This presents a great pick-up opportunity and a chance to strike a blow against the Delaware Way. How ‘Delaware Way’ is Bill Bush? He shepherded Delaware Way developer shortcuts through the General Assembly. As Lonnie George’s consigliere, he almost single-handedly overthrew the decision of the Del-Tech board to install ‘Dr.’ Mark Brainard as president. If there is Delaware Way skulduggery afoot, Bush, who served as an attorney under the House Kop Kabal leadership, is part of it.
He is being challenged by Monica Shockley Porter, who is as grassroots as one can get. Her bio:
A native of Harrisburg, PA, Monica Shockley-Porter moved to Kent County, Delaware in January 2019. Since her family’s relocation to Delaware, Monica has become an active member of Network Delaware, Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, Fund for Women at Delaware Community Foundation and National Coalition of 100 Black Women (DE Chapter).
With over 20 years of combined experience in both social services and business development, Monica has been responsible for marketing, outreach and management of several programs during the course of her career. In previous roles, Monica served as Community Relations Director, Director of Business Development and Director of Therapeutic Foster Care. Monica earned a BS in Criminal Justice from Savannah State University and MS in Administration of Justice from the University of Louisville. She resides in Clayton with her husband, US Army retiree, Justin and daughter, Justice Marie. Monica is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. (yes, one of the Divine Nine).
A little historical fact about the sorority:
Expanding beyond Howard, Zeta Phi Beta established chapters in New York City and Atlanta. It began a publication called Archon, initially titled X-Ray, and instituted the tradition of Finer Womanhood Week. The organization aligned itself with the NAACP and the National Negro Congress. Notably, Zeta embarked on the Zeta Housing Project of 1943, identifying housing vacancies and registering them with the National Housing Association. Many of these homes sheltered numerous war workers during World War II.
The district extends from just SE of Clayton down to the Wild Quail Golf & Country Club in Camden-Wyoming. Here is the map:
https://elections.delaware.gov/maps/rd/2023/kent/rep-district-29.pdf
There is a lot of new development in the district, meaning less attachment and attraction to the Delaware Way tradition that Bush exemplifies. Bush succeeded Trey Paradee when Paradee was elected to the Senate, which in large part explains the presence of both Paradee and Bush at that notorious bundlers’ party in the lobbying offices of Scott and Rebecca Kidner.
BTW, since Trey Paradee came on here to castigate that post, I think it is only fair to share his response and my response to his response. I leave it up to you to decide whether lobbyist bundling parties are good or bad for Delaware:
Paradee:
There was no further response from Trey.
This district is overwhelmingly Democratic. The current registration numbers are 9783 D; 5288 R; 6025 I. The primary is the general.
It’s this simple: This race is a classic example of Delaware Way insiderism vs. the Democratic grassroots. Monica Shockley Porter would be a huge upgrade over this deeply-embedded insider. If you agree, here’s a link. You know what to do.
So, someone brought this to my attention. Why am I even posting a response, knowing that anything I say will be summarily dismissed and ridiculed? But, whatever, here it goes…
Steve, (It’s okay to call you “Steve”, right? Or do you prefer your nom de guerre?)
First of all, I did not “organize” this event. You got your facts wrong AGAIN. Shocker. In fact, I did not develop the graphic that was used for fliers and the email that I sent to friends, and, apparently, to some people who clearly are not friends. I was invited to participate in the event, as were the other participants. You might notice that the four legislators who were asked to participate are the chairs and co-chairs of the business/economic development committees of both the House and Senate. I have known Rebecca Kidner for nearly 40 years – since I was a teenager, obviously long before I ever considered entering politics. I have known her husband, Scott, for over 30 years. I consider them friends. They also happen to be my constituents. One is a lifelong Democrat – the other, not so much. During the years that I have served in the General Assembly, we have found ourselves on opposite sides of several issues. There have been times when we have fought bitterly against each other. But I have always respected them and been willing to consider their point of view, which is what every public servant should do. Scott and Becky are wonderful, smart, honest, hardworking people, who are widely respected by legislators on both sides of the aisle. The reality is that the Kidners’ names and the names of their clients appear on the campaign finance reports of MANY of the darlings of this website, but I am not surprised by your hypocrisy. It’s pretty much what you do here. When friends and/or constituents offer to open up their home to me in order to raise campaign funds, I am very grateful, and, on this occasion, I accepted the offer. Apparently, you think that campaigns are free. They’re not. Billboards, mailers, signs, and all the other various forms of advertising cost money – a lot of money. Like everything else in this world, the cost of campaigns continues to increase year after year. In fact, over the past decade, the cost of postage, which happens to be one the largest expenditures for every campaign, has increased 32%. Look it up. Meanwhile, the maximum campaign contribution that can be made by an individual of $600 has remained the same for four decades, making it more and more difficult to raise sufficient funds to pay for all the signs, mailers, brochures, etcetera. Meanwhile, the Republicans in this state have mastered the use of PACs that allow their supporters to make contributions in the tens of thousands of dollars every year. I cannot be bought for $600. I cannot be bought for any sum of money. That what makes your post and assertions so preposterous to me. I LOVE representing my hometown. It has been the greatest honor of my life. I vote my district, and always put my constituents first. I am proud that I am regularly endorsed by organizations like the Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood, and Stonewall PAC. They know that I am committed to supporting their causes. I am also proud of all the tremendous work that the Joint Finance Committee has done over the past few years under my leadership. We have put a tremendous amount of money into creating opportunities at our higher eds and funding pre-school and pre-K for children in disadvantaged communities. I could write volumes about all the great work the JFC has done in recent years. I am fortunate to serve with such great people! It never ceases to amaze me how this site is so preoccupied with tearing down Democrats – especially some of those who are doing great work. Sure, there are some members of our party who need to be criticized from time to time, and there have been times when I have not been on the same page as this website. I get that. I don’t mind being questioned or criticized when it comes to policy. I signed up for that, and I am happy to defend every vote I have ever taken – even if there are 2 or 3 that I wish I could do over. But the personal attacks and these ridiculous conspiracy theories that are literally lifted from the imaginations of Sam Chick, Kim Petters, and their merry band of Young Republicans only serves to diminish what this website could be and used to be a decade ago: engaging, substantive, and relevant. So, I wish you well. I hope everyone who is reading this has a glorious weekend. Keep being you, and I will keep working fiendishly to serve my constituents to the best of my ability.
Warmest regards,
Trey
El Som:
Please. You’re in an overwhelmingly D district. R’s generally get no more than 36% of the vote in your district. You’re from a wealthy family that has been a power broker in D politics since I started working in the General Assembly back in 1983.
So spare me the cost of billboards is going up.
Oh, as of now, you don’t have an opponent. Lumpy doesn’t have an opponent. Spiros doesn’t have an opponent. Only Del-Tech consigliere Bill Bush has an opponent, but raising money is pretty much the only problem he DOESN’T have in facing a legit grassroots challenger.
YOU sent out the notice about the fundraiser, and YOUR name was the only one listed with the ‘make checks payable to’ info. Maybe I should have said ‘promoted’ instead of ‘organized’. But you were the lead legislator on this event. Like you said, you’ve known Becky Batson since high school.
Lumpy Carson and Bill Bush are the worst sort of Delaware Way politicians, and have helped the House leadership kill progressive legislation since they’ve been in office.
The fact that you see nothing wrong with having a bundling party at the offices of corporate lobbyists reflects on you, not on me or anybody else. It pretty much illustrates everything that’s wrong with the Delaware Way. I, too, knew Becky Batson. She was a Senate Attorney who referred to the President Pro-Tem as ‘Uncle Thurm’, because he was her uncle. She and her Republican husband represent some of the most powerful corporate interests in Delaware.
You’ve done some good things and, as you know, I’ve praised you for them. You ALSO took part in the blatant Delaware Way-ism of the athletic complex in Frederica, as did your lobbyist brother. So you’re far from immune from taking part in Delaware Way inside baseball.
I think that both the reality and appearance of what you did on this sucks, as does your unwillingness to recognize that there’s something wrong with this political incest.
One more thing–and feel free to respond.
You correctly pointed out:
“You might notice that the four legislators who were asked to participate are the chairs and co-chairs of the business/economic development committees of both the House and Senate.”
Yes, I noticed. That’s why I urged all of them and you yesterday to cancel their participation. As you know, but tried to gloss over, we’re not talking one $600 check, we’re talking checks from the Kidners’ corporate clients. $600 times ??
This is designed to benefit the Kidners’ clients. I would argue at the expense of the people you and the others actually represent. The casual corruption of the Delaware Way is so casual that you, among others, see no harm in these bundling parties.