Delaware Liberal Endorsements – Part 1
The endorsements that follow represent the first major election season that Delaware Liberal has had multiple Editors contributing their unique perspectives to evaluating the strategies, the campaigns and the candidates of Delaware elections. We wanted to bring together all of this knowledge and these strong opinions to develop the first ever Delaware Liberal slate of endorsements for the Democratic primary.
We created a list of the major (statewide) Delaware offices and circulated that list among the Editors. Each Editor needed to select a candidate to endorse, and write a short paragraph explaining why the endorsement was made. We circulated each others’ endorsements, critiqued them, argued over a few, adjusted the endorsement statement, then asked each other questions again. The endorsements (and endorsement statements) we provide today were made by unanimous consent of the Editors.
Since this is Delaware Liberal, we provide endorsements of Democratic candidates only. We provided an endorsement where the Democrats have a primary which is why the highly liked Matt Denn does not get an endorsement in this cycle. But we do enthusiastically look forward to endorsing him in the General.
We did not provide an endorsement for the Insurance Commissioner race. While we do think that there are competent candidates here, we are troubled by the fact that Gene reed failed to live up to the very high standard set by Matt Denn in NOT accepting campaign contributions from those he will need to regulate. We don’t want to see progressive standards and values rolled back in places where they so clearly worked.
We are looking forward to hearing what you think of our endorsements. And, for the record, these endorsements come with no campaign contributions whatsoever for the endorsed candidates just bragging right to be endorsed by the most widely read political blog in Delaware.
Signed,
The Editors
Over the next few hours we’ll be rolling out the endorsements begining with this endorsment for the office of New Castle County President.
New Castle County President:
Bill Dunn has never sent an email to developers using his developer wife’s email account, let alone an email saying that he knows how much of a pain the system is for a poor little developer trying to pave the county. He is a respected and effective community leader who understands the need for smart growth practices in NCCo and who will provide honest and ethical leadership in County Council. Delaware Liberal endorses Bill Dunn
Sheesh, you know why you won’t endorse the party beloved Reed but you can’t articulate why you won’t endorse KWS who is by far the best candidate. Is this just a sub-party platform guide informed and constructed around the HIGH DEMs position?
I am (natch) thrilled to see that Bill Dunn is touted here. I hope he wins, by golly.
NVW
I’m looking forward to seeing who you are backing.
Karen is a perennial candidate who does not inspire me with her competence.
I agree with DD — I saw her speak at a candidate forum at St. Paul’s back in 2004 and she worked hard at connecting to the audience, but I don’t get an executive vibe or even any passion for the job from her. And I still can’t figure out that she is doing for Harris McDowell.
So, you want passion from someone to prove competence for INSURANCE commish!
??
This is where the arts and science people show their ultimate disconnect to qualities they don’t possess but are perfectly well suited to the kinds of people who excell at the vital but dreary world of Insurance oversight.
What you see in the flash of a Matt Denn is the ambition to be Guv himself one day.
What you see in KWS is an able hand who has what it takes to straighten out the problems Delawareans face in getting decent coverage.
I spent almost four hours with Karen and her campaign manager last night in hopes of being able to articulate what is going on now and what can be done about these issues to help us. I should be getting that piece out tomorrow.
Holding what she is doing for a living by working for a state senator against her shows a double standard from you guys since every single one of you decided to take a pass on condemning dear Matty Denn for his years working for Minner to help the big polluters/special interests in our state pollute our health out the window.
Nice.
Thanks for the endorsement for Bill! I know he really appreciates it. He is taking on an incumbent, always difficult. Remember to vote on September 9!
Nancy, you need to talk about what you know. Some of us are science and math types. As if that makes any difference to your argument. We undertook these endorsements in good faith and after watching these races and candidates near and far for awhile. The translation here is that you are by no means the only person who knows anything about the local politics AND nor are you the final arbiter of what a voter should consider. Perhaps you have special knowledge of all of these candidates, that is oh so compelling, but you really ought to leave alone those of us who make do with the mortal information available to us.
After watching the insurance commissioner’s presentations at he SE 9th ward/Triangle candidate forum, I am writing in Tyler Nixon.
Weldin-Stewart and Savage were both abysmal. Reed was marginally better, but has too much Insurance money behind him.
As I said Cass, to decide to vote against someone because they are not a greasy pol type says more about you than the talented person you target.
Perhaps you need better reading skills, Nancy — we decided not to endorse because we did not see anyone holding up Matt Denn’s standard of either ethics or competence.
And all of our choices say something about us, Nancy, so thanks for today’s cliche. Interesting in your world that a decision NOT to choose somehow targets only one of the three. You will note that no one here is disparaging you either for choosing KWS or for targeting Reed or Savage.
I think my interpretation stands.