WTF Is Going On In RD 20?
More specifically, WTF is going on with the RD 20 Democrats?
Unless I missed it, we have neither a ‘call’ to the election, nor a date for the Special Election. In fact, Rep. Parker Selby resigned on June 24.
Having said that, it appears that five candidates have already surfaced on the D side. Oh, and the 20th RD has already scheduled a meeting to hear from them.
When, you might ask? How about Thursday, July 3? Day before July 4. What better day to get maximum input from Democrats in the district? Uh, perhaps any day that’s not the day before a major holiday.
This can’t be the only public forum, can it? I mean, there well could be several other candidates who announce. As of the time I’m writing this, none of the five newly-announced had filed a committee yet.
Uh, yes, it absolutely looks like this is the only public forum:
The Sussex County Democratic Committee will host a forum for Democratic candidates vying for State Representative District 20 on Thursday, July 3. The program will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Lewes Public Library (111 Adams Ave, Lewes, DE 19958).
All registered Democrats are welcome to attend the forum, but candidates must reside in the 20th RD. The eventual Democratic nominee will be selected by members of the 20th RD Democratic Committee immediately after the forum. Party candidates will then run in a special election that has yet to be scheduled but is expected to occur in early August.
Are you fucking kidding me? Hold a forum and select a candidate on July 3rd? For a special election to conveniently be held in the dead of summer. The Democrats deserve to lose this seat.
For completists’ purposes, here are the five people who won’t have to campaign for the nomination, just get the votes from the insiders who will make the choice:
Alonna Berry
Joe Elder
Randi Meredith
Ruby Schaeffer
Keith Steck.
Tell me–how did these five surface less than a week after Selby’s resignation? There can only be one reason: They knew in advance, as did people on the committee, that the resignation was forthcoming.
This has all the stink of an inside job.
Prove me wrong. Or at least tell me why I’m wrong.
Utterly pathetic.
Wait… is that Ruby Schaeffer as in, wife of former GOP county councilman Mark Schaeffer?
Could be. Only thing I could find out about her is that she’s a realtor. No D bona fides whatsoever.
Here’s a quick thumbnail:
Alonna Berry-self identifies as a Carney aparatchik. Was Jack Bucchioni’s campaign manager. Probably has the most complete resume for the position-https://www.linkedin.com/in/alonna-b-468922186
Joe ‘The’ Elder: Lewes Councilman-https://www.capegazette.com/article/lewes-swears-two-councilmen-one-police-officer/258905
Randi Meredith: Milton Councilwoman-https://www.linkedin.com/in/randimeredith
Ruby Schaeffer: Real estate agent, has resided in all three Delaware counties-https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruby-schaeffer-7908a332
Jeff Steck: I found nothing.
That’s because Jeff Steck is Keith Steck
Standing room only crowd last night. Great job by RD 20. No insider stuff going on. We are always searching for good candidates and are looking ahead so can be prepared for potential events.
Further, waiting for potential candidates is nonsense. The time frame for special elections is minuscule
RD 20 did a great job under very difficult circumstances And no I’m not a member of RD 20. Concerned 14th RD committee person
Yeah, I caught that in a later post.
Hope you’re right. Berry is clearly qualified for the position.
Yes, she is the wife of that councilman… the one who was embroiled in many a controversy and legal battle.
She was also a lifelong Republican until 2024. Smells like ratfuckery to me.
“Realtor” says all you need to know.
Yes.
Found this about Keith Steck: https://whyy.org/articles/delaware-inspector-general-office-bill-transparency/
I don’t know enough about him or Randi Meridith, but a cursory search made them look like the two most levelheaded options.
Great catch! Thanks for doing my work for me.
Last week we were chastised to give Mr Balk a chance. I asked him if he advocated for the primary bill. He said he checked on it. I asked him when and there was no response . Now we have this bullshit. Memo to Chair Brady and Vice Chair Owens: At the very least provide some advice and counsel as this is utter insider crap!
Good grief, Joe. Perhaps another hobby?
El Som put it more politely but frankly I like my version.
Steck and his partner Glen are active in the district. I don’t know everyone above, but they are both very progressive. I’m not in the 20th, but my vote would go to Steck.
Schaeffer is an absolute red flag.
Only thing that matters is what the insiders on the committee say.
Only candidate forum on July 3. They choose the candidate the same night.
Even were they to choose who we might consider the ‘best’ candidate, it’s next to impossible to imagine a less democratic scenario.
So it’s 10 am on July 1. We have less that 60 hours before the hapless D’s choose the sucker oops candidate to lose RD 20 60/40 if not worse!
The special elections law seems to drive an awfully tight timeline. Am I reading this right (https://delcode.delaware.gov/title15/c071/index.html): Max 10 days to to issue writ and set date (so not later than July 4?), which election date must be 30-35 days after writ (so not later than August 8?), but candidates must be selected by parties no later than 25 days before election (so not later than July 14? or July 11?).
I think you read that right. Good stuff.
So, yes, the deadline is tight.
However, first, there was no point in Selby resigning when she did. She was already a no-show for the entire session. She could have resigned effective, say, Sept. 1. That would have allowed for a special election in the fall with a full vetting of candidates.
Plus, whether it’s July 11 or July 14, it’s still later than July 3, and not during a holiday. Not to mention, I’m not even sure that there was sufficient proper notice provided for the special meeting of the committee. Perhaps the newly-installed State Chair will look at that.
Plusplus, this is all the more reason why the law should have changed. But Speaker Mimi buried the bill that would have done it, and nobody in Dover dared utter a word about it.
Most persons in the district that were active knew that there would probably be a resignation and a subsequent special election. It has been all over this site and others for months. This gave ample time for Dems that were interested to get on the committee having seen this same scenario a few months ago when Sen. Cruce and Sen. Siegfried were selected. People in those areas knew for almost a year that Kyle and Sarah would probably win and the system that existed. They had time to stack the committee if they were so inclined. Additionally, any potential candidate for the 20th should have been contacting persons in the area for their support as a contingent.
It would have been better for the party if this would have been put off a couple months instead of right around July 4th holiday, but so many people have been giving so much bad press about Selby Parker that it probably pushed a timetable forward. You can’t demand a change and then complain when the change is made. Her condition started at the end of last year and I’m sure she was doing everything to get back. I’m sure everyone was pulling for her to do the same except the Repubs. Five to six months to try to get back to “normal” or somewhat normal is not too much to ask for given the severity of the incident. Mimi really shouldn’t have been made to answer questions for her when, by State law, it is ultimately Selby Parker’s decision. I don’t blame her for not answering questions about a medical condition.
Changing any laws that would have been seen as changing or affecting this election would have been equally criticized for its timing. Does the law need to be changed? I’m not sure that it needs it, but make it at the beginning of the session next year if the majority believes they have been wronged.
The problem with your perspective is that the only people who will choose the candidate are the members of the 20th RD, not Democratic voters in RD 20.
If you’re trying to win an election in a district that has not been represented for the entirety of 2025, you should have an open contest that doesn’t leave voters disenfranchised for the second time this year.
I THINK your argument is also that prospective candidates had plenty of time to ‘stack’ the committee. It’s possible that somebody did just that. I wouldn’t know. But, successfully rigging an inside game is no way to set yourself up for success in a special election.
As a committee member in the Senate District currently represented by Ray Seigfried, I know just how shitty this insider game is. Ray, at least, will once again get his ass handed to him in 2026.
But it’s no way for a ‘big tent’ party to operate.
Can Cruce run in the 20th? That’s where he lives isn’t it?
Could be. Although I think he may be in ClaireSnyder-Hall’s district.