Meet Your Senator

Ray Seigfried represents the 5 Senate districts comprised of the communities of Claymont, The Ardens, and parts of Brandywine. He lives in Arden with his wife, Maria Beatriz Hennessy.

Born in a blue-collar neighborhood in Philadelphia, as the son of a union electrician and a mother who ran a small business, both instilled in him the values of hard work and the importance of community service. He was the first in his family to attend college, graduating from Bloomsburg University with a BA in political science and an MA in Administration from Antioch University. The school’s motto, ‘Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity,’ has been his guiding principle. These life experiences have inspired him to dedicate his life to serving others.

Over the years, working in several hospitals, he worked his way up to become Senior VP at Christiana Care hospital system. During his tenure at the hospital, he received a Bellwether League Honoree, a nationally recognized award for innovation and excellence in the healthcare supply chain. The Healthcare Advisory Board also recognized him in their Academy Fellowship program. Then, he became a full-time professor teaching health policy, finance, and business classes at the School of Global Business at Arcadia University. Later, he was elected as State Representative of District 7, where he was vice chair of the Health and Human Development Committee and earned the respect and trust of both House and Senate members. Most recently, he became a founding member of RISE Delaware, which aims to ensure that retirees and state employees maintain their health insurance.

Ray was elected to the Arden Community Planning Committee, where served as chairman. He provided solutions to many issues facing his neighborhood. Working with County Councilman John Cartier led the effort to certify all of The Ardens Accessory Dwelling Units. He also led the way again to create and implement a vacant housing ordinance that protects his community’s health, safety, and welfare.

He served on the Wilmington Hope Commission, an organization that provides education that focuses on breaking the chain of recidivism that sees too many young black men leave prison only to be caught up in crime again. Ray hired graduates of this program to work at the hospital.

Ray also served as chairman of the task force that operationalized the Cease Violence program in Wilmington, modeled after the Cure Violence program from Chicago. The program’s purpose was to stop gun violence in Wilmington.

Ray is grateful that the people of Senate District 5 have trusted him to represent them in the Senate, where he will continue to work to improve the quality of life for the people of his district and make a difference in building a healthier, safer, and more affordable future for all.