Election Results set up a showdown in the 10th
Well, I won’t doubt Harris McDowell and Bruce Ennis again, that’s for sure. Both easily won reelection over what I thought were strong challenges by Republicans James Spadola and Carl Pace. It turns out the closest race among the three competitive races I highlighted before the election was the 8th SD, where Senator David Sokola held on against Republican upstart Meredith Chapman 51% to 47%. It turns out the surprise of the night was Republican Anthony Del Collo upsetting Senate President Pro Tem Patricia Blevins by 206 votes. Boy, getting that job of President Pro Tem seems like a curse recently. That reduces the Democratic majority in the Senate to razor-thin: 11-10.
Indeed, Blevins’ loss now makes the special election in the 10th Senate District do or die. Senator Bethany Hall Long, having been elected to be the next Lt. Governor, will likely resign the seat just before she takes office in mid-January. That would place the special election in either mid to late February or early March. The Democrats have a registration advantage in the 10th, with 15,600 Dems to 9,800 registered Republicans, but it is a competitive seat, with Republican John Marino getting 48.9% of the vote in 2014 amid the backlash to Hall-Long’s husband’s sign stealing scandal.
The most mentioned Democratic candidate is State Representative Earl Jaques of the 27th RD. However, I heard this from a tipster:
Dems are about to put up a state rep that could lose the senate seat as well as lose his rep seat because of the back lash. The very discussion could save these fools.
So is Jaques a strong and inspiring enough candidate to win in a off year special election that Democrats notoriously have turnout issues with? Is there another candidate that is better placed to win?
That tipster might be concern trolling. Jaques is a retail pol in the mold of Bruce Ennis, so I’d give him the edge versus Brand-X Republican. Although, if Dems sit this one out (as we tend to do), we lose big.
Well, our record is improving in this department, with the Bentz and Heffernan specials. Still, we must guard against it.
Yeah, I’ve heard some concern trolling. The rumors on the street about the R candidate have me questioning the authenticity of the concern, for sure.
Earl would be a formidable candidate. He did knock off Vince Lofink back in the day and fended off a primary challenge a few cycles ago. Comparing him to Bruce Ennis is apt. He would have a lot of the same appeal below the canal.
The other potential candidate is Ken Boulden, who is doing the full-court press to get the nomination. I have seen him at Democratic meetings more in the past 60 days than I saw him in the past decade.
So Jaques vs Boulden in a committee vote? Advantage Jaques. Although Boulden could argue that he has more name rec. outside of Jaques RD. I guess I see where the concern trolling is coming from.
Actually, half of the concern trolling that I’ve seen appears to be from the R side. They may have a bit of a battle for their nomination. Fresh new face v. Same old-same old. I think the fresh new face contingent is concern trolling.
Jacques is in the Sokola mold on education. Sokola won, but Chapman put up a better showing than I expected. I don’t know how much that makes Jacques vulnerable on education – probably not much.
Who is the fresh new face on the R side?
My lips are sealed.
I put this up a week ago. Very interested to know about this new face on the R side…
https://exceptionaldelaware.wordpress.com/2016/11/10/who-will-run-for-bethany-hall-longs-senate-seat/
Boulden can win the 8th and 9th endorsement since that is his home turf and he made a rare (once a decade) appearance urging them to get out the vote for BHL….like that was even needed but that is sadly all it takes to get those 2 committees on your side. But outside of mtown area nobody knows who he is. Earl actually has a strong allegiance north of the canal that can get out the #’s to fend off the John Marino’s of the world.
With all respect to Liberalgeek, my lips are NOT sealed…
https://exceptionaldelaware.wordpress.com/2016/11/16/will-delaware-republicans-try-to-paint-the-wall-red-in-10th-senate-district-special-election/