Delaware Political Weekly: March 15-21, 2024
1. Carney Endorses Eugene Young. The two questions are (1) Why?, and (2) What impact will it have?
The consensus on the board is that the ‘why’ is that Carney just doesn’t feel comfortable with Sarah because, you know. Perhaps he should, you know, have coffee with her. She’ll have coffee, and has had coffee, with just about everybody. No doubt even Carney. I understand that John struggles to overcome his fear of cooties, but it’s never too late for some personal growth. Besides, perhaps some of her empathy will rub off on him.
Others think Carney endorsed Young because he’s seeking the support of Black voters for his Wilmington mayoral run. I’m sure that figures into it.
I think there’s another reason, though. ‘Jealousy’ would be too profound an emotion to attribute to Carney. So, I’ll just go with ‘pettiness’. Fact is, McBride has accomplished more in her short time in Dover than Carney has throughout his entire career. Paid medical and family leave, an initiative that Carney didn’t support, was a McBride accomplishment in spite of Carney. $100 mill in new Medicaid funding, a recent McBride success, was accomplished with no help from the Carney Administration. Gee, you’d think he’d dispatch his peripatetic ‘health professional’ Lt. Governor to at least talk. He didn’t, she didn’t do it on her own, making it a rare photo with BHL not even there to hog the camera’s spotlight. Think of it–$100 mill for Medicaid, and this administration had absolutely nothing to do with it. Quick: Name me one admirable signature accomplishment of the Carney Administration. I’ll wait.
As to the impact of the endorsement–it will have next to none on the Congressional primary. McBride has built a juggernaut of a campaign, she’s gonna win handily. I legitimately feel bad for Eugene, he just picked the wrong race at the wrong time against the wrong candidate. He’s now gonna have to clean off ‘Carney stench’ for future runs. Those who called Eugene a ‘transformational figure’ may reconsider their enthusiasm. Carney doesn’t endorse ‘transformational’ progressives. The remaining question: What impact will it have on the Mayoral race? I think, at best, a wash for Carney, perhaps a negative. He may attract more Black voters. However, he may lose white progressive voters, and there are a lot of them in Wilmington. Many of them live in Sarah’s 1st Senatorial District, including Carney himself. They are among the best informed and most politically active voters in the state. They, um, won’t be happy. I wish there were a progressive alternative in the mayor’s race. There’s still time.
2. Dennis E. Williams’ Pathological Need To Run For Office. Dennis, I’m serious. You’re one of the last politicians standing who seemingly can’t resist running for something, anything, virtually every election cycle. I want to know what motivates you and others of your, wait for it, ilk. Yes, I understand the ‘blind squirrel finds a nut’ theory that anyone can get elected given the right situation. You proved it. Putting you in the same dubious position as Karen Weldin Stewart and Karen Hartley-Nagle. Singularly undeserving candidates who enjoy a moment or two in the sun. But it’s been a long time since you held office, and all you’ve succeeded in doing since is to ensure the election of Kathy McGuiness by serving as a spoiler in that three-way contest for Auditor. I’ve detected no groundswell of demand for your return to the electoral stage. Please share why you are incapable of simply stepping away. I’m serious. Either that, or will your brain to science. Oh, why did I write this? Because Williams has filed his committee to run for the RD 10 seat currently held by Sean Matthews, who is expected to retire. Melanie Ross Levin has already filed for the seat as well.
3. They’re Still Going After Eric Morrison. This time, with a charter school principal, one Margie Lopez Waite in an RD 27 D primary. A Charter School true believer, she transformed a school dedicated to public safety jobs (the exact kind of charter school which shouldn’t exist) into Las Américas ASPIRA Academy in Newark. Here’s a glowing portrait of her in ‘Charter Folk’. Morrison has become one of the most effective progressive legislators in Dover. He also does a great job on constituent services. As inspiring as Waite’s resume may be, the last thing we need in Dover is yet another Charter School advocate.
4. Oh, No! Lumpy’s Running Again. Quite simply, Bill Carson is a horrible legislator, arguably the least capable Democratic legislator. Word was, he was retiring. Because he’s been a lickspittle for the Kop Kabal House leadership, he’s been given powerful assignments for which he is unworthy, and has used those positions to do the bidding of Pete ‘n Val. This is bad news. However, he is eminently beatable in the overwhelmingly Democratic 28th RD. He’s lazy. Can’t be beat if nobody runs, though. Anyone running?
That’s all I’ve got this week. What’d I miss, and whaddayathink?
Carney endorsed Young simply because he is still pissed McBride saddled up with Markell all those years ago. Carney seems to be the type to keep petty grievances in his mind until he can act on them, and this seemed like his chance… it won’t change a single mind
This is nonsesne. McBride was a high school student at the time.
Call it whatever you wanna call it, but Carney deeply disliked Markell because of that primary; not a far cry to think that he would have something against anyone that was closely associated with Markell.
Markell was amazing for social progress, he was the right man at the right time.
And you know WHY McBride partnered with Markell years ago? Here’s why:
https://delawareliberal.net/2013/12/31/honoring-the-2013-mvps-most-valuable-to-the-progressive-cause/
You can safely skip to #1. I shudder to think what would have happened had Carney been Governor in 2013.
Jack Markell and his people are going to embarrass this guy and his cronies until morale improves.
Starting strong by endorsing two candidates who are very likely to lose. He’s the sports illustrated cover of Delaware politics.
All velda has to do is actually work. That’s the secret to beating John carney. It’s a very simple formula that has worked time and time again.
Fun Fact – Eugene Young is the first candidate ever endorsed by both John Carney and Rob Vanella.
Pretty sure this is inaccurate based on podcast statements
?
Long story, but lets just say that he was “moving in stereo,” Judge Reinhold style.
Re Margie Lopez Waite:
Not commenting on her politics other than to agree that she is a charter school true believer, but at least get your facts straight.
She founded Las Americas Aspira Academy and built it from an elementary school into an elementary-high school combination. She had nothing to do with the Public Safety Academy until its final months. Because she had done a decent job getting Las Americas up and running, she was recruited (along with Colonial Superintendent Dusty Blakey) in a last-ditch effort to rescue the mismanaged and rapidly shrinking Publc Safety Academy. Too little, too late.
But the Public Safety Academy did not turn into Las Americas and it was on life support before Margie was asked to try to save it.
Here is why I wrote what I did about the Public Safety Academy. This Change.Org petition:
https://www.change.org/p/delaware-academy-of-public-safety-and-security-staff-remove-margie-lopez-from-bod-and-head-of-school
Not my story, but this is what happened: https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/education/2018/09/25/delaware-academy-public-safety-and-security-abruptly-closes-tuesday/1428184002/
The link you posted was part of an effort by a group of parents to save the school’s mismanagement team.
Dennis Williams is in the Monique Johns run for anything camp. The worst of Delaware politics.
As for Carney, this is about two things. One, his run for mayor and getting black votes. Two, his old racist irish buds will never vote for a trans person. Trust me, once you leave the progressive bubble I have heard some nasty things said about Sarah….by Dems. It’s ashame but reality.
I just want to put my reversal on the record. I take back a lot of what I said about Ernie not running. I think the failure of the DEGOP to field candidates is going to bring some moderates back, maybe Ernie, maybe Jane Brady. I have no info on this, just a gut feeling.
I don’t consider Jane Brady a moderate. She was the Attorney General who successfully pushed for draconian minimum mandatory sentences for drug offenses. Steve Wood was her mouthpiece in Dover.
She’s only a moderate in the sense that the rest of the GOP is even crazier than she is.
McBride subtly claps back, saying she did not ask for Carney’s endorsement: https://www.delawarepublic.org/politics-government/2024-03-21/gov-john-carney-endorses-former-cabinet-member-eugene-young-is-delawares-u-s-house-race
This seems like an odd decision for Carney.
And maybe high-stakes? Fed races report fundraising by quarter, so both campaigns will be announcing new fundraising totals in like a week. I’m guessing Carney’s endorsement was timed to give Eugene a boost going into the end of quarter rush….
But also…Sarah has absolutely humiliated Eugene in fundraising so far. Eugene had better post AMAZING numbers this quarter…this is kind of his last chance. If he can’t capitalize on this endorsement it means there’s nothing that could save him from here on out.
Also, if Sarah out-raises Eugene again, it really exposes how worthless Carney’s endorsement is and how weak Carney is as a politician.
I guess stay tuned for this quarter’s filings….
Carney isn’t really endorsing Young. Rather, he’s hoping that the endorsement prompts what’s left of Eugene’s followers in Wilmington vote for him instead of Velda.
All this does is alienate and anger what’s left of Eugene’s followers in Wilmington.