Delaware Political Weekly: Week Ending April 16, 2026

1.  Rep. Ronald Gray Announces Retirement, Suggests Successor:

State Rep. Ron Gray (R-38^th) is not running for an eighth two-year term, but is instead supporting Fenwick Island businesswoman Carlie Carey — former owner of One Coastal restaurant — to succeed him.

“We talked to some different people, and someone suggested her name. We asked her, and she pretty much said no. And then she thought about it. I really wanted to have someone that had business experience, because a lot of legislators in Dover don’t have any business experience. They are retired police officers or they had insurance jobs. We have had environmental attorneys.

“They are all good people,” Gray added, “but having business sense is really important. The government should be run efficiently and as well as you can. And having that business experience enables you to make good decisions.

“One of the things about Carlie — she said she has lived the life of a constituent. She grew up here, and she wants to support the people in the district. She doesn’t have political experience, but she has run a business, and she will do a really good job if she’s elected. And I wanted to try to get somebody younger who can be in there for years and make a difference,” he said, adding that he decided to retire to spend more time with his family.

So.  You know I like Maureen ‘Mo’ Madden, who is the Democratic candidate in the race.  I decided to do a deep dive on Carlie Carey, and, I apologize in advance, I really liked her and her family.  She has a self-deprecating sense of humor, and even has a background in the arts–a genuine rarity in the General Assembly.  A couple of links for you:

In My Kitchen.

One Coastal Kitchen During COVID.

Podcast Interview.  It’s clear that, when this interview took place in January, she had no idea that she’d be running for office four months later.

I’m sorry, she’s impossible to dislike.  Plus, did I mention that they raise Great Pyrenees pups?  I love that breed! Someday, I’ll explain why.  That family would be right at home in Arden (except, possibly, for that farm thing).  And the numbers in that Suxco district are daunting:  7444 D; 11,510 R; 8112 I.  I’m rooting for Mo, but, if the R wins, we at least aren’t likely to have a MAGA Me-Too-er in the R Caucus.

2. Soldier Of God Vs. Soldier?  Yep, we’re talking the RD 41 Republican Primary.  John Atkins, who claims he’s found Jesus and a Good Woman, has officially filed.  I didn’t know much about primary opponent Doug Conaway until I saw this:

Ho-kay. Hey, this is truly Lower Slower.  There’s a third R in the race, Jacki Slonin.   She ‘wants to do’ a lot of things, according to the website.  Not at all clear what she’s done.

3. Rematch in RD 14.  laire Snyder-Hall vs. Mike Simpler, Part Deux.  Snyder-Hall defeated Simpler by a 55-45 margin in 2024. The numbers were 9630 to 7995. Yes, I know that Claire has pissed some people off. But, she was coming off of a bruising primary in which retiring Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf tried to use his influence to defeat her. So, at least for now, I look for a similar result.

4. D Justine Cuccia Challenges Incumbent Douglas Hudson In Sussex County Council District 4:

Justine Cuccia has filed as a Democratic candidate for Sussex County Council District 4 in the 2026 election, challenging the seat currently held by Douglas B. Hudson of Ocean View, who is serving his second consecutive term.

Cuccia, a lawyer and educator, said she brings more than 20 years of grassroots leadership to the race. She has co-organized three “No Kings” rallies in Bethany Beach, including the March 28 event that drew more than 1,600 participants and works alongside Indivisible Southern Delaware.

Cuccia said she has also worked as a substitute teacher in schools throughout Sussex County for several years. Cuccia previously served on the Community Board 1 for lower Manhattan, one of New York’s 59 community boards, since 2010. She said she often discussed land use, zoning, and budget priorities on the advisory-like body.

Her campaign is centered on managing growth and addressing infrastructure challenges in Sussex County.

“If we don’t prioritize people who work here also being able to live here, then every small business in Sussex will be endangered by having to pay employees extra to commute hours each day, and those businesses will have no choice but pass those costs on to all of us,” said Cuccia. “We need to guide land use to include more clinical facilities, because if we don’t, Sussex’s rising population will turn our communities into healthcare deserts.”

I, of course, like her politics. Don’t know enough about this councilmanic district to know about her prospects in November.

5. Filing(s): Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos (D-SD 7). 

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