The new House District Map folds the existing 11th and 20th House districts into neighboring districts. Republican Representatives Joe Miro and Nick Manolakos are now residents of the same district (the 22nd).
Greg Lavelle is placed into the 12th District, currently held by Debbie Hudson. Given Tony DeLuca’s retaliation against Progressives that voted against him for the Senate Pro Tem position, resulting in a more Republican district for Democratic Senator Michael Katz (who ran as the progressive alternative against DeLuca), Lavelle is likely to leave the House and run against Katz.
Two new House districts have been created from the elimination of the old 11th and 20th. The new 11th District encompass the southwestern quadrant of southern New Castle County south of Middletown and west of U.S. 13 and the northwestern quadrant of Kent County. It would include the municipalities of Townsend, Kenton and Hartly. The new 20th District will cover Lewes and Milton, running south near Long Neck, encompassing the Harbeson area and reaching west near the city limits of Georgetown. This is a district that seems to be designed for Harvey Kenton’s best friend, Russ McCabe. Based on the numbers, both of these districts will be competitive.
In the Senate, the 6th SD (Sorenson) and the 8th (Sokola) are merged into the new 8th District covering most of the Newark area. This is more evidence of DeLuca’s revenge, thoughing someone who voted against him (Sokola) into a district with an established but not crazy insane Republican (Sorenson). Assuming they both run, it will be quite a race. The new 6th Senate District will cover Lewes, Rehoboth, Dewey and out to Milton. Andy Staton has already stated his intentions to run for that seat, and he might be joined by Sussex County Councilwoman Joan Deaver, who looks to be redistricted out of her seat on the County Council.
Now that the dust is settling, what we are looking for now is who is going to retire. Many of the districts were moved here and there, losing longtime strongholds while gaining unfamiliar and sometimes hostile terrority. For example, in the 4th RD, is Gerry Brady really going to campaign in Hockessin? And then there are the retirements that may happen no matter the results of redistricting (Speaker Gilligan? Senator McBride or Senator Venables?)
So who do you hear is running, or retiring? Below is a list of all the Senate and House districts, since they are all up for election in 2012.
THE STATE SENATE–Dems control 14-7.
1st–Harris McDowell. Unopposed in 2010.
2nd–Margaret Rose Henry.
3rd–Bob Marshall. Will he retire? If he does, look for Rep. Helene Keeley to seek a promotion.
4th–Michael Katz. Greg Lavelle will likely run for the Senate rather than go up against Deborah Hudson in the House. The 4th was moved to the west, and lost the Democratic neighborhoods east of Concord Pike. So Katz is in trouble.
5th–Cathy Cloutier. She won in 2010 over Democrat Chris Counihan with 55%. With the 1st district taking the riverfront communities of Claymont and Bellefonte, the 5th district moved west as well, now covering most of the triangle of Brandywine Hundred (Naamans, Concord, Philadelphia Pike). Still a Democratic district, but less so.
6th–New District in Lewis, Dewey, Rehoboth and Milton. It will lean Democratic.
7th–Patricia Blevins. She won in 2010 over Teabagger Fred Cullis with 62%.
8th–David Sokola and Liane Sorenson. Sokola won in 2010 over Republican Lou Saindon with 61%. Sorenson won reelection narrowly in 2008, with 51% of the vote.
9th–Karen Peterson. She won in 2010 over Republican Bob Johnston with 72%.
10th–Bethany Hall Long
11th–Tony DeLuca
12th–Dori Connor. She ran unopposed in 2010.
13th–David McBride. He ran unopposed in 2010, but he might be retiring in 2012.
14th–Bruce Ennis. He won in 2010 with 66% over Republican John Moritz.
15th–David Lawson. He won in 2010 with 52% of the vote over long time Democratic incumbent Nancy Cook.
16th–Colin Bonini.
17th–Brian Bushweller.
18th–Gary Simpson.
19th–Joe Booth. He was unopposed in 2010.
20th–George Bunting. He was unopposed in 2010, but may retire.
21st–Robert Venables.
THE STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES—Dems control 26-15.
1st–Dennis P. Williams. Unopposed in 2010.
2nd–Stephanie Bolden. Unopposed in 2010.
3rd–Helene Keeley. Won in 2010 with 83% over Robert Bovell.
4th–Gerald Brady. Won with 65% of the vote in 2010 over Republican Richard Carroll.
5th–Melanie George. Unopposed in 2010.
6th– Debra Heffernan. She won over Republican incumbent and now New Castle County Council President Tom Kovach (R), 51% to 48%.
7th–Bryon Short . He defeated Republican Judy Travis 57% to 41%.
8th–Quin Johnson. He defeated Republican Kathleen Rokosz 63% to 37%.
9th–Rebecca Walker. She won over Republican John Marino 51% to 49%.
10th–Dennis E. Williams. He beat Republican Bob Rhodunda 53% to 47%.
11th—New District—Middletown area, South New Castle County, Northwest Kent County.
12th–Debbie Hudson (R) and Greg Lavelle (R) . Both cruised in their most recent reelection campaigns. Lavelle will likely try to move up to the Senate.
13th–John Mitchell . He basically won unopposed (he had Blue Enigma opposition) in 2010.
14th–Peter Schwartzkopf. The Majority Leader defeated Teabagger Chris Weeks 54 to 46%
15th–Valerie Longhurst. She beat Republican James Van Houten 71% to 28%.
16th–James Johnson. Unopposed in 2010.
17th–Michael Mulrooney . Unopposed in 2010.
18th–Michael Barbieri. He beat back the former Speaker he beat in 2008, 53% to 46%.
19th–Robert Gilligan. The Speaker trounced Republican Vincent Ruff 73% to 27% in 2010.
20th–New District in Lewes, Milton, Long Neck, Georgetown East.
21st–Michael Ramone. Unopposed in 2010.
22nd–Joe Miro and Nick Manolakos. Miro beat Democrat Dave Ellis 67% to 33% and Manolakos won handedly as well. Will they run against each other in a primary?
23rd–Terri Schooley. She beat William Stritzinger (R) 68% to 32%.
24th–Ed Osienski . He defeated Abraham Jones (R) 68% to 32%.
25th–John Kowalko. He beat Gordon Winegar (R) 66% to 34%.
26th–John Viola. He was basically unopposed, as he trounced his Republican opponent, Hans-Erik Janco, 97% to 3%.
27th–Earl Jaques . He beat Republican Jay Galloway 65% to 35%.
28th–Bill Carson. He won over Republican Karen Minner 68% to 32%.
29th–Lincoln Willis. He beat John McCutchan (D) 59% to 41%.
30th–Bill Outten. Unopposed in 2010.
31st–Darryl Scott . He defeated Ronald Smith (R) 59% to 41%.
32nd–Brad Bennett . He beat back two opponents, winning 50.2% while having a DUI charge hanging over him. It was impressive.
33rd–Harold Peterman. He Democratic incumbent Bob Walls 52% to 48%. Will he be a target in 2012?
34th–Donald Blakey. He topped three opponents with 62%.
35th–David Wilson . He beat Jim Westhoff (D) 70% to 30%.
36th–Harvey Kenton. He beat Russ McCabe (D) 54% to 46%.
37th–Ruth Briggs King. She won with 62% over Frank Shade (R).
38th–Gerald Hocker. Unopposed in 2010.
39th–Daniel Short . Unopposed in 2010.
40th–Clifford Lee. Unopposed in 2010.
41st–John Atkins. He defeated former Representative Gregory Hastings (R) 55% to 45%.