Target These Legislators*
*At the ballot box.
Inspired by today’s Bunker Podcast, here’s my list of state legislators who need progressive challengers in 2026.
State Senate:
Dan Cruce, the Lewes resident who ‘represents’ Wilmington’s 1st SD.
Ray Seigfried: Christiana Care’s resident corporate apologist in the Senate. He has a great challenger in SD 5. Shay Frisby. Yep, there’s a ‘Donate’ button right there.
Nicole Poore: She can probably afford to retire thanks to her no-show job that she ensured was funded annually by the General Assembly. She should be retired regardless.
State House:
Nnamdi Chukwuocha: Lazy, rubber-stamp for the cops. Shané Darby is running! RD 1.
Stephanie Bolden: Rubber-stamp for Buccini/Pollin, the cops, and whichever horrible Speaker of the House is in power at any time. James Taylor ain’t gonna cut it. RD 2.
Debra Heffernan: Is she retiring? Shouldn’t matter. Traditional ally of polluters, rubber-stamp for whichever horrible Speaker is in power at any time. RD 6.
Kevin Hensley: His DUI stunt should cost him his seat regardless. Two D’s have already announced they’re running. Are either of them progressive enough to demand more representative leadership? Inquiring minds want to know. RD 9.
Krista Griffith: Her disgraceful shilling for SB 21, coupled with her rubber-stamp for the cops, should make this her last term. RD 12.
Franklin Cooke: If somebody challenges him, they’ll win. Perhaps the worst obstructionist in Dover when it comes to LEOBOR reform. RD 16.
Melissa Minor-Brown: No, I don’t know whether a successful challenge is achievable. This time. But she deserves to lose. RD 17.
Kim Williams: Too much power used to stifle progressive reforms and, for that matter, progressive legislators. It’s time. RD 19.
Michael Smith: Sure would help if the so-called local Democratic leadership fully backed a D challenger for a change. RD 22.
William ‘Lumpy’ Carson: He has served as a useful idiot for a string of unethical Speakers. While gerbils would admittedly be under-represented by his defeat, his constituents, for once, would be well represented. RD 28.
Bill Bush: An insider who benefited by a family emergency that effectively sidelined his challenger last time. I’d like to see a rerun. RD 29.
Kerry Evelyn Harris: Siamese Twin wannabe to Speaker Mimi. Sold out for power. RD 32.
Here’s the way I look at it, particularly when it comes to the House: The House leadership has deliberately tried to silence the voices and effectiveness of its progressive legislators. It makes no sense b/c progressive initiatives are very popular with grassroots Democrats. But they’d rather hold on to power internally than to embrace positive change. In other words, they deserve to be challenged and defeated.
Which reminds me, check out the podcast and, if you are inspired, consider becoming a Patreon.
I agree with you that they all need to be challenged. Not sure in some of those districts if a true progressive will be successful.
I’m interested in readers’ thoughts about which ones are just scared to go against the moderate/conservative Dem majority for fear of having their committee assignments stripped or their initiatives blocked and which are truly moderate/conservative themselves. Since we can’t pick them all off, maybe focus on the unpersuadable. Also, we need candidate recruitment in most of these districts! Thanks to those who have already stepped up!
There is candidate recruitment going on. There will be challengers. Trust me on that. Perhaps not everywhere, but enough to make a difference.
A funny sort of sad to see mostly Dems on this list. Surely we agree bow tie boy and Mr 302 also need to go. I’m sure the ole Lump will retire for just long enough to be named Sec of Vets. KEH is certainly dissapointing and all in all, don’t think the likes the job — whether the dislike is legislator or leader I do not know. She wasn’t there long enough outside of leadership. Doesn’t attend committees and is kept too busy to run bills. Forgive me but doesnt have the joy I was used to.
Delaware Liberal supported at least half these legislators during their initial campaigns. GTFOH!
I see two–Nnamdi, who ran against the corrupt Charles Potter, and Mimi Minor-Brown, who basically ran the pro-trades incumbent out of the race.
Yes, there are two more–Krista Griffith, who won a primary and then a general to flip the seat from R to D. And Kerri, who sold out upon election.
BTW, and I know you know this, casting a critical eye towards elected officials doesn’t end when they get elected.
All four are arguably better than what we had before, but none of them have significantly raised the bar since they took office.
I’m especially disappointed in Nnamdi since I knew his father pretty well. He lacks fire and rarely challenges the establishment. He has accepted the Delaware Way that his father abhorred.
Someone calling themselves STB wrote a disparaging comment above.
It COULDN’T have been THIS STB, could it?:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLqfsYdMsmz/?igsh=MWlwbXU1dXkwNm1qcg%3D%3D
Bump!