Delaware’s Most Intriguing Primaries Of 2024: #3–RD 14
Yesterday, I wrote this:
If you’ve been following the ‘most intriguing’ races series, you will note an overriding theme to most of the races–there’s a Delaware Way candidate and there’s someone challenging the Delaware Way.
The Delaware Way in Dover reflects the insider casual corruption of Pete Schwartzkopf, Our PAL Val Longhurst, and their enablers.
That has been my ongoing theme since I started writing on DL back in 2009. Perhaps no three primary contests can do more to finally open up government to all the people than the three remaining in this series.
While I’ll provide all the vital district info, I will make the strongest case I possibly can as to why these races need to go in a particular direction in order to make this possible.
RD 14 has been represented by retired State Police Captain and Troop Commander Pete Schwartzkopf since 2002. It was a new district at the time, having migrated from the Cleland Heights/Elsmere area due to redistricting (Does anybody remember who last represented RD 14 when it was in NCC?). He served as Majority Leader from 2009-2012, then was elected Speaker of the House. During that time, his second-in-command was always Val Longhurst. It is safe to say that they turned the House staff from a happy collegial bunch into a group of good people who were always walking on eggshells. Having worked in the General Assembly from 1983 to 2009, I could never remember leadership governing through fear like that.
Schwartzkopf stepped down as Speaker in 2023, but remained on to finish his term, with Longhurst as Speaker.
The District is solidly Democratic and increasingly more progressive, with a large and active LGBTQ+ community. This coastal Suxco district has 9668 D’s, 6944 R’s, and 6002 I’s. This is a rare district where the I’s skew more D than R. Enough so to have given Russ Huxtable the win over Pete protege/ex-cop Steve Smyk in the 2022 Senate election in SD 6. Here is the map of the district.
This is a three-way race between disgraced former State Auditor Kathleen McGuiness, Marty Rendon, and Claire Snyder-Hall, who is the former Executive Director for Common Cause Delaware.
Were there a Hall Of Fame for Delaware Way miscreants, KMG would be a first-ballot candidate. Not just because she was the rare Delaware official to be tried and convicted. Not just because of her affair with Ernie Lopez that effectively ended his political career among other things (and let us not forget that when Pete was fishing around for a candidate to keep someone more progressive from getting elected, he approached Lopez). But the one that gets me is how someone (I think it was Pete) got the Department Of Elections, then under the not-so-watchful eye of Elaine Manlove, to rule that KMG was eligible to vote and run for office in Delaware even though she had voted in Park City Utah which, according to State law, made her ineligible to run for office back then. A classic example of Delaware Way corruption. Likely due to that same threat/promise conundrum that the current Director of Elections faces with a certain candidate for Governor.
The 14th RD voters already soundly rejected KMG’s first attempt to regain (or, more accurately, retain) political office despite Speaker Pete’s efforts to get her reelected. Which reminds me–remember when Schwartzkopf literally disappeared when even Val Longhurst realized that keeping KMG in office was a bad look? Here is when he finally resurfaced–and wouldn’t take any questions about KMG.
Pete hasn’t given up. He’s dragged his tired carcass and her tired carcass to every RW radio station that needs to fill time. He needs to be there b/c, on her own, she is incapable of making even the weakest case for herself. In so doing, Pete’s told us what he fears most: the election of Claire Snyder-Hall to the General Assembly. He’s blasted her on the radio, in the papers, and in KMG’s campaign pieces. Why? Because she represents an existential threat to the hegemony of the Delaware Way. She has been a passionate advocate for open and transparent government, including an Inspector General, and has pissed off Pete and loads of others along the way. (BTW, here is a piece she wrote back in 2022 that is quite prescient.)
I think there’s another reason. I think she’s leading. Not sure whether Marty or KMG is in second, but first you have to slay the front-runner.
I like Marty Rendon. First time I talked to him I realized that my first campaign was also his first campaign. Sadly, it was on behalf of George McGovern back in 1972. He supports progressive causes. He would be a marked improvement over Schwartzkopf. But everything I hear from down there is that he’s not in a position to win.
So, in a choice between two candidates, there really is no choice if you demand more transparent and responsive government. And an end to the Casual Corruption Of The Delaware Way. Claire Snyder-Hall will bring real change to Dover.
I typically agree with most of what you say but, you are dead wrong. Right about KMG whose arrogance knows no bounds Wrong about CSH. She brings chaos, lies, and backstabbing to a new level. I’m in the 14th and have witnessed first hand the people that thought she was a friend get stabbed in the back (I am not one of them.). Verified testimony from the sources themselves
Claire will NOT be an effective legislator. The reason is NO ONE TRUSTS HER. Interesting note, she approached Marty and encouraged him to run. She found out KMG was running, texted Marty at midnight that she decided to run
Marty has an impeccable background, always involved in public service. He was incredibly successful in his career job on the Hill. He is an effective leader and legislator as the Delaware Commissioner of Human and Civil Rights. He is Progressive, extremely intelligent and is a fighter for all of us. He would be trusted by his fellow legislators and make a real difference
I think it’s time you revisited your selection for the good of RD 14
Marty is great. I like him.
However, unless I’ve been misinformed (not impossible, but my sources aren’t from Claire’s campaign), he’s not in a position to win.
Plus, I LIKE the idea of someone who will bring a little chaos to a body that needs some chaos.
Plus, to state the obvious, if nobody trusted her, she wouldn’t be in a position to win in a race for an open seat.
I’m genuinely looking for a dialogue here. If you think I’m wrong about the state of the race, please talk me down.
Isn’t it interesting that someone with a handle of “Integrity” won’t reveal who they are?! Integrity has it all wrong about Claire and clearly doesn’t know her or how she’s viewed in Dover or how she’s respected by the voters. No one has worked harder for this seat than Claire. She has knocked on well over 4,000 doors and virtually all of her money has come from individuals, unlike the other two candidates whose money comes from large personal loans and PAC donations. Come out from behind the curtain “Integrity” and give us more than innuendo and suppositions.
If she’s knocked on 4000 doors, she’ll win.
Which is what Pete is afraid of.
Anyone down here who tells you that Marty Rendon is not in a position to win, and anyone who tells you that KMG or CSH is, are merely telling you what they THINK.
There have been no polls and all three are active. All three are knocking on doors. Al three have had sophisticated mailings. Marty is even up on TV. Marty also has the support of two major Sussex Democratic players- Leslie Ledogar and John Brady.
KMG obviously has baggage. Her conviction is an issue and is one reason she lost the 2022 Primary-even in the 14th. Contrary to El Som’s assertion, KMG is not shy in campaigning, and she does not need Pete S. with her. KMG is very intelligent (as are the other two) and she works every waking minute to achieve her goals. She has three things on her side: There are many voters new to the district, and to Delaware. These voters are not aware of her conviction, but are being made aware of what she accomplished in Rehoboth. Her conviction loses much of its effect in the light of all the allegations against Bethany Hall-Long, and the apparent failure of the Commissioner of Elections and the Attorney General to do anything about that. The third reason is the same reason you oppose her so much- Pete Schwartzkopf. Pete may have opposition from much of the statewide progressive community, but he IS well respected by many 14th RD voters. The LGBTQ community has always supported him because he was the Prime Sponsor of the Marriage Equality bill and was the driving force behind all other pro-LGBTQ laws passed in Delaware. Some of that support, especially from the long-time residents in the LGBTQ community, does transfer to Kathy, even though both Claire and Marty are gay and both have good track records of activism promoting LGBTQ rights.
What Claire Snyder-Hall has going for her is that her credentials are stellar. Her platform is strongly progressive. All those new voters are impressed by her credentials. They are also unaware of why so many 14th RD Democratic influencers oppose her. Claire is one of those people who cannot take responsibilty for their own losses. She ran a good campaign in 2014 against Ernie Lopez. She lost largely because Lopez ran a “pro-family” campaign with billboards of him and his family, and he benefited from the anti-gay sentiment that was still big in 2014. BTW-and I regress a little here. The alleged affair that Lopez had was during this 2014 campaign. His pictures with his wife and children were circulated while he as involved with another woman. Yes, the general feeling is that the woman was KMG. That affair did NOT end Lopez’ career. He won in 2014, and Claire blames the Party for that, and he was re-elected in 2018! He did not run in 2022 because he barely beat Dave Baker in 2018, and redistricting and Democratic registration increases meant he could lose to a well-funded candidate, which Russ Huxtable turned out to be.
All that said, what I hear from 14th RD Democrats is support for Claire from new voters and women members of the LGBTQ community; support for Kathy from Pete S. loyalists and local elected officials and business people who have worked with her over the years; and support for Marty from many male members of the LGBTQ community, as well as those who want a candidate who is not running to “get even” with anyone (a common criticism of the other two). Marty presents himself as the reasonable and steady alternative to the other two.
Who will win? Who knows. The winner could do so with votes from as little as 35%.
As for me, All three have positions that would benefit the community. I want a representative who will go to Dover without opposition of half the Democratic caucus. That is why I intend to Early Vote today and to vote for Marty Rendon.
I will tell you this, I believe the race HAS been polled.
Why hasn’t it been released, you might ask. Depends on who did the polling, and for what purpose the polling was done.
If it was on behalf of a candidate, perhaps the poll did not show a result said candidate might want out there.
It could be on behalf of a group, benevolent or malevolent, depending on one’s view, to determine whether it’s worth their time investing in.
I fully recognize I could be wrong. But I wouldn’t have written this if I didn’t feel that I needed to, and that I was comfortable in what I wrote.
Oh, that’s right. Early voting starts today.
Think my wife, mother-in-law, and I are going tomorrow to the Claymont Community Center.
The old guard of the 14th do not like Claire because she put up a candidate against Pete, how dare anyone go against Pete. They have made it personal against her.
I like Marty, but I don’t see the gumption in him to get things done in Leg hall without riding someone’s coat tails. I’ll gladly vote for Claire tomorrow because we need her there. I’ll be glad when this primary is over and interested to see how the RD reacts
If you view it through the lens of how best to fight back against the casual corruption of the Delaware Way, as I do, there’s nobody better than Claire to do it.
Claire Snyder-Hall would be a gem of a first-year legislator because of her understanding of Legislative Hall, its personalities and its processes. She brings an ability to navigate from proposal to enactment. Her work with Common Cause Delaware has been terrific.
Let’s not forget that sicko Dennis E Williams also helped Kathy McGuinness along in her political career by being the spoiler in the auditors race.
I respect the work of both CSH and MR but I do have a question:
Is there anything to the rumors that Marty is anti-choice? I don’t know where that came from but I’ve heard it from several people. I can’t find anything to substantiate it, however.
If it’s an unfounded rumor, let’s put it to bed.
That was a rumor early in the campaign.
I saw, and still see, absolutely nothing to it.