1. Breaking Rumor!! Cloutier to Face Primary Challenge??
Such a juicy rumor that I broke down and used excessive punctuation and gratuitous bold-facing!!
The scuttlebutt in Dover is that Judy Travis, who ran against Rep. Bryon Short in the 7th Rep District in 2010, is planning to primary Cathy Cloutier for the 5th Senatorial District seat. Chris Counihan has already filed for the D’s, and is a strong candidate, having garnered 45% against Cloutier in a previous run. Travis has had her eye on elective office at least since she was passed over to run for Wayne Smith‘s vacated rep seat back in 2007. You remember. The newly reelected Smith left office to become the President and lobbyist for the Delaware Healthcare Association. Smith handpicked his next-door-neighbor over Travis to run for the seat. His neighbor lost to Bryon Short. Twice. But, I digress. For those who think that Cloutier would be a shoo-in in a primary, just remember that Cloutier also ran on the Working Families Party line in 2010. That’s the line offered by Brian McGlinchey and other labor guys. Don’t think that would endear her to Rethug primary voters, and I wouldn’t be totally shocked to see Charles ‘Bouvier de Flandres’ Copeland do to Cathy what he’s doing to Priscilla Rakestraw. Continue to banish moderates from the Party. Needless to say, were this scenario to occur, the R calculus for taking over the Senate would have to be, um, recalculated.
2. Spivack Enters IC Race
I have but one question: Why? At a recent candidate’s forum, Spivack essentially agreed with everything Mitch Crane said. The only possible result of Spivack’s being in the race would be to throw the primary to Karen Weldin Stewart, something Spivack says he doesn’t want to do. Spivack, unlike Crane, has no real experience with insurance issues. I thought that Spivack ran as a true progressive against Castle. Might I suggest that, as a true progressive, Spivack could do a lot more good primarying Tom Carper than inadvertently helping to reelect an insurance commissioner who is both clueless and unethical?
3. Is It Smyk, Or Is It Schmuck?
My answer: Both. Yet another state trooper, and this one with the arrogance of John Atkins, has focused his self-proclaimed big gun on a House seat. Steve Smyk has filed to run for the newly-created 20th RD, which has migrated from the Pike Creek area to Milton, Lewes and environs. The Democratic candidate is Marie Mayor. Who is Steve Smyk, you ask? Allow me to quote from my Pre-Game/Post-Game of January 11:
Finally, yet another state trooper, and one seemingly with a high Asshole Quotient, has thrown his steel-toed jackboots into the political arena. One Steve Smyk will run for a newly-created House seat in Sussex County. He met with the House R Caucus in Dover yesterday. Allow me to quote this would-be ‘Honorable’ from the linked News-Journal article:
“They’re very angry that I went to a Republican side,” Smyk said of the Democrats. “[But] I don’t fit well in Democratic skin.”
“They’re afraid of me,” he said of the Democrats.
When a cop is this full of himself, the people he is sworn to protect should be justly afraid of him. He seems to like people being afraid of him, and the guy carries a gun, after all.
Smyk’s comments earned this rejoinder from Pete Schwartzkopf, according to the News-Journal:
“I’m disappointed in the original comments he made,” said Schwartzkopf, the House majority leader from Rehoboth Beach. “If you want to be that kind of candidate where you want to attack people right off the bat, then go to D.C. That’s not how we operate in Delaware.”
This guy is the head of the Delaware State Troopers Association, and he’s from Sussex County. That probably makes him the favorite in this race. Not that he deserves to be.
4. Deborah Hudson Gets a Democratic Opponent
Good, looks like quite an accomplished person as well. Frann Anderson has filed to challenge long-time incumbent Debbie (Capano) Hudson. Anderson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and describes her practice thusly:
I began my career as an Art Therapist and over the years I have broadened my treatment approach through the practice of Clinical Social Work. I have over 29 years of experience working in the mental health and addictions fields with a commitment to children and adolescents, the LGBT community, survivors of trauma and those challenged by depression and anxiety.
Hey, I would have settled for her just not being a state cop. To have someone with this unique skill set for a candidate is a big plus. Not to mention, she brings a perspective rarely seen in Dover. I commend her for taking on this tough challenge, and look forward to hearing more from her throughout the campaign.
5. Filings, We Have Filings
Sen. Harris B. McDowell, III, D-1st District; Rep. Lincoln Willis, R-29th; Rep. William Outten, R-30th; and Harold Brode, D-For Kent County Register of Wills.
That’s it for this week. What’d I miss, and whaddayathink?