Delaware Political Weekly: Week Ending October 9, 2025

1. James Spadola Is Suddenly A Democrat.  Here’s why, in his own words:

In his post, Spadola said that he weighed the decision to stay Republican.

“Other than staying the course, I could not find a reason that fit my values or my vision for Wilmington, certainly not under the GOP’s nostalgic claim of fiscal responsibility,” Spadola wrote Monday.  

Asked if he is now worried about the lack of representation for the Republican Party on city council, Spadola emphasized that “voters elect people, not parties.”

BTW, because Spadola was elected as an R, he doesn’t have to relinquish his seat mid-term.

Spadola told Spotlight Delaware he’s been thinking about changing parties since 2021, but went through with the decision after finding himself in disagreement with policy directives that have come out of the Trump Administration, such as tariffs, ICE enforcement, and federal troop deployments in cities.

“I’ve always been a moderate, always will be. And at some point, you have to look at where the parties are. And with Trump 2.0, I find myself certainly identifying more with the Democratic platform,” he said.

While I’m glad he says he’s seen the light, he remained a Republican throughout Trump’s first term and, for that matter, throughout Biden’s time in office.  Oh, and he’s ‘always been a moderate’.  Music to the ears of Cassandra Marshall, Bud Freel, The Chamber, and their, wait for it, ‘ilk’.

Then I read what Cassandra Marshall has to say and try not to cringe:

“He doesn’t indulge in pre-packaged partisan wrangling or disrespect: he puts on his problem-solving hat and gets to work for all Wilmingtonians every day,” Marshall said.

Allow me to stipulate that I don’t trust Cassandra Marshall. Said distrust is based on first-hand experience.  Meaning, I think that reporter Brianna Hill, who is an outstanding reporter BTW, might have overlooked a more likely eventuality when she wrote:

Spadola said he has not decided on whether he will run for office again during the 2028 election, which he acknowledges will put him in a different position: he would have to contend in a likely more crowded primary while shouldering his former Republican Party status.

I think it’s possible, if not likely, that Spadola runs as a Democrat in a 2026 primary.  As in RD 1.  Clip and e-save.

2.  THIS is How You Introduce Yourself To Voters.  From my e-inbox to you:

Wilmington, DE — Dr. Adriana Leela Bohm, a longtime activist for equity and inclusion, former school board member, and college professor, has announced her candidacy to represent Delaware’s State Senate District 1.

Dr. Bohm is running for state office because she is deeply committed to advancing equity, justice, and opportunity for everyone in our community at this time of mounting political anxiety. Drawing on her lifelong experience as an educator, activist, and community organizer, she aims to address pressing issues such as protecting education from MAGA attacks, fighting to strengthen the economy – particularly jobs and housing – and defending the environment.

Her candidacy is motivated by a desire to bring bold leadership to the State Senate and to help revitalize the Democratic Party in response to the current political climate. “In all my work – in education, labor, community organizing – my focus has been coalition-building,” she said. “My teaching and my community involvements are born of the same interests: how to overcome society’s divisions (e.g., economic, educational, racial, gender-wise, etc.) in order to build the momentum necessary to be heard by the powers that be.”

Growing up in Wilmington, at 17, Bohm joined her mother on the Boxwood Road GM assembly line but was encouraged to pursue higher education. She earned a B.A. in sociology from the University of Delaware and later earned a Ph.D. in sociology from Temple University, where she helped organize the first graduate employee union in Pennsylvania.

For nearly 25 years, Bohm has served as a sociology professor at Delaware County Community College and is a tenured faculty member and National Education Association member. She and her husband Shane raised their two children in Wilmington, where both attended public schools. Their son is now at the University of Delaware and their daughter attends Howard University.

In addition to her teaching career, Bohm was elected twice to the Red Clay Consolidated School District Board, serving for ten years and working to expand wellness centers, strengthen equity policies, and keep schools safe and inclusive. Her work led to appointments on statewide education initiatives and recognition with the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for volunteer service.

Bohm has also dedicated herself to broader community service, serving on several boards including the ACLU of Delaware, Kentmere Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing, Inc., the Delaware Law Related Education Center, and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Dr. Bohm’s Legislative Priorities

1. Strengthening Public Education for All
Delaware’s educational system must ensure every child, regardless of zip code or income level, has the opportunity to thrive. Her priorities include:

• Universal pre-K for all children

• Free school meals to support student health and learning

• A more equitable, weighted funding formula

• No censorship of educational materials

“If we want education to work, we must create economic stability,” Dr. Bohm says. “Students learn best—and educators teach best—when basic needs are met.”

2. Building Economic Stability for Families
We need bold policies to uplift working families, including:

• Livable wages for all workers

• Safe, stable and accessible housing

• Access to reasonably priced groceries and utilities

“If we want our neighborhoods and community to be strong and thrive, we must create economic stability in these and other daring ways.”

3. Public Health, Environment, Infrastructure and Safety

• We need healthier neighborhoods to live in

• We need cleaner air, fewer emitted toxins, more pedestrian and bike friendly infrastructure, more green spaces, and more public health services, which all result in healthier people and neighborhoods

• No ICE harassment of immigrants and families

A New Era of Leadership

“An old political era has ended, and an unsettling one has arrived,” Dr. Bohm says. “This period requires a reborn Democratic Party fueled by new voices unafraid to think outside the box and develop bold strategies for implementing a politics rooted in the values of ‘We the People.’ This is the vision I will bring to Dover if elected.”

Bohm’s opponent in the primary is likely to be incumbent Sen. Dan Cruce, who will almost certainly be visiting Wilmington more from his Rehoboth residence as he now is forced to be seen in the district he represents.  

Oh, you say you want a link to her site and/or to donate?:

https://www.adrianafordelaware.com/

You’re welcome.

3. Rae Krantz(!) Files To Run In RD 6.  Here’s her profile from the Delaware Call website:

Rae works in the tech industry as a software developer and international conference speaker. Her interest in journalism started in Ohio, where she was a founding member of the cooperative community news website in Akron called The Devil Strip. Since moving to Delaware in 2020, she’s volunteered on progressive political and issue campaigns, and focused her investigative writing energy on racial justice issues.

While at the website, check out the topics she chooses to write about.  They reflect the kind of person she is and the kind of legislator she would be.

RD 6 is currently (barely) represented by incumbent Deb Heffernan, whose presence and involvement in the RD has diminished significantly in recent years.  Rae would be a significant upgrade. To put it mildly, I’m psyched!

4. There IS no #4.  Thought I’d been clued into another story that was, to put it mildly, hard to believe.  Turns out it was hard to believe because it wasn’t true, but rather was a case of someone thinking they heard something that wasn’t said.  I’m relieved–although it would have made quite the story.  Buy me a drink some time and I’ll tell you the story-that-wasn’t-a-story.

That’s all I’ve got this week.  What’d I miss, and whaddayathink?