First things first. Sherry Dorsey Walker, who is running for Lt. Governor and is vacating this seat, doesn’t suck. Although she didn’t get much signed into law, she is the sponsor of HS1/HB 191, which passed the House during the Rethug boycott, and could well pass the Senate early in 2024. The bill requires landlords to address conditions ‘that threaten the life, health, or safety of the tenant or a member of the tenant’s household if the tenant satisfies specific requirements’. Believe it or not, one Democrat voted no. That would be one Lumpy Carson. More on him in an upcoming episode. Bolden and Parker Selby went not voting.
But I digress.
We have one of the most promising young candidates I’ve seen in a long time who has filed his committee to run in the 3rd. His name is Branden Fletcher. He’s amazing. If you volunteered on behalf of Shane Darby, you know him as the grassroots dynamo who almost sent Nnamdi packing. I was blown away by his presentation at a recent candidates training forum. Please read his bio. For me, he checks all the boxes. He is especially passionate on the issues of housing and food insecurity. He’s running for the right reasons. As of now, he’s the only announced candidate and, as you can see from his website and online presence, he’s not wasting any time. I think he has the potential to become a true leader. Not just in the General Assembly, but beyond.
The district is one of the most diverse in the state, although it’s not diverse when it comes to political affiliation: 11,494 D; 1549 R; and 3276 I. I believe that the district may have the highest proportion of Latino residents in the state.
Here is the map. I think that, with the possible exception of a portion of Westover Hills, the entire district is within Wilmington city limits.
If no one challenges Branden, then this intriguing race will not prove to be intriguing at all. But politics abhors a vacuum, so who knows who might file? Branden Fletcher’s the real deal, though. Can’t see anyone better possibly emerging.