Happy Independence Day, and God Bless the United States of America!

Team Delaware,

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine you are standing on the deck of a warship 250 years ago. The air is thick with smoke. Cannon fire echoes across the sea. The enemy is closing in. The odds are overwhelming. Around you, men wonder whether the fight is already lost.

Then comes the demand to surrender.

Standing before his crew, Captain John Paul Jones delivers words that would echo through American history:

“I have not yet begun to fight.”

Those were not the words of a man who believed victory would come easily. They were the words of someone who understood that courage is not measured by the odds before you, but by your willingness to keep moving forward despite them.

Today, as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence, I cannot help but think of those words and what they mean for Delaware.

For decades, our state has been governed by one party. Today, Democrats stand just one seat away from securing a supermajority in the House. Many would look at those numbers and conclude that the battle has already been decided.

History teaches us otherwise.

The American Revolution was never won because the patriots had the advantage. It was won because ordinary people refused to surrender their belief that liberty was worth fighting for. They understood that every generation is called upon to preserve what the generation before them sacrificed to build.

That responsibility now belongs to us.

Every conversation with a neighbor matters. Every volunteer shift matters. Every door knocked, every phone call made, every candidate recruited, every voter registered, and every contribution given strengthens the foundation we are building together.

The Delaware Republican Party has never measured success by how easy the road is. We measure it by our willingness to continue showing up, continue organizing, continue growing, and continue fighting for the principles that make this country exceptional.

As we gather with our families this Fourth of July, let us remember that freedom has always required men and women willing to stand when standing was difficult.

Two hundred and fifty years ago, John Paul Jones refused to surrender.

Today, we carry that same spirit forward.

To those who believe Delaware’s future has already been decided, my message to Republicans across Delaware is simple: “Our work is not finished, our opportunities remain ahead of us, and we have not yet begun to fight.”

Happy Independence Day, and God bless the United States of America.

Daniel Willis

State Vice Chair

Delaware Republican Party