I doubt that any legislator has been less distinguished, yet wielded as much power, as Lumpy Carson. At least in recent times. He has been Pete ‘n Val’s Useful Idiot during their reign of terror against their own caucus and Democratic principles. Long-time House head of the Joint Finance Committee, chair and/or member of any committee where Pete ‘n Val needed to stop the flow of progressive legislation, he has done nothing other than do whatever the Kop Kabal has told him to do. A proud know-nothing who couldn’t even be bothered to read his own mail or e-mails during my last two years working for the House, a Happy Hours aficionado, and a proud collector of stuffed pickaninnies, he’s been an embarrassment of a public official ever since he succeeded Bruce Ennis, who had been elected to the Senate.
While there have been rumblings that Ol’ Lump (nickname given to him by then-President Pro Tem Thurman Adams during the special election that Carson won) may be retiring in 2024, (a) we can’t count on it; (b) we can’t allow a Lumpy Junior to take his place; and (c) this district is now well to the left of Lumpy politically.
Here is a map of the 28th RD. Other than one small New Castle County election district, this is a Kent County RD. The bulk of the district’s population is centered in Smyrna and the east side of Dover. The district runs east to the Delaware River through sparsely-populated areas. It has become more suburban since Lumpy was first elected around the end of 2007. It has also become much less dominated by the old-school D power-brokers in Kent County politics.
The registration in the Kent County portion of this district is 9162 D; 4256 R; and 4797 I. The lone NCC ED has 47 D’s, 74 R’s and 59 I’s.
Lumpy has never had a primary challenge despite his views becoming more out of touch with this district. Senators Kyra Hoffner and Trey Paradee represent virtually all of the 28th in the Senate. Neither of them are going to the wall for Carson.
We’ll never have a better time to elect a more progressive representative than in 2024. Lump has one foot out the door. Even back during his special election, he wasn’t exactly a workhorse campaigner, and that was more than 15 years ago. The district has drifted leftward politically. Any effective grassroots campaign will topple him. All we need is for someone to step up. Please, step up!