Imagine a state representative who retired, but never bothered to tell anybody. No need to imagine it when your state rep is Sean Matthews. Oh, he hasn’t technically retired. He still mostly goes to Dover, votes for Pete ‘n Val, opposes strong gun safety legislation. And, here’s the point, does virtually nothing else.
Now understand that most of the people who are new to his Brandywine Hundred district, and there’s a bleepload of ’em, have no idea who he is. That includes virtually everybody who lives in a rectangle (well, more like a rectangular-shaped apostrophe) bounded by Naamans Road, Foulk Road, Silverside Road, and Marsh Road. I’m thinking that’s at least 40% of the district. Holiday Hills, North Graylyn Crest, Kingsridge, Lancashire, Wynnwood, Clair Manor, Foulkside, Highland Woods, Indianfield, Darley Woods, and several of those one-street developments. I’ve knocked doors and lit dropped in that entire area several times as it was in my district up until 2022. What once was bright-red Republican, then swing, is now solidly Democratic. To the tune of 8320 D; 5371 R; and 4793 I. Here’s the map.
Did I mention he’s basically retired? Here is his entire legislative output this session: Three distinctly minor bills on driver registration, two amendments to those bills. And nothing else. Go here, and type in ‘Matthews’ in the upper right-hand corner (my cut-and-paste didn’t work) to see his paltry output.
His entire output for the preceding legislative session, meaning the entire two years, is equally devoid of accomplishment. Three bills signed into law: one dealing with notaries, one dealing with auto dealership licenses, and one ‘to allow for right of way acquisitions to commence upon the approval of final right of way plans on a parcel by parcel basis’. That’s it. All handed to him. No initiatives.
Couple that record with his support for the Kop Kabal leadership and weakness on gun control (he and Kim Williams share the same penchant for allowing maximum ammo in assault weapons), and you have a disengaged incumbent who doesn’t reflect his constituents’ interests. The best you can say about him is that he’s a back-bencher. Unlike, say, Kim Williams, who is a leader in education, Matthews has no legislative accomplishments to speak of since his election in 2014.
Truth-In-Advertising: I supported Sean when he ran against the even-more useless Dennis E. Williams, who has that gene that impels him to run for something every cycle. I don’t regret it one bit.
However, Matthews has become uninterested and uninspired. An engaged progressive challenger can win this seat, and can provide the kind of representation that will be embraced by the 10th RD.
Know anybody?