We are endorsing this year
There are a number of contested primaries this year, and we will be offering our opinion on a number of those races. The first endorsement will be coming shortly.
We will be endorsing in the following races:
U.S. Representative
Insurance Commissioner
New Castle County Executive
Wilmington Mayor
We may also weigh in on some State Senator and State Representative races. But there is one race where we have no consensus and even no idea who we all will vote for: the Lt. Governor race. This year’s race among six candidates has convinced me that the gubernatorial candidate should chose his Lt. Governor running mate and they should run as a ticket. I want to see legislation dealing with that, and with filling a Lt. Governor vacancy, on the first day of the session.
So on the Lt. Governor race only (because you all will have ample time and space to argue over the other races soon, trust me), who are you supporting and why?
None have terribly impressed me. Considering I agree with most of them on many of the issues they’ve barely enumerated, I was hoping to hear more on education from a few of them and potentially one of them would have broken out for me.
As it stands now, none of the candidates have shared really any details regarding education, so I’m left not really caring.
While you are writing Lt Gov legislation, I would add that the Lt Gov should be made to wear a sash and epaulets to underscore the ridiculousness of that office.
I should point out my comment above is solely about the lieutenant governor’s race. I agree wholly with Jason’s comment. Just do away with the office.
I am not really interested in the other offices except congress. I’m fully behind Bryan Townsend.
I agree that the governor and lieutenant governor should run as one ticket, so that they are more able to work cohesively once in office, rather than the lieutenant governor potentially being marginalized by the governor’s office.
However I do see value in the lieutenant governor position – it serves as an additional representative of Delaware’s executive branch both statewide and nationally. It seems to me that the lieutenant can also provide additional manpower in working toward the goals of the governor, in much the same way that the vice president is often given several of his own projects. And anyone who casts a vote in the Senate should probably have been elected by the people. But I do think that $79,000 per year is a bit ridiculous for the position.
I am supporting Bethany Hall-Long. I have worked with a lot of politicians in the past few years. Bethany is the whirling-dervishiest of them all. She is always on the move and always engaged in something meaningful.
I had an issue about a year ago where a friend of a friend had an issue of bureaucracy run amok. Bethany stepped in and help get some attention on the matter and helped engage a local non-profit advocacy group to assist. The problem was resolved in a few hours and really helped a family that was in crisis.
Honestly, this is just one of the things that I have seen Bethany work on. She is tireless in her work and has a solid grasp on how Delaware works from government to business to non-profits to schools to neighborhoods. I have no doubt that if something happened to John Carney, she would be able to step in as a superb Governor.
@LG: But she can’t put a leash on her own husband.
You got a leash on your spouse?
Best comeback of the year. LOL.
As far as who I will vote for – as a voter who tries but does not completely succeed in staying informed on state politics and who has not yet done much research into the candidates, I have no idea yet.
It won’t be Hall-Long due to her husband’s repeated attempts to subvert democracy. It probably also won’t be McGuiness – the Park City thing bothers me and she seems too wealthy and elitist to truly understand the average person. Dorsey-Walker – if she is close to Williams, that is a problem.
Maybe Poppiti by process of elimination – though his ethics as demonstrated by the way he has run is campaign are lacking. But maybe Eaby or even Fuller – is there a reason to not vote for them?
I have a leash on mine. She just wears it in her hand while I’m at the other end.
I can’t find Fuller’s view on any issues at all. I like Eaby’s push for legalization, but he seems full of himself since his initials are the cornerstone of his campaign. I actually agree with Andrew on the rest of his analysis.
Here is how I am approaching this race. Process of Elimination.
Sherry Dorsey Walker–if you can’t win a Senate primary in the city of Wilmington, why do you think you deserve to be Lt. Governor. No.
Ciro Poppitti and Greg Fuller–I do not find ROW offices to be sufficient experience for the Governor’s Mansion (and that is what Lt. Governors are, potential Governors). No.
Brad Eaby–in the same vein, while being a Levy Court Commissioner (Kent County’s equivalent of a County Council) gives you a little more legislative and executive experience, it is still at the county level of government. Not sufficient for the Governor’s office. No.
Kathy McGuiness–She is a Republican from Utah. Automatically disqualifying. And even if she is a Democrat from Rehoboth, her experience is supporting the campaign of Republican Ernie Lopez and being on the Town Commission of Rehoboth. Again, insufficient. No.
So that leaves me with State Senator Bethany Hall Long. As State Senator for a number of years, she has the experience to do the job at least. I do have my qualms about her husband’s connections to Tom Gordon, but that is her husband, not her.
So that is who I am voting for.
I’m in agreement (no real surprise) with LG. Being around this world for even a brief time, you appreciate people who don’t make unrealistic promises, keep the ones they do make, and work extremely hard for their constituencies.
I’ve only known BHL for a brief time in the grand scheme of things, but in my opinion, know her to be the most qualified, hard working legislator/person I’ve met in a very long time. Her experience is beyond question, but her sense of empathy for people in need and her ability to get things done for them is remarkable. Yes, it sounds like hokey, canned political rhetoric, but I can honestly say I believe it.
Whether the office should exist, or not, is for another post. As it stands, I believe BHL has the qualifications, experience, and drive to make that office productive and an asset to the next John Carney…err, I mean Governor. As for her husband, would you say that to Hillary?
I’m conflicted. For some reason I don’t like that I like BHL. Having her as my 9th RD rep, I agree with everything LG said, and yet it seems that all of her energy and potential has never been applied to anything other than her own advancement. If she decides to lift her gaze and look at the horizon, she could be amazing.
“You got a leash on your spouse?”
No, but I’m not claiming I can run the state, either.
“As for her husband, would you say that to Hillary?”
Yes, I would. But I would also say to you that one guy was the President, the other a county-job charity case. The difference between a Presa Canario and and a Cavalier King Charles spaniel.
1. Bethany Hall Long: she would be an extremely competent Lt Governor. However, she should get a temporary separation from her hubby for the next 8 years. Bad vibes follow this guy. I could see a national story popping up in Delaware’s future with him as the headliner. Other than that, she has the smarts, the temperament, and the relationships to get the job done. She has also represented some of the most populous regions in the state, from Middletown to Bear, which could be very helpful in a primary.
2. Kathy McGuiness: I didn’t see this one coming, Ole’ Park City herself. This lady is everywhere. She seems to have Sussex on lockdown. Their good ole’ boys network, led by Schwarzkopf, seems to be firmly behind her. Seems like she’d be a great saleswoman for Delaware, which would be a big job of the LTG.
3. Ciro Poppiti: Seems like a nice enough guy, but I just don’t trust him. I don’t like how he is actively using his office to campaign. Him trying to do these sessions with teachers about their wills was an indication to me that this guy may not be very scrupulous. Maybe I’m wrong. However, I hear he keeps very shady company, and if thats true, I would not want to put him that close to the Governor’s mansion. Someone who knows him better may have a different read.
4. Greg Fuller: Nice guy. I respect his military service…. but that’s pretty much the extent of his messaging.
5. Brad Eaby: Not the most interesting person in the world.
6. Sherry Dorsey Walker: Forget the fact that she has run for three offices in three cycles, I cannot, in good conscience, support any candidate from Wilmington government until they actually do that job well. She has spent her entire term as councilwoman running for Senator and Lt. Governor.
BHL is indeed a whirling dervish. ‘Peripatetic’ is the word that best fits, IMHO.
However, she is running for an office where she will have LESS influence, a lot less influence, than the one she holds now. Chairing the Board of Pardons and being the ceremonial officer for the State Senate?
Why, you may ask, is she running? Because she sees it as a path to the governorship someday. Which is not something I would look forward to. Especially with the Gordon stuff and her husband’s antics as part of her traveling circus.
Hall Long is certainly qualified, informed, and, judging from these accounts of people who know her personally, passionate for constituent service. And she has experience living in both ends of the state.
But as much as I try I cannot get past her husband’s absolutely deplorable actions. His pattern of behavior is a true and serious concern for me – as much as I try to separate the two in my mind, it is exceedingly difficult for me to believe that a person can really be so fundamentally different than the person she loves. But I am open-minded – can anyone convince me otherwise?
I may be leaning toward Eaby, though perhaps that is only because I don’t know much about him compared to the others.
I don’t make any excuses for Dana Long’s sign issues. It was dumb, plain and simple.
As for the county job and the Tom Gordon BS, I am unconvinced that there is anything there. If Gordon was planning to use Dana’s employment as a gambit against BHL to get her support, that is a Gordon thing, not a BHL thing. There is no evidence that his employment or continued employment is in any way related to his wife’s political activity.
I have had two separate people tell me that the audio that was released was selected by one of BHL’s opponents. If it was one source, I’d probably ignore it, but the second person (who I did not solicit for info) was adamant.
“There is no evidence that his employment or continued employment is in any way related to his wife’s political activity.”
Bullshit. He was hired because he’s her husband. That’s how Gordon operates. But go ahead and ignore the obvious because you demand “evidence.”
I don’t think there was any wrongdoing by her husband there. But face reality: He’s only in that job because Gordon wanted to use her, and she probably wanted to use Gordon.
We’ve elected enough downstate women in Delaware for my lifetime, thanks all the same.
How long has he worked for the county? Do you know if he was hired during a Gordon administration?
This whole BHL’s husband thing is a little played out, and a little bit sexist, in my opinion. Is the narrative that since her husband has made one mistake and has the unfortunate circumstance of working for the county, that he has undue influence on BHL? I’m curious how this narrative works when compared to her record? Has he made her vote a certain way? Has he strong armed other legislators on her behalf? Has he written legislation and been her puppet master throughout her career? Seriously, are these the dots that people a trying to connect with this absurd narrative?
If she were a man, how long would this narrative have existed? I’m not one to cry sexism, manly because I’m a man, but this wreaks of it. Bottom line, she is the most qualified person in the LG race for ANY office in Delaware. Again, my opinion, but I really want to know how this BS is the only thing anyone can muster up against her, considering half of it is unproven.
There’s another reason I’m voting for her, she is an experienced, highly qualified, extremely motivated woman, in addition to all those other adjectives applied to her as a candidate I general.
http://www.nccde.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1068
Gordon says that they were hired during the Coons administration.
LG, he was hired under Coons admin.
You beat me to it.
How long has the outcry against Clarence Thomas’ wife’s activities lasted? Is that sexist?
I’ll probably vote for BHL, because I don’t want Park CIty Kathy to get the job. But the lie that she didn’t know what he was doing is tissue-thin, so it raises character issues.
Also, in my experience ambition is almost always inversely related to talent, so that’s a mark against her for me.
If Gordon didn’t want him there, he wouldn’t be there.
If ambition is a disqualifying characteristic, we’d have no elected officials, well, except Bonini.
El Somnambulo, I don’t blame BHL for treating this like a race for the on deck circle of the governorship. That’s what it is, so a better question might be – why aren’t the others treating it like that?
“If ambition is a disqualifying characteristic, we’d have no elected officials, well, except Bonini.”
I lol’ed.
I think we should change the poll question.
“Without googling, which of the following is the name of Clarence Thomas’ wife?”
And by your reasoning, everyone aspiring to the job is lacking in talent, otherwise they wouldn’t be seeking higher office… Sheesh.
It’s a sliding scale, which is the point of talking about an inverse relationship. Of course they’re all ambitious. BHL more so than most? Looking the other way when your husband gets out of bed in the wee hours to steal campaign signs points to “yes.”
And without googling, what’s the name of BHL’s husband? What’s your point there? Why don’t you try googling how many liberals have ranted about it — rightly so, IMO.
And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about the effect Hillary’s spouse will have on her presidency.
@703: In the Jack Markell-John Carney primary, who was the more ambitious and who was the more accomplished?
He is also a contractor who works for a third party agency. He is not a county employee.
Both equally. That came down to the most well funded.
IF Gordon wanted him gone, he’d be gone. That tape doesn’t sound like they consider him a contract employee. Gordon gains influence through job-related ties to other elected officials, usually their spouses but sometimes their children.
It also sounds like he just found out he worked there, so it really doesn’t show he kept it because of those ties up to that point.
@703: Wrong. Carney was the more ambitious. Markell was willing to serve as his Lt. Gov. until the party couldn’t force out Ted Blunt.
Maybe Gordon didn’t know about Dana Long. But given the track record, I’m not going with that as the most likely scenario.
Ok, now I’m perpetuating this ridiculous narrative by continue to comment on it. I stand by my support for BHL for the reasons I, and most here, have already stated. Her husband isn’t running for office, she is.
The party thought they had. He filed without telling anyone, then dropped out after the damage he created was done.
@703: This isn’t about what the party thought. It’s about the fact that Markell was willing to take the shotgun seat, indicating he was not as ambitious as Carney. It will take the next 8 years to see if Carney is as competent as Markell.
Another example: Matt Denn is as ambitious as any politician in the state. But he twice has been willing to run for offices that are NOT particularly useful in his quest for the governorship, meaning he placed his talent above his ambition.
But you keep right on criticizing what you don’t understand.
Hopefully more. Now that most (not all) of the social issues have been addressed, I’m curious to see how the decaying infrastructure is addressed. It not flashy, or a popular issue, but I needs to get fixed. Hopefully he has the will to delve into the mundane.
So it’s the position of all the commenters here that their spouses have no influence on their thinking. Interesting.
I give Markell credit for bringing in outside people to run some of the state’s most insulated departments, shaking up some placid fiefdoms in the process. Unfortunately he believes in GOP economics, so we wasted a lot of time and money chasing jobs the state can’t create by throwing money at private enterprise. I hope all future governors have learned a lesson there.
Carney, sadly, is even more in thrall to conservative economics, so my hopes are not high.
The thing that’s material to me in the Mr. Long/Gordon case is that Gordon found that Mr. Long needed to be treated with kid gloves in order to stay on the good side of BHL. Is that her fault? I don’t know and that bothers me.
@Cassandra: That could just be Gordon calculating out loud. He tends to project that way.
BHL. Statewide leadership experience, she genuinely seems a good person and cares about the community she represents and the State as a whole. I agree Lt.Gov is a stepping stone to the governor’s mansion, and I’d like to see how she positions herself to make the run for it.
She’s been supportive of my step-son’s 501(c)3 that my wife manages and she’s always been very responsive when we’ve contacted her.
My best guess is that Gordon talks out of his ass. He tries to look like a guy that is running things and playing 11-dimensional chess. But he is really just a lot of bluster and petty bullshit.
Something to think about…
BHL voted against SB 40, repeal of the death penalty, on 4/2/2015 (GA 140)
BHL voted against SB 19, repeal of the death penalty, on 3/26/2013 (GA 139)
Lt. Governor serves on Board of Pardons.
There are 13 men on death row in Delaware. The recent Supreme Court decision did not address whether the decision should be applied retroactively.
Well, those 13 on death row are not going to be pardoned. They will serve either life sentences or be executed. And I do not believe the Board of Pardons will have any say in their fate (seems to me that it will be the subject of further litigation) And actually, Joanne, this is more of a reason to remove BHL from the Senate and put her as LG. Why? Because if a new Death Penalty Bill comes up in a new session of the GA, then BHL will no longer be there as a vote for it.
Are you suggesting that we can protect Delaware from BHL by putting her into the less influential Lt. Gov’s office? That’s a new spin.
My choice comes to elected experience and trustworthyness. I’m convinced the only one that has both of those attributes is Brad Eaby. He’s been Levy Court Commissioner for many years, is the current Vice-Pres, and fought hard to get the Kent County Sports Complex off the ground. He has had the focus on education, safety, and health since he first announced for the office. Others have seemend to “copy” those plans. Now, with his statements on legalization and regulation of marijuna – that is true unique thinking that a Lt. Gov can spend a lot of time working on.
BHL does have the elected office edge, BUT her biggest faults involve her participation in the current NCC Land Use debacle. WDEL’s reporting claims she was responsible for securing $300K to ensure the county could support the plan. How does that not indicate a cozy relationship between her and Gordon???
Poppitti takes his former movie credits to seriously and thinks that helping Senior’s is the key to office. Fuller simply does not have the skill-set – by his own admission! Dorsey-Walker is dynamic but needs to keep her focus on her council district. McGuiness has to many unknowns: support of republican Ernie Lopez and democrat Pete Schwartzkopf, who does that? Flipping of registration and state residency, how is that not discussed?
In 2012 Governor Markell commuted the death sentence of Robert Gattis to life in prison. The decision came after the Delaware Board of Pardons voted 4-1 to recommend a reduction in the sentence.
I don’t want someone on the Board of Pardons who voted twice to keep the death penalty. I don’t think it’s clear how the fate of those 13 men will be determined.
Via Del State News, Park City leads the money race:
DOVER — One month before the primary, Kathy McGuiness leads the lieutenant governor’s race in fundraising.
From Jan. 1 to Aug. 14, the Rehoboth Beach commissioner received almost $128,000 in donations, the highest total among the five candidates whose financial information was made available Tuesday.
State Sen. Bethany Hall-Long, a Democrat, was close to her, with $121,000 in contributions. She has $105,000 in cash available, most among the candidates.
The gap between some of the candidates that was apparent in the 2015 end-of-year reports continues, with Ms. McGuiness and Ciro Poppiti holding a sizable advantage over Brad Eaby, Sherry Dorsey Walker and Greg Fuller.
Mr. Poppiti, register of wills for New Castle County, raised $74,000 and has $38,000 on hand. Ms. McGuiness has $88,000 on hand
Just perusing some of the filings… Tatiana Copeland maxed out to Park City. I found that interesting. Otherwise, it looks like she has a lock on the money in the beach area.
“Tatiana Copeland maxed out to Park City.”
lol.. classic. In your face La Mar Gunn.
If I could loan myself $50k ($75k over two years) why would I run for LG? I’d be on a beach somewhere commenting on a blog site.
Don’t forget that Park City is a Koutafaris(SP?) by birth; multi-millionaire developers & hoteliers in KC. She lives in Henlopen Acres and her kids attend private school in Maryland….. so she has that going for her.
My LG decision breakdown:
Ciro Poppiti – I agree with Bane about using his County office for campaigning. It’s just not right. Not only that, but his focus on seniors is kind of off-putting. I understand the need to protect our older citizens – I’m a caregiver for my parents – but I think we also need to have a focus on our future at the same time. And, personally, someone who yells into a microphone when there’s little noise in the crowd should either be in a band or at a NASCAR event.
Sherry Dorsey Walker – Ms. Dorsey Walker is a passionate and funny woman, no doubt. I like her as a person very much. Her position on the death penalty is a vote in her direction but I think at this point, she should have run for Mayor of Wilmington. I think she definitely would have had a heavy lead and strong chance of winning that race.
Greg Fuller – Mr. Fuller is a nice guy but there are a few things about him that rub me the wrong way. I get that people have different reasons for being a member of their party but in almost every speech I’ve heard him give, he’s said “I’m a Democrat because my father was a Democrat and my mother was a Democrat”. It makes me wonder, since he hasn’t been very forthcoming on many of his ideas, whether he’s a Democrat in name or a Democrat in ideals.
Bethany Hall-Long – There’s no doubt that if this race was based on statewide experience alone, Senator Hall-Long would be a hands-down favorite. (And she probably is right now.) She’s relatively well-liked among her constituents and colleagues. I think my main issue with her is how, from my experience, she’s so focused on telling the people what she’s done in the past, I haven’t heard much about what she planned to do with the office. Experience is great, no doubt, but I’d like to know more about what she plans to do in the future beyond her health care initiative. She’s already sponsored, according to her website, over 1000 pieces of legislation in that area. I’d like to know what else she cares about. I won’t get into what her husband did because it’s been said enough but, for the record, there’s no way she didn’t know and being complicit is as bad as being guilty, in my opinion.
Kathy McGuiness – I have a problem with people who claim to know how to bring jobs to Delaware when one, they don’t work themselves and two, they are no longer involved in the two small businesses they tout. I also have a problem with someone who is registered to vote in another state and who lived and voted in another state within the time period that would prohibit them from running for office here if the Dept. of Elections wasn’t scared of a fight. She’s done a lot for Rehoboth Beach, of that there is no doubt, but, like I believe about Sherry, perhaps a run for Mayor of Rehoboth would have been more appropriate.
Brad Eaby – I think it’s Mr. Eaby’s stances on both the death penalty and legalization of marijuana that have me leaning in his direction. Our public schools are in trouble and he’s the only one I’ve seen – and please, correct me if I’m wrong – who has put any serious consideration into how to help them out. I don’t smoke marijuana and I don’t ever intend to but I know plenty of people who do. Legalizing and taxing it and setting the money aside for education is a great idea. It wouldn’t be easy to do but I think Mr. Eaby is level-minded enough to see both sides and figure out how to come to a compromise on the matter. As a Kent County resident, I think his work on the sports complex (DE Turf) also showed that he’s willing to fight for the people he represent. The project is going to bring in a ton of revenue and bolster the state and local economies.
I have to disagree with the appointed position, we need someone who isnt just a rubber stamp for the administration. We need someone who will stand up and be vocal for what is right and in the best interests of the public, regardless of what the Governor or any one else says. They can help shape the board of pardons and make that a more efficient process that actually helps people stay out of jail. They can be a voice, even without a vote, in the state senate and help get things moving there. There are reasons why this is a separate position, just because we haven’t had one recently does not mean that it is not needed. Look at the current state of our board of pardons and you will see why we need someone there.
I would give much to have a women put me on a leash
Eaby’s insightful plans for Board of Pardons:
http://bradeaby.com/pdf/bopp.pdf
http://bradeaby.com/pdf/bopp-2.pdf
“Don’t forget that Park City is a Koutafaris(SP?) by birth; multi-millionaire developers & hoteliers in KC. ”
I had her pegged as an adept social climber but I guess she was there all along.
Delaware Dem: When evaluating county level political experience vs. state level – remember that other county-level official who jumped to the US Senate after only serving a single 2-year term? The whole country calls him Vice-President!
FWIW, I just saw that Eaby is pimping this post on Facebook.
Kathy put out a mailer that has a quote from Jack Markell….it says:
“Kathy McGuiness has ‘a tireless work ethic.'”
– Governor Jack Marketll
I mean….how absurd. Clearly trying to imply Governor Markell endorsed her campaign, which to my knowledge he hasn’t. It’s amazing how low this person will stoop to win? First her shenanigans about where she lives (IMO as a lawyer, she’s constitutionally ineligible from being LG) and now she’s peddling a clearly misleading quote close to the election.
Unless she somehow has Jack’s permission…but again, I don’t see that being the case…he hasn’t endorsed anyone.
I guess this is what you get when you don’t have either experience or ideas to stand on.
pimping sounds pejorative. I’d say promoting.
Anecdotally, it appears the beach people are supporting McGuiness. The Rehoboth Beach fireworks have been very popular over the last several years. As for me, I honestly don’t know any of the other candidates (and only know McGuiness slightly). So it’s difficult to assess what they bring to an office for which one doesn’t actually have to bring anything.
If it’s a stepping stone to governor, then I would expect the candidates to run on their qualifications for governor since that’s the office they are really auditioning for. So legislative and executive experience have to carry more weight.
Still at this point, I don’t actually know enough to intelligently vote for any of them, in which case my civic duty is clear and, unless something changes, I will probably not select anyone for that office.
I don’t like Republicans getting a beachhead in elective office so I’ll vote for BHL as a vote against Park City. That said if BHL takes NCC, Ciro takes Wilmo, Park City can sneak in with Kent and Sussrx.
Dorsey-Walker could be a spoiler in the city for Ciro. She may get a nice chunk just because she is a council member.
No way Park City gets anything of value outside the Route 1 corridor, or west of G’town. How do fireworks = votes? How can a candidate (Eaby) that has already won multiple Kent elections w/broad name recognition to business and legal fields NOT be considered the favorite?
Because Dave, there are like 13 voters in Kent County, stop…
Only mean KC favorite. ….. at this stage.
My fireworks comment was snark for those who couldn’t tell. It was a way to communicate that the beach has a very narrow set of interests. McGuiness is a home town girl, just like Simpler was a home town boy. Party doesn’t matter, the beach votes homies. Which is why folks like Pires and Schell Brothers supported Simpler and are supporting McGuiness.
This race is such a joke. Got a McGuiness piece in the mail today. She claims that as LG, among other things, she will work to:
“1. Establish universal Pre-K for all Delaware children.
2. Increase teachers’ salaries to recruit and retain the best teachers available.
3. Renew our commitment to funding our public colleges and universities.”
She CAN’T DO ANY OF THOSE THINGS AS LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR. Now, she might be able to advance those agendas in the General Assembly. All she has to do is to run against Pete Schwartzkopf or Ernie Lopez. Anyone see that happening?
Oh, and Bethany Hall-Long? She proposed a 4-point health care program early this week:
*Promoting healthy aging by protecting senior health care services and fighting chronic disease
*Battling the Addiction Epidemic that has harmed many of our communities
*Eliminating health inequalities that exist in our lowest income neighborhoods
*Working towards healthier lifestyles for children and adults
Problem is, these are items she can address in her current position as a State Senator and committee chair, and that she CAN’T address as Lieutenant Governor.
This entire race sucks.
Technically, the list of things on Bethany Hall-Long’s list are indeed things that she has done as a State Senator. All of them are long-term projects that will need further funding and policies. I suspect that when Carney says, “I need to figure out how to get a handle on how to battle this heroin problem” BHL will have a decade of experience working on it.
Out of curiosity, did anyone begrudge Matt Denn for leaving the Insurance Commissioner’s office (where he was actually doing good and having an impact) to become LG? I don’t recall those arguments. Do we all remember the way that Matt used the office to make real impacts.
Let’s not pretend that this position is some sort of powerless title and that whoever gets it isn’t going to have some power, even if it is mostly the power of the bully pulpit.
“did anyone begrudge Matt Denn for leaving the Insurance Commissioner’s office (where he was actually doing good and having an impact) to become LG?”
Yes, I did, and told him so in person on several occasions.
“Let’s not pretend that this position is some sort of powerless title and that whoever gets it isn’t going to have some power, even if it is mostly the power of the bully pulpit.”
We don’t have to pretend. That’s the obvious truth of the situation. It wasn’t much of a bully pulpit even when Delaware had one mass media outlet (TNJ). It has even less now that Delaware has none. The job carries no weight, so the only time she’ll make the paper is with puff pieces on pet projects — great for the scrapbook, but fit to run only on slow news days.
I don’t recall a single post or comment about Denn abandoning the IC office in the 2008 election cycle. But now the political hipster set are stroking their beards and commenting on the uselessness of it all.
https://youtu.be/S74_LT1rmSE
I don’t recall a single post or comment about Denn abandoning the IC office in the 2008 election cycle.
Not sure about a post, but I do think that there were some comments (because I am sure I made one) about what a loss it was for the IC’s office to lose someone who was so effective. And I am pretty sure some of those comments came after it was known that KWS was running to replace Denn.
But I think you are right that no one begrudged him the new position. Mainly because Denn is well liked in this space and he typically delivers on what he says he will do. He was a pretty high profile advocate the the children’s issues that he campaigned on championing as LG.
None of the candidates have anywhere near the progressive cred Denn had at that point and I’d argue none of them have his record of competence, either. YMMV. But I did ask a few days ago if Denn couldn’t be both AG and LG.
Dorsey-Walker could be a spoiler in the city for Ciro. She may get a nice chunk just because she is a council member.
This will be interesting to watch. She has issues in her home district, directly related to abandoning her Council seat to keep running for promotions. Dorsey-Walker is running as a “progressive” in the LGs race, but I think that her new progressive friends are making a point of not noticing that her governing track record in the city is anything but progressive.
Why not reach out to each campaign and condense why they feel they should win… Seems a little more purposeful…
I support Sherry Dorsey Walker. I truly believe that she is in this race, not to advance her career, but because she sees it as an opportunity to help a greater number of people. Both through the board of pardons, and as a voice in regards to legislative actions. Her responses to our groups questionnaire that we sent out to each candidate for this race lined up with my ideals almost exactly. I believe in Sherry and I personally hope she wins. To review her answers go to: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz1MQU2zFkLXRmEyNWxwcnFmM1FwbmlqVWRmb0JkRDFxLWY4
Jack, you’re assuming we haven’t spoken with and familiarized ourselves with each campaign.
” Dorsey-Walker is running as a “progressive” in the LGs race, but I think that her new progressive friends are making a point of not noticing that her governing track record in the city is anything but progressive.”
Interesting. She is also running as a direct result of a request from God. Progressives and the faith based communities do not often hang out it the same circles. I’m not saying the are mutually exclusive, but the don’t go out for beers after work.
“We’ve elected enough downstate women in Delaware for my lifetime, thanks all the same.”
This is a pretty sexist comment.
pandora, But wouldn’t that clearly show what made you decide to choose those specific candidates? Isn’t that what sites with purposes that these would typically portray? Wouldn’t that be more professional than an endorsement? You don’t see the news journal endorsing people and that tends to be taken fairly more seriously.
Dustyn: How did the other candidates respond?
As a relatively new DE voter (I’m a transplant from New York State), I find this discussion very interesting and useful, as I have no idea who I am voting for in next month’s primary for LG. However, the one thing that seems missing from most of the comments is where the candidates stand on the ISSUES.
I’d really like to know where they stand on the death penalty (I already know where Hall-Long stands, and I ain’t impressed!), raising the minimum wage, LGBT rights, reforming Delaware’s tax system and civil service system, increased funding for public schools and not shifting monies to charter schools at the expense of the public school system, and various other issues.
I really don’t care where they moved from, or who their spouse is. And I do understand that the LG has limited abilities to actually get things done, but they DO have a great bully pulpit to speak out on issues and influence how things get done, so knowing what they stand for is, in my humble opinion, of paramount importance as to who I will vote for.
I’ve found that I certainly can’t count on the News Journal to get answers to these questions, so I’m hoping I can learn some things from you good liberals on this site to help me make up my mind.
You don’t see the news journal endorsing people and that tends to be taken fairly more seriously.
The NJ does endorse people. They definitely endorse in the Presidentials and I know they’ve endorsed Carper and others and i think they will endorse in the Wilmington race. So for something that you think people take seriously, you are remarkably uninformed about that they do.
Welcome Joe Laux!
We’ve probably not discussed where a number of these candidates stand on issues, largely because the LGs job is pretty powerless and because some of them (Park City Kathy) seem to be “evolving”. We’ve probably spent more time discussing issues that are being advocated by incumbent legislators that diverge with how they’ve voted in the past.
Is there general consensus that the LG slot is a stepping stone for governor or not? I think that’s what is going to govern my vote. If you all say it is, I would assume that whoever wins LG will be running for governor some day. Consequently, I would assess them on their potential to be governor. Otherwise I might not even bother to vote for anyone for that office.
Echo cassandra, welcome Joe Laux.
If you ask me, LG is one of two things: Stepping Stone to governor with a bully pulpit, or Stepping Stone to retirement. Voting for someone for LG who doesn’t appear to be running for a promotion is pointless because they are running for a promotion 4 or 8 years down the line. If Carney wasn’t “running”, how many of the LG candidates would have announced for governor? I’m in agreement with LG as ‘governor in waiting’. So my vote is more influenced by how I think the LG will do as governor and less by “do they really *want* to be LG”.
What is the reasoning for not endorsing a candidate in the County Council President’s race?
I can only speak for myself. But Penrose Hollins has grown disappointingly close to Tom Gordon (you rarely see a Penrose sign w/o a Gordon sign right next to it), KHN is unqualified for ANY elected position, and the Roberts guy, who might have been a viable alternative, has been next to invisible.
It’s unfortunate that this isn’t the only race where none of the candidates offered us a viable option, but such is life.