Ernesto B. Lopez REPRepublican

Ernesto B. Lopez (born November 16, 1976) is an American politician and a former Republican member of the Delaware Senate, where he had represented the 6th District from 2012 to 2023. He was the first Latino elected to the Delaware Senate.Born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, Lopez moved to Delaware as a child with his parents. After attending public schools, he earned his BA at Gettysburg College and his EdD in educational leadership from the University of Delaware. After graduating, he worked for the university as an administrator.Lopez ran for New Castle County Council President in 2004 but lost to Democrat Paul Clark. In 2012, he ran for and won election to fill the Senate District 6 seat vacated by retiring Republican Liane Sorenson whose district had been redistricted from New Castle County to Sussex County. Lopez is the prime sponsor of Riley's Law, allowing for children in Delaware to have access to physician prescribed medicinal cannabis, which is named after one of his constituents. Lopez is also the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 200 which bans offshore drilling and seismic testing in Delaware's coastal waters.Lopez has two daughters with his former wife. In 2021, Lopez announced he would not seek reelection.