Filing Day Final Countdown: July 14 At 12 Noon

With the updates below, I think we’ve covered all the latest developments.  At first glance, there are more interesting primaries this year than I can ever recall.  Gonna start working on the ‘Most Intriguing Primaries Of 2026’ series soon.  Uh, but not too soon.

Update: One Jeff Applehans Joins D Primary Against Chris Coons.  He holds a PhD in History from the U of D.  Here’s more:

Jeffery R. Appelhans specializes in the political and religious culture of early America. He completed his Ph.D. in History at the University of Delaware in 2018. When not contributing to the APS Members Bibliography and Biography project, he is revising his book manuscript, tentatively titled “The Creation of American Catholicism: From the Revolution to the Early Republic.” It offers a new narrative: the story of how the Revolution and the early republic created American Catholics by unleashing the forces that established them as citizens in the public sphere and civil society between 1773 and 1844. It turns a major idea on its head: contrary to most narratives, the firestorm of anti-Catholic violence that began in the late 1830s was due less to the threat they posed as hated outsiders than to their success at cultivating their status as persuasive and influential insiders. It is a story about how religious and cultural minorities nurture political empowerment. It speaks not only about their era, but to ours.

Hmmm, could be a contest between a good egghead and a bad egghead.  You all know who the bad egghead is.

Update: Lumpy Carson Gets Last-Day Challenger.  Tyeisha Grier has filed to primary one of Delaware’s worst.  I know her, she’s great.  Don’t know why she waited so long to file, but, if anybody has a shot with a last-minute candidacy, it would be her and her incredible grassroots organizing skills.  She is the Partnerships Director for Network Delaware, an Army vet.  Here’s more:

Over the years she has worn many notable organizing hats as Network Delaware’s Kent County Organizer; Green New Deal for Delaware Campaign Manager, developing a core team to establish the Community Policy Institute, and co-founding Black Staffer University. In her spare time, she currently serves as the President of the Central Delaware NAACP and she is an At-Large Executive board member of the Delaware NAACP State Conference of Branches. Tyeisha was appointed to the State of Delaware’s Educational Equity Council. She takes pride in empowering the next generation of leaders previously coordinated the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League’s James H. Gilliam, Sr Fellows Leadership Program.

Update:  One Eric Anthony No-Trump Hansen has filed to primary Chris Coons.  Uh, before you get your hopes up, this is probably the same Eric Hansen who ran as a Rethug against Lisa Blunt Rochester in 2024, and got less than 40% of the vote.  Hmmm, I wonder if ‘No-Trump’ is now officially part of his name.

1.  Three Rethug Lilliputians Face Off To Get 40% Of The Vote Against Sarah McBride:

We’d already posted about two of ’em.  Earl Cooper and John J. Whalen.  Add to that list, wait for it, Lee ‘Go Murph, Go’ Murphy.  I’d be remiss if I failed to point out that, among his many political nadirs, Murph lost the 2018 Rethug primary for Congress to Scott Walker, 53-47.  C’mon, Scott, you’ve got ’til 12 to make it a quadrouple.  I know you guys come to me for political wisdom.  You’re no doubt asking ‘Why would three people enter a primary for the honor of being slaughtered in November’?  Only answer I can come up with–to being comedic enjoyment to readers of DL.  You got anything better?

2.  Mike Ramone At It Again.  Files as an R for State Treasurer.  Was gonna leave my ballot for Treasurer blank in November.  However, the privilege of voting against Ramone again is too enticing.

2.  Look Who’s Resurfaced In SD 7:

Kids, one Chris Rowe has filed as an R challenger to Spiros Mantzavinos in SD 7.  If that name seems familiar, here’s why:

The chair of the New Castle County Republican Committee in Delaware told WHYY on Friday that he was sorry for using a crude homophobic slur on Facebook – one day after saying critics were childishly overreacting to what he called “locker room” talk.

Chris Rowe also confirmed with WHYY Friday that he was resigning the post he had held since June, but was merely lashing out at the social media site after a video of Sunday’s Texas church shooting was removed from his page.

“Faggots cannot handle reality,’’ Rowe had posted in response to a friend’s comment on his page.

We’ll see how well Rowe handles reality in November.

3.  Has Anybody Wasted His Members’ $$’s With Less Results Than James Maravelias?  He’s at it again.  One of his building trades buds, who had been running for a County Council seat, is now primarying Eric Morrison.  Why?  Because Maravelias is p/o’d that the House didn’t give the unions all the school construction jobs in Delaware.  Anyway, Christopher Muntz of Plumbers/Pipefitters Local 74 is now challenging Eric Morrison in RD 27.  He was running in a primary in NCC District 6 against David Carter b/c, you know, data centers.  Hey, who am I to tell Maravelias how to piss away his members’ money if his members won’t?

4.  If A Psychic Runs For AG, Does That Mean They Know They’ll Win?  More like a spiritualist whose business promises that ‘your spiritual oasis awaits you’.  She also claims to have been a domestic abuse survivor which, of course, is serious business.  She’s filed for the D primary for Attorney General.  If it helps get her story out, I guess it’s for the best.

5. An R Primary In RD 8.  This is the southern NCC District Rae Moore currently represents.  One Watara Heath filed yesterday to primary fellow R Gary Taylor for this seat.  She is a clinical field partner with the Behavioral Health Unit of the Dover Police.  Good candidate, bad party.

6. An R Challenger In RD 19.  The seat currently held by the odious Kim Williams, who also faces a primary challenge from Will Imbrie-Moore.  Janyce Colmery is the R candidate.  Like one of  Williams’ previous challengers, a real estate agent.

7. R Files Against Ed Osienski.  One Stephen Ondich, who is certified in ‘Concealed Carry and Home Defense’.  Purports to ‘Provid(e) service to the Construction, Manufacturing, and Industrial as well as the private sectors.   Ho-kay.

8. R Alison Gibbs Files Against Dave Carter In NCC District 6.  I think she’s an R & D Engineer at Edgewell Personal Care.

If/when new developments arise, I’ll attach them to the top of this article.