Laura Sturgeon

Laura Viviana Sturgeon (born February 15, 1965) is an American politician. She is a member of the Delaware Senate for District 4 and the first Latina woman in the Delaware General Assembly.

Early life and career

Sturgeon was born in Florida and raised in Delaware. Her parents were immigrants from Argentina. She graduated from Brandywine High School and received her bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Delaware. She taught in Delaware public schools for over 20 years and served as a leader in the Delaware State Education Association (DSEA), the largest union in Delaware.

Political career

Sturgeon was active in community groups and nonprofit organizations but had never held public office prior to challenging Republican incumbent Greg Lavelle, who had been in the General Assembly for 18 years, where he served as one of the leaders of the Republican caucus. The race between the two was considered a key race to watch in 2018. Sturgeon was endorsed by former Vice President Joe Biden.

On November 6, 2018, Sturgeon defeated Lavelle by winning 11,251 votes (53%) in the general election. Her victory was a major upset and was one of several losses for prominent Republicans in Delaware.