Delaware Political Weekly: June 26-July 2, 2020

I was gonna wait until after the holiday weekend to write this, but too much stuff happened. Plenty of stuff will happen over the next two weeks as we approach the filing deadline for state and local races.  Meaning, for now, I’m back to doing this weekly.

1.  Colin Bonini Makes It A Five-Way For Governor. That’s right, he filed. A five-way R primary for the right to get 39% against John Carney.  Bonini apparently believes that the other candidates will genuflect and withdraw for this three-time loser.  I don’t think so.  The very idea that anybody sees him as the one guy who can beat John Carney is delusional.  As bad as Carney is, and he’s, um, not good, 39% is just about the high water mark for any R this year running statewide in Delaware.

2. Another Downstate Trumpster Files For US Senate.  James DeMartino, who has a burr under his saddle at the way Chris Coons mistreated poor Judge Kavanaugh.  If he doesn’t like Chris Coons, he’s gonna hate Jesse Scarane.  Neither of the downstate Trump acolytes can win this race, the other being the equally (or perhaps more) wacky Lauren Witzke.  Meaning, there’s no need to ‘settle’ for Chris Coons. The Lewes-based DeMartino ran against Pete Schwartzkopf in 2018, and got 37.5% of the vote.  He had also run against Schwartzkopf in 2016 and got 36.5% of the vote.  There’s something to be said for consistency.

3. Two File For Quin Johnson’s Seat.  I was wrong.  Neither filed candidate is an ex-cop, but there’s still time.  The Democrat is Rae Moore, who is a legislative assistant for the House Democratic Caucus.  The Republican is the delightfully-named Daniel Zitofsky, who ran against Johnson in 2018 for this 8th RD seat, and got 35.8% of the vote. 

4. Jaci Hugg Challenges Troglodyte Senator Dave Lawson.  This will be a competitive race.  Lawson has positioned himself as perhaps the most extreme Rethug in a caucus full of them. Hugg has worked as a legislative assistant to Sen. Bruce Ennis. Her husband is Dave Hugg, who has been Smyrna’s Town Manager and Director Of Planning And Inspections for Dover.  During my time in Dover, I found Dave to be a professional of the highest order.  You can check out Jaci Hugg’s website here.  While we know that registration totals for downstate districts are misleading, Dems have a slight edge in SD 15:  15,234 D; 12,464 R; and 10,179 I.  Having Biden at the top of the ticket can’t hurt, either. A race to watch.

5. D Primary In RD 34.  Robert Haynes filed this week to primary Adewunmi Kuforiji for the right to challenge incumbent R State Rep. Lyndon Yearick.  The district is in no way a lost cause for the D’s, with current registration numbers of 7733 D; 6112 R; and 5034 I.  I was disappointed in Kuforiji’s campaign in 2018, but he still got 41% against Yearick.  Haynes is an attorney from Camden-Wyoming, and that’s all I know. Who can provide me with more?

6.  It’s Official! Kevin Caneco To Primary Bill Bell For NCC Council.  Caneco has gotten a lot of positive buzz in progressive circles. Some of us were hoping that he would primary Nicole Poore.  He’d be an instant upgrade over Bell, though.  Here’s his website. 

7. Monique Johns Enters D Primary For County Council President.  Can she expand her lit-stealing operation countywide?  Doesn’t matter. Some people just need to run for office. 

8. Sean Lynn Draws Interesting Challenger. Not necessarily interesting in the sense that Lynn is in trouble, but interesting as in–interesting.  Richard Harpster is the challenger, and I think that this is pretty cool.

9. Our PAL Val Draws R Challenger.  His name is Michael J. Higgins, and there are several Michael Higgins’ in Delaware.  Who can fill in the blanks?

10. Filings.  State Rep. Kevin Hensley (R-9th Rd); State Rep. Valerie Longhurst (D-15th RD); State Rep. Kim Williams (D-19th RD);  State Rep. Richard Collins (R-41st RD);  Sussex County Councilman Irwin Burton (R-3rd CD).

That’s all I’ve got this week (isn’t this enough?).  What’d I miss, and whaddayathink?