1. Republican Governor/Lt. Gov. Candidates, Such As They Are, Barnstorm the State.
Their names are Jeff Cragg and Sher Valenzuela. Sher is a she. There’s a nice mnemonic device for you. He runs a Mailboxes, Etc. store, she is co-owner of an industrial upholstery company that has been widely praised as a model small business. Actually, I’ve shortchanged Cragg’s bona fides. According to the News Journal:
His LinkedIn bio lists three current jobs: development, specializing in distressed urban homes; consulting; and a Mail Boxes Etc. franchise.
Specializing in distressed urban homes, eh? Are they financially distressed, or are the people living in them or near them distressed that Cragg specializes in them? I mean, you just know that he isn’t living in a distressed urban home. So, what exactly is he doing there? Wonder if any state or federal money is helping to underwrite this little hobby of his.
Call ’em Jeff & Sher for short. Or Sher and Sher Alike. I salute both of them. The people of Delaware deserve a choice for Governor and Lt. Governor. I salute neither the Republican Party nor those in the party with higher political profiles than Jeff & Sher. Doesn’t look like much effort was expended in recruiting this ticket, and we know that some with higher profiles turned away from this race with remarkable alacrity. Cragg is running for small businesses like his and Sher’s and against big businesses like Fisker because, you know, Rethugs have never thrown money at corporate mercenaries, except when they have. Cough *Financial Center Development Act* cough. Oh, and attracting larger corporations to Delaware has never helped develop a single small business in Delaware except, oh, every single time. Valenzuela is running against home invasions. FWIW, I’m against home invasions, why won’t Matt Denn do something about home invasions? Like, talk about them on the campaign trail. Anyway, Jeff & Sher visited Dover, Lincoln, Millsboro and Elsmere on Tuesday to announce their candidacy. And the beat goes on…
2. Sussex County Democratic Primaries??
The two question marks denote two primaries that emerged this week. Or is it connote? Grammar is difficult. But, I digress. Or is it regress? Or both?
Former Dewey Beach Mayor and current realtor Bob Frederick has filed for the new Sussex County 6th District Senate seat. (Memo to the Delmarva Observer News Staff: It’s ‘Democratic’, not ‘Democrat’, in the context of the sentence. But, you already knew that.) He will run against realtor Andy Staton in the September primary. The winner will face either Ernie Lopez or Glen Urquhart, who are squaring off in a Republican primary. I know that some Democrats are PO’d that Frederick is creating a primary here, and that he allegedly just wants to run ‘because it’s (the seat) there.’ I have no problem with it. If Staton is this unstoppable juggernaut as portrayed, then he will handily win the primary. If not, why not give the D voters a choice? It’s not like open senate seats come along every day. And, trust me, more than a handful of politicians have run for a seat ‘because it’s there’, although the candidates might not say so. Perhaps even Andy Staton.
Two D’s will also face off in what heretofore has been a solid R house district in western Sussex. I know next to nothing about either of them. We’ve already discussed Ray Adkins, a realtor/small business guy who apparently employs Sen. Bob Venables’ daughter. (Isn’t Shirley Price also a realtor? Are realtors the new state cops in the Delaware General Assembly? It’d likely be an improvement.) Adkins was joined in a primary this week by Benjamin Lowe. Lowe is 56 and lives in Laurel, and that’s all I know about him. Anyone care to fill in the particulars? Which, if either of these two candidates, is the party favorite? C’mon, Sussex Spies, don’t fail me now. The winner of the primary is set to face the Right Reverend Tim Dukes, graduate of Valley Forge Christian College, for the seat of retiring Rep. ‘Biff’ Lee. Just check out this video. Don’t be looking for any separation of church and state from this guy. Although he name-dropped Martin Luther King and Bob Marley, which I admit I didn’t expect. He’s the strong favorite in this race, as the district appears even less hospitable to a D after redistricting.
3. Mike Ramone Will Not Challenge Dave Sokola
In fact, Rep. Ramone has filed for reelection to his 21st RD seat. The Republican representative had briefly floated the possibility that he might seek a rematch with Sen. Sokola in the 8th Senatorial District, but quickly thought better of it. Sokola is used to tough R challenges, but it looks like the R’s will have to scramble to even mount a credible challenge. Ironic, since defeating Sokola is/was essential to flipping the Senate to the R’s. Liane Sorenson’s retirement took all the air out of that trial balloon.
4. Filings, We Have Filings
Perennial candidate Gary Hutt has filed for Wilmington’s 5th Councilmanic District, a seat currently held by Sam Prado. Prado has not yet filed. City Spies?
Three incumbents have also filed for reelection: State Rep. Ed Osienski, D-24th District; New Castle County Councilman Tim Sheldon, D-9th District; and State Senator Joe Booth, R-19th District.
That’s it for this week. What’d I miss, and whaddayathink?