Delaware Political Weekly: April 7-13, 2012
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?
Tags: Jeff Cragg Delaware; Sher Valenzuela Delaware; Bob Frederick Delaware; Benjamin Lowe Delaware; Tim Dukes Delaware;, Mike Ramone Delaware; Gary Hutt Delaware; Steve Tanzer Delaware; El Somnambulo;
Under Matt Denn’s Lt governorship violent crime (including) home invasions have been reduced by 67%. I just Romneyed that stat, but it seems right to me.
Of course Staton will win the primary easily. The question is what the net effect of candidacies are. The net effect of Frederick’s rationaleless candidacy is to divert attention and funds from the fight against Urkel and Lopez internally. Who benefits from this pointless primary?
Staton was planning on running before redistricting even started and was preparing for the possibility of a run against Gary Simpson. It was likely we would get a new district down here due to population, but he was considering all the possibilities.
“Because its there” is the only reason I have heard why Bob is running. Its a good reason to climb a mountain, but hardly a campaign winning slogan. He has been talking and sometimes acting like he was going to run for something. He wanted the 14th but Pete went for it, and considered running for county council. He has been asked by the party and others to run for things and has always declined. So to the party faithful considers him unreliable. If he makes it to the general election, Republicans will quickly remind everyone that he proposed a tax increase in the city of Dewey while he was Mayor. The fact that it might have been necessary is irrelevant. Getting in AFTER Andy is ruffling a lot of Democrats feathers, especially when you look at Andys campaign.
The Lowe family roots run deep and wide. A Lowe was once a Rep in that area a long time ago. He might be only slightly better known than Adkins. Tim Dukes father is a democrat and former county councilman (who pulled a last minute retirement 24 hours before the filing deadline) and is Tims campaign manager.
Lynn Rogers filed yesterday to primary Marie Mayer for the 20th. Lynn, also pulled a last minute retirement at the same time as Dukes on county council. 2 years ago he was going around saying he did not want a primary but wanted to run for the 36th but ended up letting Russ McCabe run. Around that time Lynn had lost a re election bid at the Milton Firehouse. He is a conservative democrat and owns an expensive sign shop. He was instrumental in bringing the industrial park to Georgetown Airport and getting the runway extension.
Eric Bodenweiser is saying he wants to primary Joe Booth. Earlier he was saying he would run for clerk of the peace
I live in what passes for a ‘bad neighborhood’ ( a term I find highly offensive and perchance racist ) . Have mentored a convicted home invader who admits that he shot up a house at age 14.
According to the ‘word on the street’ home invasions are becoming less fashionable due to prosecutors seeking maximum or strong penalties. Not sure what Denn has to do with that.
I’m sure he supports the effort but the trend seems to have started when he was insurance commissioner. That’s when the young man I know was sent away.
Not sure about that stat @Jason found this:
http://de.newszapforums.com/view_post.php?post_id=728733
then there’s this:
http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/decrime.htm
Not quite sure what Romney has to do with your confusion, but I believe you are mistaken.
Doug: Jason and I write in an alternative version of English called ‘snark’. I apologize for any confusion. Jason does not, but then, Jason just doesn’t give a bleep. Jason’s point was that Romney will cite any alleged fact, including those that don’t exist. I was just poking fun at Matt, who understands snark and, I hope, likes it.
I hope that you continue reading. You bring refreshing sincerity here, which is all too often in short supply. And, this time, I’m not being snarky.
Love snark, huge Bourdain fan so I like even lesser snark. Good for the soul. Great site, it’s refreshing to me too. No matter how much of a tool I seem at times. Because I often write in toolese.
After 11 years of News Journal and WBOC finally decided to look inward instead of across the bridges. Glad this place was found. No matter how deep the toolese gets.