sensitivity training and work to make amends with the Asian American community. I will use this as an opportunity to heal the wounds that my words have created. I will continue to work tirelessly to address the issues impacting my constituents as well as the citizens of Delaware.”

The following statement was released Monday by House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst, D-Bear and Majority Whip Larry Mitchell, D-Elsmere:

“Rep. Brady’s comments were reprehensible, racist, sexist and indefensible, and each of us expressed that message to him during this past week. After several very frank conversations with him these past few days, we are grateful that he has reached this decision today. We know that it cannot absolve his actions, but we hope it is a first step toward healing and addressing this situation.
“We want to be clear about something we have heard from residents this past week: As a duly elected official, only Rep. Brady can make a decision about his political future. House leadership cannot unilaterally take action. We can and did provide guidance, but the decision ultimately was his.
“During these remaining months, we will ensure that Rep. Brady completes the sensitivity training we directed him to take, as well as reaching out to the Asian American community. We are sincere in our belief that he must take positive steps toward bettering himself and repairing those connections going forward. We also will continue to review the situation and will take any other actions we deem proper and necessary at the appropriate time.
“Lastly, we want to speak directly to Delaware’s Asian American community: We truly apologize for the hurt, anger and mistrust this past week has caused you. We are keenly aware of the growth in anti-Asian hatred during this past year, and the last thing anyone should have to experience on top of that is one of their elected representatives dehumanizing them as a joke. It’s appalling, and we must expect better.
“To that end, we plan to make sensitivity training available to all members of the House of Representatives. While we do not believe our colleagues harbor such views, it would be beneficial for them to learn of any microaggressions or other attitudes or actions that negatively impact the Asian American community, and how we all can take steps to improve our relationships with the community.
“We are committed to making amends as leaders of this caucus and as elected officials, to show by our actions that we are better than the words of one member. We hope that over time, we can regain the trust of the community and work together to ensure a better and brighter future for all Delawareans.”