Delaware Political Weekly: January 19-25, 2024
Not gonna do a deep dive back into the campaign finance reports just now. Why? Because I need a brief respite from all that small print.
1. Carney For Mayor: A Campaign About Nothing. Just like what passed for his two, no, three, campaigns for Governor. Which is why he lost the first time:
Outside of the Delaware governor’s “serious” interest in being Wilmington’s mayor, it’s unclear what Carney’s priorities as mayor would be.
Neither Carney nor anyone associated with his mayoral campaign have responded to requests by Delaware Online/The News Journal for an interview about his run nor does the Democratic candidate have a website outlining priorities.
Carney’s campaign Treasurer Javier Horstmann provided a statement from the governor when asked about the year-end campaign finance report and Carney’s priorities as city mayor.
“Tracey and I have lived in Wilmington for thirty years, and I care deeply about our city,” Carney said in the emailed statement. “I am still focused on serving as Delaware’s governor, but I am grateful for the tremendous support as I get closer to launching a mayoral campaign.”
Got that? He can ‘run for Mayor’ while maintaining that he’s too busy serving as Governor to share his ‘vision’ with the voters. Sound familiar?
You know, it’s a genuine shame that Velda Jones-Potter has committed so many ethical lapses because she, at least, has a vision for the City:
According to her mayoral campaign website, efforts include, but are not limited to:
- Establishing an Office of Neighborhood Development to work with city departments to ensure the needs of individual neighborhoods are met.
- Creating “proactive emergency and pandemic preparedness initiatives.”
- Investing in mental health, education and training programs to promote “holistic human development.”
- Creating policies and initiatives that promote social justice and economic equity.
- Establishing new policies to “ensure fairness, accountability and transparency in all transactions involving public funds.”
2. Remember Doctor Michael Katz? He was a one-term Democratic State Senator who won in a solid Republican district in 2008, edging R John Clatworthy by a margin of 11,296 to 11,004 . He lost to Greg Lavelle in 2012, 11,970 to 11,188.
The registration in the district has skewed more Democratic, and the Senate District is now represented by Laura Sturgeon.
And Dr. Michael Katz has filed to run for the US Senate as the IPOD candidate:
Meet Dr. Mike Katz—an Independent servant leader running for United States Senator with a compelling vision.
As a pediatric critical care trained physician, successful business owner, former Delaware State Senator, critical thinker, and seasoned executive, Mike brings a wealth of experience to the forefront. He is an unwavering independent change agent, dedicated to eradicating corruption and championing the restoration of integrity in our government.
What sets Mike apart is his refusal to engage in partisan politics. Instead, his sole priority is to serve the best interests of Delaware and America. His journey is not just a political endeavor; it’s a personal mission driven by a deep sense of duty.
Join Mike in his historic transformative mission to protect America’s democracy. Your support will play a crucial role in making history by electing Delaware’s first Independent U.S. Senator. Take a moment to learn more about Dr. Mike Katz and the values that drive his commitment to a better future for us all.
He doesn’t accept contributions, so it will be interesting to see how he proposes to run a campaign.
3. Wife Of Climate Denier Files. Kim Hoey Stevenson has filed to run against incumbent D Senator Russ Huxtable in SD 6, which includes the beach areas of eastern Suxco. Stevenson describes herself as an ‘author, freelance writer, and editor’. Most notably, her husband is one of Delaware’s most prominent climate deniers. Here’s but one example of his extreme positions–and his activism. Hard pass.
4. Filings: Two Suxco R’s: Matt Lloyd, Sussex County Council District 1; Steve McCarron, Sussex County Council District 2. Which reminds me, if you’d like me to link to your website, you have but to provide a link. McCarron did.
That’s all I’ve got this week. What’d I miss, and whaddayathink?
RE: The Sussex Filings
Matt Lloyd was interviewed by one of the Salisbury (MD) tv stations that cover lower Delaware. He said his reason for running was Affordable Housing. He is running for the seat held byRepublican Council President Mike Vincent. Mr. Lloyd is 30 and is a registered voter. He has never voted in any election.
Steve McCarron is a well connected Republican running for the seat held by Republican Cindy Green, who fights with her 4 fellow R council members on every issue. McCarron served on the Woodbridge school board and on the Bridgeville Town Commission. He is 47 and has voted in every election. My guess is he was recruited to take out Green.
Thanks! Y’know, we have an opening for a Sussex Correspondent…
https://dnyuz.com/2024/01/26/steve-bannon-admits-bank-account-may-have-evidence-of-fraud/
National story with a local angle
Re: mayoral race in wilm
I don’t take issue with Velda’s ideas, I just can’t see how she plans to actualize any of them. City council can barley rise above its own dysfunction, and there are so many structural problems with the city bureaucracy that I have doubts that any of these initiatives could be administered effectively. Carney doesn’t have to outline a vision because he is the 3rd term of mayor Mike. Why bother to over promise when the stakeholders (some of which are council members themselves) are already quite happy with the status quo?
Of course, I wish voters had a better option than another potter. All I can advise for Velda is to treat the office with respect, because it’s the highest she’ll ever hold. Best to focus on item #1, it is both tangible and doable and would provide the most benefit for the most people
The Potters are untrustworthy. Period.
The potters will do anything to make money and make family members money
So the carney campaign is going to be nothing but saying the woman he’s running against is unethical and her and her husband can’t be trusted with money.
If I were Velda I would point out the irony here. Seems pretty straightforward.
Good point, except:
1. Carney will likely campaign in an alternate universe in which the Potters do not exist.
2. You may have to spend an hour with the Potters trying to explain the irony.
Seconded. He’ll never mention her by name.
No Potters. No way, not ever. I think Charles slithered back into his hole for good. Now if Velda would do the same.
Sounds like DL case for Matt Meyer
Not for Meyer, against BHL. Because even though Meyer is too connected to the upstate GOP for my comfort, he’s not an incompetent. BHL is. She has absolutely no qualifications for the job. Being a nursing teacher has fuck-all to do with governing the state. Sorry if you disagree.
I’m willing to bet that Meyer wins by a larger percentage than Carney wins by…..
Colin O’mara is the big spoiler in a three way race. As far as I know he is privately committed to running
Delawareans don’t want or need a “carpetbagger” candidacy self-funded with three quarters of a million dollars. He can go buy himself an “elected” position of power somewhere else.
In addition I’m sure that every wealthy person able to buy their way into an elected position is going to have the best interests of the public and the middle class and the poorer at heart. Just another ordinary Delawarean with three quarters of a million laying around for his/her vanity campaign.
Representative John Kowalko (retired after sixteen years of serving “Delawareans” proudly)
That’s an empty statement of a paragraph. blahblahblah…virtue signaling…blahblahblah
Plus, you only served yourself.
The case for Matt Meyer is that he seems to not be a crook, be competent, be able to run a government, and he has ideas. Oh. And all of the worst and dumbest people in the state and Democratic Party hate him. I’ll take that door to door any day.
What is the case for BHL? Other than the whole “Jew cult” thing?