Perhaps nobody is more ill-suited to his district than is Bill Bush. A Delaware Way insider, he served as a House Attorney to the Kop Kabal, destroyed the choice of the Del-Tech Board of Directors in order to install Lonnie George’s Chosen One as Del-Tech President, and perhaps has been the leading pro-business/anti-grassroots Democratic legislator in Dover. He successfully led House efforts to shut residents out of the development process, something that John Carney deeply appreciated.
He got the position when Trey Paradee moved up to the Senate, and he took advantage of the opening. Trey has helped Bush amass his campaign war chest at least in part through a ‘bundling’ party sponsored by corporate lobbyist friends of Paradee, including developers who benefited from the legislation Bush sponsored. He has represented the Delaware Way in Dover, but has not reflected the needs of his district. He has all the endorsements you would expect an insider like him to have.
His opponent in the Kent County Democratic primary is Monica Shockley Porter, and she has a true grassroots background. She is the Advocacy Chair of Delaware Community Foundation, the Recording Secretary for The National Coalition Of 100 Black Women, and the Treasurer for Network Delaware. She has an M. B. A. and a Master’s. The district has a large minority population, and she has a lot of connections in the community.
Here is a map of the 29th. You will note that there’s a lot of new suburban development, most of it in the northern two-thirds of the district. Meaning, a lot of people not cognizant of the Delaware Way. The district is strongly Democratic–9783 D; 5288 R; and 6025 I. The winner of this primary will be the State Rep from the 29th.
Monica Shockley Porter has been endorsed by the Working Families Party, which has had a lot of success in races very similar to this one. The Usual Suspects have circled the wagons around Bush, including some who shouldn’t–like LBR (this is why I can never fully support her as she always runs with the Overdogs) and Val hench-person Melissa Minor-Brown. You no doubt already suspected that Chris Coons, BHL, and Trey Paradee would show up in photo ops, and they have.
This is a winnable race, but one that won’t be easy. If you’ve got some time these next two weeks, and especially if you live in Kent County, now’s the time to jump in and bring this one home. The benefits of adding Monica and ridding the General Assembly of Bill Bush cannot be overstated.