First, the chart…
As you can see, I have removed Darryl Scott, and added Sean Lynn’s name there as a candidate in the Democratic column. City Councilwoman Dorsey Walker has filed to primary Senator Bob Marshall in the 3rd Senate District. Does Senator Marshall retire, or face a much tougher primary this time around then he experienced last time.
Representatives Bryon Short, Kim Williams, Larry Mitchell, and Earl Jaques have all filed for reelection. And Democrat Jeff Porter of Tavistock has filed to challenge Representative Debbie Hudson. Good. I was afraid I might have to run against her just to get a Democrat into the race.
There is also a bit of a joke in the chart. A joke I now hope to turn into a reality…
Now to the Musical Chairs bit. Delaware politics, especially now that it is basically a one party state whose one party has a pretty strong party establishment with an established order of things, can sometimes be very predictable.
The right of Lt. Governors to succeed the Governors they served. DuPont then Castle. Carper than Minner than Carney. The always moving up. A Biden will always serve in the Senate. Treasurers run for Governor. Etc, etc, etc.
Well, these rules are falling about recently. But I still was comfortable in predicting the future.
In 2016…
Lt. Governor Matt Denn was going to run for Governor.
Markell will campaign for Hillary and get a cabinet post.
Carney will get re-elected to the House.
In 2018…
Senator Carper would retire.
Carney and AG Biden would seek a promotion to the Senate. Or maybe Biden would content himself with a House seat to allow Carney the move up.
It never crossed my mind that Beau Biden would want to run for Governor instead.
It never crossed my mind that Matt Denn would run for nothing in 2016.
Matt Denn is Delaware’s most popular politician, according to internet and scientific polls. And yet all signs are pointing to the notion that he is going to step aside for Beau Biden in the 2016 Governor’s Race, which in and of itself sets up a likely primary with New Castle County Executive Tom Gordon. Perhaps one (Biden or Denn) had to be sacrificed for the greater good of keeping Gordon out of absolute power. (And if you don’t think Gordon is running, check this out).
Maybe Denn will stay in the on deck circle so that if Beau Biden’s criminally undisclosed and mysterious health problems reemerge, Denn can step into the race with the full backing of the Biden machine. But if that is not the case, then Matt Denn simply must go back to his old job: Insurance Commissioner. Make that office work for the consumer again, Matt!