Senate Pro-Tem and Colin Bonini BFF Tony DeLuca is not only facing a primary opponent next year, he will also face a primary challenger. Attorney Bryan Townsend will challenge Senator DeLuca for the Denocratic nomination.
Bryan Townsend, a 30-year-old attorney, intends to challenge DeLuca next year in a primary in the 11th District, which is nestled between Christiana, Newark and Bear.
DeLuca’s leadership style and controversial second state job at the Department of Labor were motivations for running, Townsend said.
Townsend said civic leaders have told him DeLuca is out of touch with the district and his constituents and only recently has begun showing up to neighborhood meetings.
DeLuca, 65, said he’s remained responsive to constituents with roads, transportation, drainage, county land use and policing issues. “Civic associations know that they can call on me at any time, and receive a prompt response from either me or my staff,” DeLuca said in an email. “I’m very accessible and my staff and I take pride in our constituent services to district residents.”
I live in DeLuca’s district and I have never met him. Let’s contrast this with my brand-new State Representative Ed Osienski. Rep. Osienski visited my neighborhood three times before the election in 2010.
I think this will be an exciting race. Don’t get me wrong, a very well-funded long-term incumbent will be very hard to beat. However, Evan Q.’s polling (not sure about the poll quality) showed that DeLuca does not have a lot of name recognition in the district. Will DeLuca be willing to put in the door knocking and hand-shaking? Or is he going to rely on his name recognition and war chest to get him through the primary?
Bonus ROFL – Delaware Democratic Party Chairman John Daniello:
“I’m not sure I can remember when we had a non-officeholder challenging an officeholder,” Daniello said.
*Headtilt* Huh?