Delaware’s Most Intriguing Primaries Of 2024: #5A–Wilmington Mayor

Yes, kids, somehow I ended up with 11 races on my list of the 10 most intriguing primaries.  (Not the first time this has happened–imagine you’re unveiling your list of your 50 fave songs of the year.  You’re down to the top 20–and realize you only have nineteen songs remaining.  I’ve been there.)

I chose this race as the one I overlooked b/c nobody in Delaware politics is more likely to be overlooked, and is more deserving of being overlooked, than the Cipher That Is John Carney.  Substance has never entered into any race on his behalf.  That lack of substance cost him the governorship against Jack Markell despite the Party insiders doing everything in their power to elect him (hmmm, sound familiar?).

He for all intents and purposes didn’t even run a campaign when elected in 2016, instead deferring any discussion of issues out of deference to his ‘dear (dead) friend Beau’.  He has governed with no substantive beliefs save keeping information from the public and doing as little as he can get away with for eight years.

Oh, let’s not forget that Carney wouldn’t even have had a political career had Tom Carper not forced him onto the ticket with Ruth Ann Minner in exchange for Carper’s support.

He’s now decided he wants to keep feeding at the public trough by trading in his marching orders from the Chamber to doing Buccini/Pollin’s bidding, neither of which require him to engage his alleged brain.  You know what that means–more development at the Riverfront and continued neglect of Wilmington’s neighborhoods.  Except, of course, the razing of housing to make way for more high-end condos and such.  He, of course, has raised a shitload of money from his prospective beneficiaries and will mindlessly parrot their interests.

His opponent, Velma Jones-Potter, ran into her own conflicts-of-interest while working for then-Mayor Dennis Williams.  As such, she is an imperfect challenger.  However, I was very impressed with this interview that she gave to Peter MacArthur of WDEL.  I know it’s a low bar, but it’s at least refreshing that one candidate has thought about what they want to do as Mayor.  You know, as opposed to out-sourcing it.

As you know, one candidate is white and the other is Black.  But the City doesn’t break down as simply as all that.  I think the race will be decided by the answers to the following questions:

1. To what extent can Potter consolidate the Black vote?  What will Nnamdi do, publicly or otherwise?  Can Black progressives set aside their memories of the worst Potter shenanigans to vote against Carney?

2. Will Black turnout continue to under-perform?  This has traditionally been a problem, especially on the Eastside.  Doesn’t matter if you technically have a registration advantage if you don’t vote.  It’s why former Rep. Al O. Plant had a bumper sticker that read “Don’t Vote, Don’t Bitch”.

3.  To what extent will progressives and supporters of LGBTQ rights rally to Velda?  Carney has never been their friend, and they know it.  There’s a reason why Sarah McBride and Carney don’t exchange Christmas cards.  I think this may be the key for this race.

4.  This one’s pretty interesting.  I notice, especially in SD 1, a lot of Meyer support.  Will Carney’s strapping of BHL to his back actually hurt him among voters there?

I know people who think Velda will win.  Sure, it’s possible.  I mean, Markell beat Carney.  But Markell had a shitload of money and a whole lot of volunteers.  I was one of them.

If I lived in the City, I’d vote against Carney, which means I’d (sorta) vote for Velda.

What do you folks who live there think of this race?