Delaware Political Weekly: Week Ending Feb. 12, 2026
“We are kings of our bikes. So, we are again really lucky to live in Rehoboth, when we park a car, we have to get back into the car. We can hop on our bikes and our ritual is that we are always biking from our home to L(ewe)s. We do a little bit of walking around, a little bit of margarita, a little bit of good food – there’s amazing food then bike right back. So the ritual, on our bikes, every chance we can, any place we can go, and eliminate the cars.”–Dan Cruce.
1. John Atkins Finds G-d, and perhaps political salvation, in the bosom(s) of a Good Christian Woman.
I hear you naysayers, you non-believers, snickering out there. Do not count me amongst you. I truly believe that this man, who has long wandered in the spiritual wilderness, has finally made the journey from (allegedly) copping cheap feels at soft-core lingerie parties to yearning but to ‘touch the hem of His garment’ (no, not in that way, ya sickos). I believe this man has sincerely, profoundly, changed. So much so that any perceived sins should not be held against him as he is called to selflessly seek political office yet again, this time guided by the Lord…unless the AG decides otherwise.
I am so moved by his selfless motivation to serve that the Spirit has impelled me to pair this deeply-moving song with his sincere and humble missive. To fully partake of his powerful prose, please play this song while reading his words. Feel free to repeat the song if you read slowly:
It’s time we talk about the elephant in the room- my PAST.
I was in a marriage that eventually ended in divorce unfortunately like so many others. Heather and I have remained friends and great parents to our boys. From the start Heather has welcomed Jennifer Lea and I into her home many times. She is an awesome mother and a good person.
After my marriage ended, I got into a relationship that quickly became unhealthy. Many of my closest friends knew this but most in the public didn’t. I became good at putting on a smile and hiding it in public. My private life spiraled out of control and spilled into the public.
It’s possible that people get addicted in these bad relationships and I had a hard time finding my way out.
I paid the price for my actions, legally, financially, but most of all the embarrassment that I caused my boys, family and many of you. Let me be clear- I’m not proud of any of this. I was wrong.About 4 months ago when many of you started to urge me to run again, I was hesitant because of what happened almost 10 years ago. I wasn’t sure I wanted to relive that time in my life. My priority was to protect Jen and our boys through what was the lowest time in my life.
Jen has become my biggest supporter and I tell people all the time God used her to save me and show me that I’m still worthy, loved and part of this community.
She gave me the encouragement to get back in the ring and go another round because she has seen my passion to help others even after I left office.
I want to thank all of you from my kindergarten friends, people that influenced me while growing up here, my church community, to people I may have met yesterday, for the forgiveness and kind words that together we can do this. I’m so grateful for all of you that never gave up on me.
About 3 months ago I said to Jen, “If I’m going to ask people to forgive me, then I need to forgive people that I’m upset with”. Not for political gain (they don’t even live in the 41st) but I called them and we put the past behind us and decided to have lunch.
I know negative things are going to be said about me and our campaign. I’m not going to worry about that because I know where I’ve been and I know where I am now in my life. I’m at peace.
I still have that passion to serve you and together we will continue to get things done for our community.
This is my promise.
God Bless you,
John.
G-d bless you too, John.
2. Kira Alejandro Announces Her Candidacy. With one of the best intros I’ve read in recent years:
YORKLYN, DE – Community advocate and working-class Democrat Kira Alejandro has announced her candidacy to represent District 3 of New Castle County Council, which includes Pike Creek, Hockessin, North Star, Yorklyn, and parts of Newark.
If elected next fall, Alejandro would be the youngest member of County Council, at 30 years old, and would bring one of the strongest track records of community advocacy to the Council. As a Yorklyn resident in the northwest corner of the county, Alejandro has led the effort to prevent overdevelopment in the environmentally sensitive Yorklyn valley, which experienced disastrous flooding during Tropical Storm Henri in 2003 and which contains an underground aquifer that supplies millions of gallons of drinking water each year to New Castle County residents.
As a co-founder of the Yorklyn Community Association, Alejandro helped block a 6-story luxury condo building proposed next to Auburn Valley State Park, addressed a legal loophole that developers were exploiting, and helped secure a $6.4 million investment from the state to preserve 30 acres of open space in District 3.
“I’m running because too many Council Members have become complacent at a time when we need fearless leadership more than ever,” said Alejandro.
Like Council Member Dee Durham in her neighboring district, Alejandro is running to rein in the influence of real estate developers and to fight for more responsible land use. Her candidacy marks a clear break from incumbent Janet Kilpatrick, who has long been criticized for her close ties to developers.
To maintain her independence, Alejandro has pledged to reject campaign donations from developers, land use lawyers, corporations, and corporate PACs.
Alejandro is already enjoying a swell of grassroots support from concerned residents who have recognized her local leadership.
Sandra Finsel, a retired teacher and longtime District 3 resident, said, “Kira has been a powerful advocate for the community of Yorklyn, exploring every avenue to protect the interests of all of us who live here. Her ability to find solutions that no one else has considered is a valuable asset.”
Alejandro has also gained support from residents in other county council districts who have confronted the same developers, including Drake Cattermole, who bought the historic Gibraltar Mansion in Wilmington and let it fall into disrepair.
“We need strong, intelligent voices in our county,” said Maggie Mesinger, a Highlands resident involved in the community response to the Gibraltar fiasco. “Kira Alejandro is exactly the kind of voice we need. She’s not afraid to ask hard questions, she believes in community engagement, and she works hard to protect the quality-of-life issues that strengthen and unite communities.”
About Kira Alejandro
Alejandro was born and raised in the 3rd Council District. She grew up on Brackenville Road in Hockessin and now lives with her husband near the former NVF factory in Yorklyn. Alejandro has a background as a musician and works as a barista. She attended Cab Calloway before transferring to Interlochen Arts Academy, a world-renowned music and art school in Michigan. Later, she attended UD for three years before pursuing music professionally.
For the past decade, Alejandro has worked in the specialized coffee industry, primarily at Philter Coffee in Kennett Square. Her experience as a working-class woman anchors her commitment to policies that will help middle-class and working-class families. If elected, she plans to use her role on County Council to fight for lower utility costs and lower housing costs.
About County Council District 3
District 3 stretches along the DE-PA border from Yorklyn to UD. It includes State House District 22 (Smith-R), and parts of State House Districts 12 (Griffith-D), 21 (Burns-D), and 23 (Gorman-D).
The district features key corridors that face heavy commercial and commuter traffic, including Routes 7, 41, and 48. Areas in Pike Creek, Hockessin, and Yorklyn are also experiencing new development pressure, with roads and infrastructure struggling to keep up. Recent development proposals threaten to bring further congestion and encroach on open space and natural resources in a district that is home to two state parks (White Clay and Auburn Valley) and natural gems like Mt. Cuba Center, Ashland Nature Center, and Middle Run Valley Natural Area.
District 3 has been represented by Janet Kilpatrick since 2010 and by Republicans for as long as New Castle County Council has existed. Kilpatrick has faced Republican primary challengers in the past but no Democrats since 2010. Kilpatrick has been rumored to retire for many years but is now mired in Delaware’s data center controversy. Kilpatrick recently moved to weaken a proposed ordinance that would regulate data center expansion. In contrast, Alejandro has called for common-sense data center regulations to protect Delawareans from skyrocketing utility costs and environmental harms.
For more information, visit kiraforcouncil.com, Yes, you can donate to her campaign right there!
3. Another D Files In County Council District 3. One Kyle Grantham. A photographer and, to my eyes, a real good one. He’s the Deputy Director For Strategic Communications For New Castle County. He manages ‘digital communications and multimedia production’ for the county in that role. Also very involved with the Newark Country Club. He has filed his committee, I’ll link when he posts a campaign page.
4. We Have A D Primary in RD 23. Wouldn’t be shocked if it was more than a two-way before the filing deadline. LuAnn D’Agostino had previously filed. This week she was joined by one Dan Seador. At first glance (meaning, if I have the right Dan Seador), he is the President of the Aetna Hose, Hook & Ladder Fire Company. He also was a long-serving EMT with the NCC Emergency Services Division. Based on this article, I doubt that he’ll be a rubber-stamp for the University Of Delaware. I consider that, at least, to be a plus. RD 23 is currently represented by first-termer Rep. Mara Gorman, who will be seeking the Senate seat currently held by Dave Sokola, who has announced his retirement at the end of his term.
5. Incumbent Filings: Rep. Melanie Ross Levin (D-RD 10); NCC Sheriff Scott Phillips (D).
Now, that’s more like it! Here’s hoping for a few more weeks like this one.
That’s all I’ve got. What’d I miss, and whaddayathink?
Note to John Atkins: There are ways to help others that don’t involve gaining elective office. You know what hasn’t changed? That statement is all about you.
You dare doubt his sincerity? While some would agree with you, some would marvel at G-d’s power to turn a sociopath into a beacon of truth.
To quote The Monkees, ‘I’m a believer’.
I don’t believe in god, and if I’m wrong I hope I get to punch the psychotic bastard in the face when I get to meet him.
No to poo-poo Kira too much, but she better read up on the definition of working class. You can’t buy into anything for Brackenville Road in the Yorklyn area for less than 1.5 million. Misrepresenting your background is no way to build trust.
To that end, it sounds like Kira has built a coalition of nominally democratic, well-heeled NIMBYs in chateau country. Of course they would be opposed to even luxury apartment housing, as it would reduce the scarcity of homes in the area and potentially property values as well. Would Kira be willing to invite workforce housing into historically working class Yorklyn in 2026? Remember, these people are smart. They know how to manipulate the system under the guise of “historic preservation” and “natural lands protection” to create walled gardens around their communities to keep the poors out.
On other thing – language like “common sense” data center regulations should also be concerning. Who defines common sense? Common sense could be “as long as it isn’t in my backyard”. If anyone isn’t running on a strictly anti-data center platform, they need to be interrogated about their true motives
I know a troll when I see one.
Just sayin’.
Same. Which is why we need to aim higher than just flipping districts from R’s to nominal D’s; otherwise we are the ones getting trolled.
Perhaps you might want to talk to the candidate before throwing out the term ‘nominal D’s’.
I’d be interested to see if she would sit for a Bunker interview. I think it would be pretty revealing.
“You can’t buy into anything for Brackenville Road in the Yorklyn area for less than 1.5 million.”
You are misinformed. First off, she said she grew up on Brackenville Road in Hockessin. Those houses go for half your stated price or less; you can get one there for less than $700K. Chateau Country it ain’t. So she’s not misrepresenting her background, unless you think “working class” is something below “middle class.”
Second, to get workforce housing into Yorklyn you would have to extend a sewer line there. This is by design; without sewer service, you need 2-acre lots, and people in Chateau Country kept that from happening. That’s been the problem for the people who want to, for example, build the townhouse community on Yorklyn Road on the Hockessin end of it. They propose trucking the sewage out until a line gets built.
Beyond that, nobody is going to build workforce housing in an area where land costs are high. Development just doesn’t work that way, and I’m surprised you’d even think it was possible. Older developments like Westminster and Sedgeley Farms are full of teardowns because the land is worth so much more than the houses were. The new houses go for the price you quoted. And they’re nowhere near Chateau Country.
FWIW Mr. Grantham lives on a block where assessments exceed 1M. Ms. Alejandro lists a PO box and does not appear in property records which indicates that she may rent as Many working class folks do. Also, an FYI there are 2 neighborhoods of row homes in Yorklyn that were originally, wait for it, Workers homes, they are popular but sell for 300-500K which in today’s world is working class. No judgement here just crushing the obvious troll.
Not a troll, just a contrarian. Just like you and me. 😉
If it’s the same family name that I’m thinking of, her dad is a really well-off corporate ad man/photographer that still does a ton of work in Wilmington. It makes sense that she attended interlochen, which is a boarding school for the arts in Michigan
Well, well Anon we can agree on somethings can’t we.
What an asshole. If you’re that eager to suck developer dick why don’t you rent a room?
Doesn’t have to.
The developer pays for the room.
Atkins biggest fault is that he was ahead of his time. He was a pioneer. In today’s world his actions wouldn’t even raise an eyebrow. He has evolved and now sees the potential grift and has aligned himself with the god people grift. It’s never too late to bilk the most bilkable. Huzzah I say. Huzzah
What’s there to be said about Atkins? Clearly a delusional narcissistic who says whatever the worm at the bottom of the bottle tells him to. People get the elected officials they deserve and we will see how the people in his district feel. Yes Trump gets away with a lot but John Atkins is not Trump. He’s just a pathetic middle aged white guy living in one of the culturally desolate spaces in the country, desperate to be important. Yawn.
Anyway, do they still have those swings at Seacrets?
Grantham works for Marcus, used to work for Meyer. Something tells me that the county Dems’ power structure is afraid of Kira. Not saying Grantham is bad, just that Kira, especially if aligned with Durham, looks like a serious threat to the status quo.
That’s my take as well.
Likely borne out by anon’s weak attempt to take out the candidacy while still in its infancy.
BTW, Kira knows her shit, including some of the miscreants involved in the dirty dealings. One who we already know is former state rep Debbie Hudson Capano. Another, whose name has been kept quiet due to their legal threats, I won’t name. But I WILL provide a one-word clue: Handcuffs.
I’m not picking sides, I just haven’t worked my way down the list. Grantham and any other Marcus toadie is also suspect in my book.
Hey John, take a good look in the mirror and then tell me you believe the BS you spewed. Like anybody you have the opportunity to make your case and frankly it might get you elected yet again. It’s not the specifics of your past that is the problem. It is that you were a craven opportunist in 2002 and that “quality” has just grown and flourished in the past quarter century. Have a great day buddy!
Either kira or grantham be a huge upgrade over Kilpatrick. I mean that’s not really hard to do. But from what I know, two younger progressive types more likely to align with the Carter Caneco Durham type coalition which prob scares the shit out of the old heads.
Grantham is FAR from progressive. He is an extreme Meyer devotee and more of a liberal type, maybe even a moderate. There’s more, but I’ll keep it in reserve for now.
My question is–is Grantham Henry’s and/or Meyer’s guy? Don’t know, but I intend to find out.
Gotta say, don’t know what I expected from Marcus, but he has fallen far short of even minimal standards, IMO. He is uncritically pro-developer.
Grantham just dropped a book-length post on his FB page, telling me story of his work for and admiration of Matt Meyer. It ends by saying he’s looking for a new job as a video producer. Not a word about running for County Council.
Gee, Meyer knows his work. Shouldn’t be too difficult to snag a job there. Unless–some certain someones want plausible deniability.
You know, I’m not that hard to reach — part of freelance photojournalism is making sure editors can find you with a quick Google search — and we’re even connected on Facebook, Joe. You can always ask me for my thoughts. I accepted your friend request because, while I don’t always agree with you, I respect your opinions are expressed in good faith and I appreciate that.
Mr. Somnambulo, I appreciate the kind words about my photography. I am fortunate to have somehow been surrounded by photojournalists who are truly at the top of field at every stop in my career and they were always gracious enough to share their wisdom and do what they could to open doors for me.
As far as speculation on who I’m “devoted” to, I am my own person, and I am “devoted” solely to my family.
I’ve supported Madinah and Val Gould, producing their campaign videos in 2022 and 2024. I’m not sure either would be considered a “moderate,” by Wasabi’s standards. I produced videos for both Matt’s re-election and gubernatorial campaign. I’m friends with Jess Scarane, Jordyn Pusey, and Sophie Phillips. Sarah McBride called me and asked that I photograph her swearing in last year, and when she was first sworn in to the Senate. I have a good relationship with members of county council across the board because we worked together for years during my time in the executive office. Senator Coons and I have a good report from the work I did on the CASE Act with the National Press Photographers Association. All those people are plotted in different places on the Democratic Party spectrum.
I pride myself on my ability to put my personal feelings aside and act professionally whether I agree with someone or not, if we’re working in good faith toward a common goal. That’s really the basis of journalism ethics — to pretend we aren’t all inherently biased in some way entering a story is disingenuous, but understanding that bias exists and not letting it affect your ability to tell the truth is what defines professionalism in the field.
I did express my deep gratitude to Governor Meyer for taking a chance on me in 2017. I was miserable at The News Journal. I’d watched the staff gutted by layoffs to 30% of what it had been when I joined just four years before. I had been assaulted on assignment just days before the 2016 election and the paper did nothing about it. I no longer felt safe or supported and I was making $40K a year working 50+ hour weeks, buried in student loans and working a shift that meant I only saw my wife about two hours of the day and one day on the weekends. I got to cover amazing things, don’t get me wrong, but at best it was an abusive relationship.
All Matt knew about me was my coverage of him on the 2016 campaign and my work for the Journal (work that was often so far below my standards because of the insane workload and deadlines put on us, I was embarrassed putting my name on it).
So I am grateful he took a chance on me, brought me into the administration and gave me a work/life balance I didn’t know existed. I am grateful that in that position I met some of my best friends in the world, people I would never have known otherwise. And I’m grateful that it provided my family the security to buy a home and allowed my wife and I to believe we could afford to have a kid.
In reflecting on a job that I truly loved, I wanted to share that gratitude, because I know that throughout my career, every time I succeeded it was in part because of the people who saw something in me.
I disagreed with Matt plenty of times over the last decade, he was always receptive to the feedback. Likewise, I will always do my best to take critique and criticism made in good faith the same way — it’s something you have to learn early in journalism when editors make a living tearing your work apart.
To the Delaware Liberal writers, I will do my best to respond to questions you may have in the future. I encourage you to reach out if there’s something about me or where I stand that you’d like to know, just like I would any journalist. Being a parent to a 21 month-old, the response may not always be immediate, but I’ll give you what I can, when I can.
I’ve not spent much time on this site, and only know of the comments here because a few different people sent them to me. Those same people will also probably tell me not to jump in the comments and reply, but in the interest of transparency I wanted to make it clear, you don’t have to speculate, you can just ask me in the future.
Fair enough. Two questions, the same I ask any candidate:
1. Why are you running?
2. What do you stand for?
If and when there’s an official announcement, I’ll certainly be more expansive on these topics. I am “exploring” (air quotes) running. Even having worked on a few campaigns you don’t get the full picture of what it takes to get one off the ground until you do it from scratch yourself. I have a new-found level of respect for anyone who chooses to run for office.
With that said, what I’ll say here is:
1. It’s something I’ve thought about for the last couple cycles but for different reasons the timing wasn’t right for our family. The timing feels right now to finally do it, so I’m seriously working through what that takes. I’m hoping in the next couple weeks everything will have come together.
The County faces some truly unprecedented challenges that I believe I have the experience and unique perspective from nine years in the executive office to help it meet.
Those challenges come from over-development, a looming budget crisis, and the affordability crisis that is impacting everything from housing to healthcare and energy to childcare.
2. Broadly, in no particular order: Sustainability, Justice, Accountability, Transparency, and Equity.
I think those principles will be reflected across my platform on the issues the district and the county faces ahead.
I also want to make sure I take the time to sit down with people to understand their needs so I can understand where I may have blind spots. You don’t know what you don’t know, and I try to remain cognizant of that always.
If you ever want to sit down and discuss more in the future, I’m happy to do that.
Sounds good. What is your position on data centers?
I want to preface my answer with a word of caution that, in my experience in county government, when a powerful party doesn’t get its way, their immediate course of action is almost always to go to court and sue to get their way, and they will pretty commonly try to use the words of those with the ability to regulate their proposals to try and prove some level of prejudice.
So, with that said, I’m very cognizant of not giving anyone ammunition to try and claim I may be prejudicial to a project based on a broad statement.
I will say that I align with Councilman Caneco and Carter on the data center proposals before council, and I think we need to take a greater lead and focus not only on how we prepare for the demand for those kinds of facilities but what the next major development trend may be ahead of the next Comprehensive Plan so we’re not trying to bring our code up to meet the moment on the fly after a development plan has been submitted.
Before the push for data centers we were trying to grapple with the push for warehouses and the holes we had in code there. There will undoubtedly be another thing after the AI bubble bursts. And as Councilman Caneco has noted — what happens to these massive facilities should that burst happen?
We’re not prepared and we need to not only play catch-up on this trend but look forward to what we’re missing, because those holes will make our county a target for exploitation.
“Like Councilwoman Dee Durham” means the only thing she will protect is rich boomers property values and will kill every housing project that comes up to appease said rich NIMBY boomers who already got what they want and need.
Any examples of what Dee Durham has killed?
Uh, Tim Sheldon’s manhood?
Here are things she killed or voted against:
https://www.delawarepublic.org/politics-government/2024-06-12/new-castle-county-council-rescinds-resolution-adding-cottage-development-option-in-centreville
https://www.chestercounty.com/2024/12/25/517826/residents-oppose-luxury-high-rise-proposal-for-former-nvf-site
https://www.delawareonline.com/story/money/business/2022/07/01/brandywine-country-club-housing-plan-approved-school-debate-next/7693270001/
Any examples of new housing in her district that she actually supported?
I wasn’t saying what YIMBY said is wrong; it’s accurate, if vituperative. I was asking for examples because he’s the one who posted it, and I have limited ability to find it myself. Those links are the difference between an insult and an argument for his position.
I’ll post something longer about it for tomorrow, but to your challenge I’ll issue one in return:
Find me an example of a rezoning for new housing in ANY council member’s district which that council member voted for. Remember, rezoning, because if it’s already zoned for what the developer proposes the council MUST pass it or face a costly lawsuit.
Even the pro-development members vote against projects in their home districts for the obvious reason: There are a lot more residents in their districts than housing-industry personnel in their districts.
This has gotten more complicated for them as more people like Dee Durham gain office, because the Kirkpatrick Krew can’t rest assured that unpopular projects – and they’re all unpopular projects – will pass as long as they can count on 7 “yeas.”
It’s very easy to vote for rezonings in someone else’s district. Let’s see them do it in their own.