Filing Deadline Open Thread: The Final Hours
Let’s place all new comments, info, rumors, press releases, and innuendo here.
Once again, I’ll start. We can still look for another strong candidate to emerge in the 1st RD–one with the support of none other than our friend and colleague Mike Matthews himself.
While noon today is the deadline for filing, it is not the deadline for withdrawals. There will almost certainly be some over the next few days.
There are a lot of intriguing primaries on the docket. I’m gonna try to whittle them down to the “10 Most Fascinating Primaries” in a piece that will appear whenever I finish it. If I ever finish it.
We’ll talk about all of this on the Al Mascitti Show, this Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 12 noon on WDEL-1150 Newsradio.
Now let the games begin! Tick…tick…tick.
Didn’t see this one posted. Laura Brown has filed as an R in RD 17.
Kevin Wade has filed as the R to run against Carper.
“Smooth like suede” Kevin Wade?
My kind of choice: Bank of America vs. Foster Friesse.
Matt Opaliski is running against Gary Simpson.
Scott Spencer (D) filed to run for Wilmington Mayor
Scot T. Sauer (R) for State Representative-19th District.
Victoria Kent filed in the 1st RD. This is the candidate I referenced at the top of this post.
Victoria Kent (D) filed for State Representative-1st District. Another primary opponent for Charles Potter.
Go Victoria!
Geez…an R primary in the 19th?
Current registration is 7443 D, 3660 R.
Whoops, sorry El Som!
Here is Victoria Kent’s website:
http://www.victoriakent.com/meet-victoria
Is Rose Izzo about to become the Republican nominee for Congress?
If that happens Sig Siglar goes down as the worst party chair in Delaware history.
Michael Tedesco, who was about as much of a D as Ned Beatty’s son, withdrew from the 32nd RD Democratic primary, leaving the field to Bill McGlumphy.
A third D has filed in the newly-created Milton-area 20th RD. Thomas D. Jones, Sr. Marie Mayor and Lynn Rogers had previously filed.
Same holds true for Gov. and Lt. Gov. Any R schmo could file and the endorsed candidates could be shut out. Except of course, in this case ‘any schmo’ and ‘endorsed candidate’ are one and the same.
BTW, this is kinda cool. If you go to the NCC Elections Facebook page, you’ll note that Mike Matthews ‘liked’ the announcement that Victoria Kent had filed.
For some reason, I’m thinking that a post-deadline Drinking Liberally might just be in order.
Thank you! I’m very humbled by your support!
This is going to be fun. Getting great feedback and support at outreach too. Many people have really been let down by politicians. They are just tired of the games. They want results and they want to be heard.
I advocate for people now and want to advocate for all the people in the district at the state level, if they are willing to have me represent them.
Holy bleep! Three-way primary in the 1st SD. Someone named James Martin has just filed. We’ll see if this is someone from the City, in which case it would hurt McD, or from outside the city, which could hurt Brady.
See what happens when people get tired of bench sitting?
Kovach has 15 minutes. It is inconceivable to me that he will not file.
Maria Cabrera files for Wilmington City Council At Large
Maybe Kovach is smarter than he looks?
I feel bad for Rizzo getting these few minutes of false hope.
Maybe the Election Office is backed up w/ entries.
That’s probably it. They are all calling in their sandwich orders. Lunchtime priorities are hard to change.
I hope he doesn’t file. Not that I think he could win, but it would expose the hopelessness of the Republican party in DE.
no Cragg, no Valenzuela.
If the Repubs can only attract crazies to their statewide slots, that will eventually leak down to the downstate races. When the repubs are so disheartened, maybe they wont even be able to turn out downstate either.
Christine O’Donnell for Governor?
I think they must be backed up. They haven’t had time to update the facebook, so stuff is appearing on the official site before we get the word on Facebook.
Let’s start a rumor that Kovach’s form wasn’t properly notarized…
When I was there at 11, there were 4 people waiting behind me. Give it a little time.
By the way, there were a lot of people that did not have the right checks and money orders (right committees) and a lot that were asking when withdrawal was.
Filer’s remorse?
question of the day: why would you wait until the last minute to file?
Cragg & Valenzuela have filed.
I’m wondering the same thing as idealist. Who likes waiting in line for something like this?
Is this site ev3en being updated?
http://electionsncc.delaware.gov/candidates/2012/2012_filed.shtml#state
Kovach has filed.
Poor Rizzo.
Nothing like leaving it to the last minute, Mr. Kovach. Wow. He could not possibly have had problems raising the filing fee, so why the literally last second filing?
So no R filed in the 14th RD?
Marge, in races where there is no primary (i.e. races like the 14th where no Republican candidate has filed at all), the party has until September 4 to nominate someone to run.
Someone needs to start a drop-out thread now.
Andria Bennett (nee Viola) filed for the 32nd Representative District for the seat of her husband, Brad. She is the daughter of Representative Viola.
OMFG! The woman who broke up Bennett’s marriage to Bushweller’s daughter is running for the House? She is every bit as qualified to be a rep as her dad. In other words, not at all. We are not allowed to use the word that best describes her, but it applies. This is delusional.
Guess I’ll have to reorder my ’10 Most Intriguing Primaries’ post…
How much you want to bet that James Martin has ties to McDowell?
Not necessarily. Keep in mind that there are people in the city who might want to ‘cut’ McDowell. Charles Potter comes to mind, as Potter had planned to primary Harris, then got gerrymandered out of his district. While Potter himself doesn’t live in the SD, there are about 5 ED’s from the House District that Potter is running in that ARE in the Senate district.
The city’s a whole different animal…
The good ol’ split the votes of the people who hate me trick.
Didn’t Opalinski run as a L in the 19th SD special election after Uncle Thurm died?
Opaliski was the iPod candidate in that race. Gwendolyn Jones was the Lib.
Some interesting city filings. Devon Hynson At-Large, Steven Colon for the 7th.
The R’s have a Mayoral candidate?
Bill Stritzinger has filed as an R against Sokola. Wasn’t he that odious developer guy from Newark? He and Lavelle are bosom buddies.
Wasn’t Brian Murphy a D? He’s filed as an R in the City Council At-Large race. Pretty sneaky if true.
Hardy perennial candidate Vincent White has also filed in the D At-Large race. Cassandra? We are in need of your expertise!
Vincent M. White (D) filed for Wilmington City Council At-Large.
Kevin G. Albert Melloy (R)(!)has filed for Mayor of the City of Wilmington.
God I love Kevin!
At Large is going to be fun!
Dems:
Justen Wright (4-5-12)
Loretta Walsh (5-23-12)
Kenneth Matlusky (6-20-12)
Clara Zahradnik (6-28-12)
Tyler Brooks (7-5-12)
Maria D. Cabrera (7-10-12)
Vincent M. White (7-10-12)
Devon Hynson (7-10-12)
Reps:
Ciro Adams (5-11-12)
Michael A. Brown, Sr. (6-22-12)
J. Brian Murphy (7-10-12)
Hoping for an IPoD or a Lib by election time!
“question of the day: why would you wait until the last minute to file?”
So Harris McDowell doesn’t have time to put a candidate on the ballot who will take votes from Dave Brady.
Why is the DMV always backed up on the 15th and the 30th? You can get in and out of there in 20 minutes if you go another day.
Naah, Harris has known for awhile. Tried to get his surrogates to change Brady’s mind. Even had Brian McGlinchey and his Laborers do a quick lit drop for him.
Bud Freel stepping aside from At Large AND deciding to run for the 8th helped to make this a pretty crowded field. Both Matlusky and Zahradnik were going to run in the 8th. Plus we have a few At Large candidates largely on the ballot to try to cage more votes for Mayoral or maybe State Rep candidates in the 1st and 2nd. Murphy is a surprise — I thought he was a key operative on Montgomery’s campaign.
“why would you wait until the last minute to file?”
It’s not bad if you go the same day, just earlier. I got there when Scott Spencer was collecting his kids and on the way out. There was no one there filing, just a bunch of people hanging out. Howard was in the door way telling me to hurry up and stop chit chatting so he can do the paperwork. Took like 10 minutes. By the time I came out, there were 4 people waiting and another getting off the elevator.
You should really consider having a report from the election office next time. Full of people and you get all the stories.
And BTW, Harris, if he looses, the city will loose both of its Joint Finance Chairs.
I wonder if Matlusky will bore everyone to death as he did 2 years ago during the Auditor primary.
MJ — At least Matlusky will have only city residents to bore.
Victoria — curb your enthusiasm. you’re sounding like a pundit, not a candidate.
It’s going to be a fun ride the next few months !
“Holy bleep! Three-way primary in the 1st SD. Someone named James Martin has just filed. We’ll see if this is someone from the City, in which case it would hurt McD, or from outside the city, which could hurt Brady.”
El, how do you see this one shaking out? I imagine you know both Brady and McDowell pretty well. Or do we have to wait for your top 10?
I know Harris and Dave well. Have worked on their campaigns and spent election nights at their houses. It’s a fascinating matchup with a lot of variables, and, yes, you’ll have to wait until I finish my Top 10.
Or until tomorrow’s Al Mascitti Show, whichever comes first.
Did somebody post this yet? Sokola finally has an opponent – Bill Stritzinger files in SD 8.
– I see El Som posted it above.
More on the Bennett ego trip: http://delaware.newszap.com/home/115138-84/andria-bennett-wife-of. Fucking ridiculous. And she’s another legislative aide at that.
This James Martin who filed today in the 1st SD? Lives on 21st Street in Wilmington. This could well be a Potter-engineered candidacy.
Life just got a little tougher for the incumbent senator.
Why would all of these people wait until the last day? What’s the strategy? I’m honestly asking.
I think we filed in March and spent all of those months introducing myself, meeting community leaders, and formulating policies. But, then again, we didn’t do so well on election night.
1) Because for a primary you really only need to engage members of your own party to make you the team candidate
2) People really get sick of the early on campaigning. Normal people. Not political junkies, or the candidates themselves
3) Why wear yourself out early on, for all the scrutiny and battling that’s coming your way regardless of when you file?
4) Last minute retirements etc., can make for some reshuffling of last minute intentions
5) That’s some of the reasons I can see for filing later
Jim, you ran a great campaign with little money and party support. You stayed on message and didn’t pander to your audiences. You should be proud of what you did 2 years ago. I know Baxter, may he rest in peace, was.
So here’s a little bit more on Elizabeth McGinn, who is primarying Ruth Briggs King – she lives in Long Neck in/near the Pot Nets manufactured home community. RBK is not very well liked by the DMHOA or the people who live in these communities. Some of these parks were part of the old 14th RD and Pete got rid of them and dumped RBK into them (instead of putting her in Atkins’ RD). I predicted that one of the homeowners would challenge RBK and it looks like I was correct. She might not survive the primary if DMHOA can mobilize its members.
MJ I don’t know about that, DMHOA doesn’t lean Republican so I can’t see that giving her an edge over RBK in a Republican primary. Could McGinn be a candidate that came from the Sheriff/Bodie faction? That’s a question we have to ask about every candidate challenging a sitting Sussex Republican who voted for the Sheriff’s bill.
anon – maybe it’s a combination of both. Those areas that Pete shed were weak spots in the old 14th RD for him. He lost those EDs to Chris Weeks in 2010, which is why he got rid of them during redistricting.
There’s indeed only one J. Brian Murphy. He’s done what people have considered for years. When just three GOP candidates file for the at-large position, all make the general election ballot, and the one who gets the most Democratic votes will win. That’s how Leo got Bartkowski Sr. and Jr. elected for 30 years. Too bad for Ciro Adams.
JM — says a lot about the sad state of the GOP in Wilmington that the only seat they get on council will be held for the next four years by a career D.
At least the Bartkowskis were long-term registered Republicans.
I’d love to see when Murphy switched parties.
Brian Gotta love ya but Jim S. Is screaming “You did WHAT!!!” from his resting place;)
What would the word be?????? Spit out you gutless El sh##t head and what’s sneaky about legally usiing the system? One more election cycle and there wil be no one left in Dover who will speak to you. Cheers
Murph’s gambit is sneaky but understandable. The Bartkowskis were useless. Many other GOP candidates – Charlie Toliver, Joan Donoho, Mike Porro, Greg Chambers [Time! has come today], Gary Linarducci – would have made far better council members, but Browntown ruled.
Fun fact: Greg Lavelle ran for City Council at large in ’92. In a six-horse field. “And Lavelle can see ’em all …”
“One more election cycle and there wil be no one left in Dover who will speak to you.”
For a career suck-up like some who comment here, that would be the ultimate punishment, wouldn’t it? Cheers.
Brian Murphy is a loser. Switching parties to try to cheaply win a Wilmington City Council seat
to me shows a lack of integrity. Run for a seat straight up.
Brian Murphy and Bud Freel in City Council?
Somewhere, Soles, Maloney and Frawley are sharing a hearty laugh.
Uh, I can call myself whatever I want, now can’t I?
I don’t need to defend my performance for well over 20 years of public service to you or to anyone. Suffice it to say that I worked on a litany of important issues, did loads of constituent service, wrote everything from press releases to pieces of legislation, and helped a lot of people get elected and reelected.
I ran for office and lost. I’m proud of the campaign and, considering I was running against one of the most powerful and, in my opinion, dangerous politicians in the state (Wayne Smith), I’m proud that I ran and especially proud of the reasons I ran. While I guess that, by definition, every candidate who loses is a ‘failed candidate’, legitimate candidacies are essential in a democracy.
Did you care to make a point on anything I wrote, or were you just, in your own terms, slinging insults?
Actually it was the first-century Iberians who adopted but couldn’t figure out how to correctly spell their Roman conquerors’ word for sleep.
One more point. I have no interest, zero, none, nada, in EVER going back to Leg Hall. I think I’ve proven that time and time here again by what I’ve written. Now that I’m gone, I feel free to write as honestly as possible about what I know and believe.
Does anybody really think I’d write what I write if I wanted to go back?
Kristofferson said it best: “Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose.”
I’m gone from there. I’m not going back there. I’m free.
Hey Joe: It’s nice to realize that drinking didn’t make you an asshole. You did it all by yourself.
And “Rafael” seems to be just another of you “please, sir, my I stick my nose up your important ass?” types that cling to Delaware politics like shit to a dog’s ass.
What makes you think I give a fuck if pieces of shit like Jim Baker and you talk to me? I’m not interested in anything you, or he, has to say. I’m interested in flushing you out of the system into the Christina, where all Delaware’s turds go eventually.
Why don’t you and Joe go down to the gym and pump each other? Your day is over, and thank God for it.
Oh, and Joe: Convicted felons don’t have much appeal, either. As noted above, you can take the alcohol out of the asshole, but you’re just left with a sober asshole who doesn’t even have an excuse for his behavior anymore.
Oh, and JP, I quite enjoy my job, one I got, I might add, without begging Karen Weldin Stewart for it.
Really, Joe, you dissing someone ELSE for the work they do?
You know, it’s funny, and you’re not the only one. There are a few people who trot out this line of attack on occasion. One guy who does this literally bangs on his bongos all day. Yet I have what I consider the ‘perfect post-career gig’ and I’m collecting my state pension. (And Joe, do you realize that, with my pension and my work, I’m making more money annually than I made in House?) Plus I get to do radio, blog, and try, somewhat ineffectively, to manage a fantasy baseball team. I get to drink wine, go out to dinner with my wife, catch the occasional ball game.
So, I don’t get it, Joe. Do you consider work demeaning, Joe? Do you consider the work I do demeaning? If so, that’s your problem and that explains a lot.
Right, Joe. Whereas you just act like an asshole no matter what.
You’ve really done a nice job with your time here on earth. After a few months of trying to convince people that your drinking and legal problems changed you, you have reverted to your original form.
You’re a sad, destructive piece of crap. People could look it up.
For anyone else reading, just remember that this is only person Karen Weldin Stewart could find to endorse her.
Wow this is pathetic can’t you guys just email each other one on one and personally attack . . . go back to worthwhile news please!!! Signing off for the day.
Got any more Geez or are you reaching for the toilet paper. Be careful of the mirror:)
Here is some closure.
I think that pretty much sums it up.
Don’t strain yourself, Joe.
Trying to segue back into the thread here. One of the reasons I’m glad I’m not still working for the General Assembly is perfectly illustrated by the last two days.
If I were still working for the Senate, two senators would now be facing primaries that they weren’t facing last Friday. Meaning that my entire remaining summer and fall would be spent working on those campaigns, taking ‘vacation days’ to work on them since you can’t work on them on state time, spending every weekend working on them. Spending several nights a week working on them. Everything from writing lit to planning and executing lit drops, doing mailings, and just ‘holding hands’ with the candidates. About 20 of my 23 years with the General Assembly were spent doing that.
It was part of the job, we all recognized that and understood that. But, at my age, I’m so happy not to be facing that this time around. Somebody else’s turn.
Well, mea culpa for losing my temper, but these low-level party hacks and hangers-on looking for work are the cancer-riddled backbone of the Delaware Way. Never forget, Democrats, that people like Joe and “Rafael” are the reason conservatism has popular appeal — those are the type of Democrats held up as examples of what’s wrong with the rest of us.
Never taken a government check in my life and its not in my plans. Thanks to lot of decent people I have my career back as well as a satisfying side gig publishing a newspaper. You make much of what has amounted to less than 2% of my gross income in the past 24 months but say what you will This all got going because your side kick insinuated that for the crime of filing for office a lady was a whore. You and your idiot friend are pompous self important blow hards that if confronted with a fact would break out in hives:)You both make John Daniello look smart Cheers!
I believe James Martin of 21st Street may have been the campaign manager or treasurer for Michael John Dalto in his 2006 bid for State Auditor. I recall running into him at a couple of candidate meet and greets. The campaign slogan was “Do Not Call,” they were not going to bother anyone with robo calls, which everyone was griping about. He definitely lived a few blocks from Harris McDowell back in ’06, and sounds like he still does.
J. Brian Murphy, who made nearly $500,000 as a consultant for the City of Wilmington, was sued by the city in 2009 for back taxes of $35,153.86 and for business license fees that he neglected to pay or get while he was making that $500,000. – Straight from the News Journal
It’s Funny that El Som touts his record of service and accomplishment and everyone else’s lack of competence but if you ask any elected official he worked for or with him they claim he sat in his office did nothing but read the paper that is why the Senate would not take him back after his run for office and then he got fired from the House. But he is the EXPERT and KNOWS everything about everyone else and how unqualified everyone else is that either is at Leg Hall or is putting themselves out there to run for office.
From what i understand from many people within the institution (not just staffers or electeds also people who were agency contacts he dealt with on his beloved long term care/assisted living issues with Senator Marshall) it was horrible and He did not have good constituent services. please I ask one of you followers to contact an elected official he worked for and see how “great” his work is.
Maybe El Som was the worst staffer ever,
or maybe not. I find the insights he brings
here to be relevant and interesting, and just because
a candidate loses an election does not mean they are a failure. I thought Rob
Robinson and Jim Westoff were tremendous candidates. I mean Mike
Castle lost to Christine O’Donnell and I think we all know who the real loser is
out of those two.
You can disagree with ElSom if you like. I often do. But if you badmouth his work in the political landscape of this state I’m just going to straight up laugh at you. He’s worn out more shoe leather supporting candidates and working in Dover than any 5 other guys you’d like to mention, and for darn sure none of those 5 are posting anon here. He’s stuck by his principles in a way that made enemies, and he’s not always the easiest guy to deal with if you disagree. but you will never ever EVER be able to say he wasn’t fighting for what he believed was right, and, in my opinion, the world, and Delaware politics, would be a better place if it was a little closer to the standard he sets on that.
If the “Delaware Way” is about compromise and collaboration, well, he isn’t really the poster boy for that. But you’ll never get two stories from the guy. That’s really something.
Damn. I hate it when you people make me say something nice.
OK, the stuff about me has been placed in moderation. Ongoing ad hominem attacks are not permitted, whether they be about candidates, elected officials, or even bloggers.
Not to mention, they’re off topic here.
Mmmmmm Remember Sneeze and El…….. Get to to whatever they want and you will just have to live with that ….but hey I could be wrong 😉
I believe that quals as outing …
I’ve gone ahead and unmoderated the comments. It’s clear that someone thinks that I’ve got to be silenced, and that’s OK–it goes with the territory.
I apologize for the implication about Andria Viola Bennett, that was wrong. Although it doesn’t in any way change my opinion about the utter cynicism attached to her run for office.
Other than that, I’m gonna keep on doing what I do. My sometimes friend, sometimes sparring partner, Heragain, has it pretty much right. Agree or disagree with me, I’ll stick to my principles. I’m not generally diplomatic, I admit it.
And, I welcome enemies when it’s obvious that they have no argument on the merits, which is why they start going after me. Must mean they don’t like something I’m saying. Which makes me want to keep on saying it.
If there are any comments that haven’t been unmoderated, let me know. It’s just a mistake, not my intent.
How about the four responses (at least) that were posted complaining about your censorship of the previous comments?
Seems to be a pretty hard “mistake” to make.
Also, I don’t see how your apology about Bennett changes how you frequently use derogatory and offensive names about others in your posts and responses to posts.
To John Manifold: I doubt my father, Tom Maloney, would be laughing. As he is dead, I can’t say for certain, but I’m pretty sure he would never, ever have switched political parties just to try to get elected.
I always thought that the goal of each party was to put upstanding citizens into office, I guess that’s not just a national issue anymore is it?
SMG: Your father was a visionary who inspires warm memories. He also served with a City Council where many of the best members were Republicans [Al DiStefano, Francis Jornlin, Joe DiPinto], and would have been delighted if similar GOP candidates had beaten the lugnuts that Leo’s minions foisted onto the Democratic ticket.
Among Mayor Maloney’s key decisions was to install some of Hal Haskell’s bright young people [Pat Schramm, Dave Singleton] into key positions in his new administration. He and Joe Biden attained elective office in an era when the most competent and most liberal of this State’s elected public officials were Republicans. Neither would have a problem with Brian’s gambit.
John, I appreciate the kind words in regards to my father. He was a firm believer in working together to get things done, in having the best and brightest in positions to make a difference. I was privileged to grow up with brilliant political minds in my living room, both Republican and Democratic.
However, that belief has nothing to do with changing ones political affiliation simply to boost ones chances of getting elected. Perhaps I am a bit biased and have overly grand thoughts about the integrity of my father and his vision of what politics should be. From him I learned to look at many sides of any equation, especially when a particular side differed from my vision. Looking at every side of this equation, I am fairly certain what my father would have advised.
EL – I’m an newbie, but why do you think Wayne Smith is one of the most dangerous pols in DE? I mean, besides your election experiance? Just so you know…I agree, but want to hear your take on it.
I ran against him b/c he stood for everything I despise. He worked to re-segregate Delaware’s schools, I mean, REALLY worked to resegregate Delaware’s schools; he sponsored the English-only bill that would even have prohibited signs in Spanish in state service centers, legislation that was endorsed by the bleeping Ku Klux Klan; he led the fight in the House for the draconian minimum mandatory sentencing legislation that only recently has been reversed; he opposed gay rights; he buried medical and family leave in the House on three separate occasions after the Senate had passed it.
That’s what I remember off the top of my head. I can dig up my “20 Things Wayne Smith Doesn’t Want You To Know About Him” pieces for more. But that should give you some idea.
El – Yes, that’s what I’ve heard too. It’s always amazed me that given his very partisan background, he was able to land a top-dollar lobbying job just before the new restrictions went into effect. And, I hear he landed himself a new, younger, wife as well.
Wayne got the job precisely because of what he is. As to his personal life I don’t envy anyone in it. On this I can agree broadly the guy is one putrid POS.
JP – Thanks for your input. I must admit, I’ve never met a Repub operative who had a nice thing to say about the guy…which led me to wonder how he could land such a nice lobbying gig. I’m assuming that we’re talking about $150+ here. I had always thought that the folks who went into that line of work were generally well liked on both sides of the aisle – Does not seem to be the case here…at all.