Delaware’s Most Intriguing Primaries: Part 3
Today featuring primaries for the State House Of Representatives. Again, in reverse numerical order by district:
RD 34 (D Primary): Bob Haynes vs. Ade Koforiji. Koforiji ran (IMO) a disappointing campaign against R incumbent Lyndon Yearick in 2018, yet still got 41% of the vote. Haynes, the D chair of the 34th, is challenging him this time. This district represents one of the very few Kent County districts that could flip, especially if it’s a blue tsunami. Worth keeping an eye on this primary result. Anybody have a take on this race?
RD 27 (D Primary): Earl Jaques vs. Eric Morrison. While I have a soft spot for Jaques, much as I do for Sen. Bruce Ennis, it is clear that he is a fave of Pete ‘n Val. He chairs the Education Committee (he shouldn’t), he chairs the Veterans Affairs Committee, and he’s on the Joint Finance Committee. He is being challenged by Eric Morrison, who is supported by Leftward Delaware and the Working Families Party. This district may be a tougher lift for progressives than some of the others, but a Morrison win is not out of the question.
RD 26 (D Primary): John Viola vs. Madinah Wilson-Anton vs. Gabriel Adelagunja. One of the most important primaries in Delaware this year. The third candidate has not run a campaign. I am convinced he was put up to siphon votes from Wilson-Anton. I mean, just look at his website. No ‘there’ there. Madinah had campaigned so hard before the pandemic hit that she suffered a lot less than other challengers by having to curtail her door-to-door efforts. Viola has always been a back-bencher. The district demographics skew in Madinah’s favor. This is a great chance for a progressive upgrade. I’ve had the chance to talk to Wilson-Anton, and she is so thoughtful and empathetic. She’s also seriously intelligent. So intelligent that I just shut up and listened. I never do that.
RD 10 (D Primary): Sean Matthews vs. Keith James. Keith James, who has no real roots in the district, has every right to run in this primary. The only question is why. He has no chance to win and virtually no campaign save for a couple of signs on right-of-way. He seems to be an activist who supports Black Lives Matter, and that’s all to the good, but he’s running against one of Delaware’s more progressive legislators, and one who should chair the House Education Committee. I suspect that we’ll hear more from James going forward, but it might not be in Brandywine Hundred.
RD 8 (D Primary): Rae Moore vs. Matthew Powell vs. Yvette Santiago. This is the primary created by the retirement of Quin Johnson, meaning that the entire campaign is being run post-pandemic. Delaware United has endorsed Moore, and I encourage you to check out her website. Powell seems the most Quin-like in this race. I confess I’ve had a disdain for ROTC ever since my college days, and I don’t see it as a plus. His so-called ‘issues’ are as generic as they come. Santiago has quite the extensive background, and appears to be a coalition-builder. Gotta wonder if everybody pictured agreed to be in her campaign lit, though. Regardless, due to the short timeline on this race, I can say that whoever runs the best campaign will win. I know we have quite a few readers from this district. What are you seeing/hearing?
RD 7 (D Primary): Ray Seigfried vs. Larry Lambert. A rarity: two really good candidates and people facing off. Seigfried narrowly defeated Lambert in a five-way primary in 2018 to win the seat that was being vacated by legislator-turned-lobbyist Bryon Short. I voted for Larry. I must say that Ray has been, to me at least, a pleasant surprise. I knew that he would be strong on constituent services, but he’s been a valuable member of the caucus, especially on health-care issues, and has generally been a reliable progressive vote. However, Larry, who has been endorsed by Delaware United, Progressive Democrats For Delaware, Working Families Party and the like, has walked the progressive walk for a long time. He would immediately be a leader in Dover on economic and environmental racism, police reform, and the rights of workers. I know who I’ll be voting for. I just wish that I could vote for both of them.
RD 4 (D Primary): Gerald Brady vs. Amy Solomon. One of Delaware’s worst legislators, Gerald Brady, who deserves a serious primary challenge, is facing one from Amy Solomon. She’s actually a progressive and has some real good credentials. For the life of me, I don’t understand what took her so long to surface. For months, you couldn’t find out anything about her. Hopefully, she’ll put enough of a dent in him this time to go after him again in 2 years.
Coming next–The State Senate races! Can’t wait to write that one.
I wouldn’t have given Eric Morrison much of a shot against Jaques at the outset, but he is working hard and Jaques is showing his age.
If not for the pandemic putting a kink in the door knocking, Morrison could be in the lead now.
Yeah, Jaques is, I think, 74 years old.
Democrats have taken the state in to the ditch and progressives would effectively make it a failed state. You lunatics are so sad.
But at least we’ll have free abortion clinics in every school.
As usual, they like to puff out their chests to hide the one constant in their lives: Gnawing, all-consuming fear.
34th: Bob Haynes’s campaign seems to be non existent so far. Ade was thought to be withdrawing from the race by some do to his appointment as Assistant Superintendent of Capital School district but he has recently been getting his 4×4 signs up. Very bizarre primary.
Sounds like 2 times zero equals zero. Thanks for the update.
Look I was so happy when Charles Potter lost the last election in 2018. and now I am hoping Gerald Brady loose in 2020. He is a useless politician and it’s time for a change. Jerry got to go.
I live in RD 26, and have had the ‘pleasure’ of being represented my Mr. Viola since I moved here 9 years ago. Amazing thing is, this is the 1st year I have EVER heard from him. Ever. Now suddenly I’m getting mailers up the you-know-what, not to mention personal phone calls from him. Amazing what a primary can do a Rep’s visibility in his or her district! In any event, to say ‘thank you’ to John’s years of invisibility, I was more than pleased to cast my recent primary vote for Madinah. She has been tirelessly working for this seat for months, and I know she will be a real breath of fresh air for this district, not to mention adding some much needed diversity to the DE House.
You sound like a transplant moron with this comment. Do you attend community meetings? Are you a member of your HOA? Belong to any civic organizations or volunteer at nonprofits that serve our vulnerable neighbors? Because unless you are active in the community, how would you run across your legislator when they have run unopposed for the last decade? Of course he’s not out campaigning for re-election when he doesn’t have a race. He spends his time attending meetings and working with people who are engaged in this community and are putting in the effort to make things better and help others in need. If you aren’t involved in anything and you haven’t reached out for assistance from his office, whose fault is it that you haven’t crossed paths? Were you expecting a personal visit and welcome muffin basket upon your arrival? Sorry but legislators who spend their time just getting to know voters to secure their votes are clearly not doing the work they were elected to do. Because if you have time to waste on people who aren’t in need, then you haven’t tried to fix the real issues in your district. Get over yourself. You cast your ballot based on nothing of actual substance, but don’t worry- when Viola wins he’ll continue to work hard to represent everyone just like he’s done long before you graced us with your presence in this district.
I find it confusing why this blog keeps saying that removing Viola from the 26th is making the seat more progressive. The guy has one of the most progressive voting records in the building. I’ll concede he doesn’t sponsor a ton of legislation, but I wouldn’t count on this challenger becoming the next Tizzy Lockman. Tizzy learned quickly that in order to get things done, she needed to work with others and compromise to pass legislation. Wilson-Anton has made statements about not caring about fostering good working relationships with other legislators, she doesn’t need friends. Sounds like she’d be the next John Kowalko, with lots of blustering online and shouting down from her soapbox when others don’t share the exact same opinions or perspective on an issue. For people demanding that others need to be more inclusive, they both seem to be some of the most intolerant of others who are different from them in anyway. And is the pass on her being a UD stooge if elected on purpose or does this blog not consider her employment there to be a big deal? I am sure she’s already committed to championing the bill to fix the FOIA law so that UD isn’t able to hide how they are spending the state funding they receive each year. Oh wait, that’s right – she hasn’t and no one here has asked her. How about holding UD accountable for its lack of diversity? For a candidate who has spoken at length about how she needs to win to increase the diversity of the House members, she’s been real quiet about how her current employer has failed students of color, especially ones from Delaware, by making no real effort to diversify the students and faculty populations at the largest public university in the state. UD has enough votes in that building, they don’t need another so called progressive that will help bury legislation to reform their operations before it even has a chance to pass.
Sometimes I just have to say ‘wow’.
Wow.
You’re going after Madinah Wilson Anton for her employment history? You are aware, aren’t you, that Viola had a ‘job’ as a labor law investigator under the watchful eye of Tiny Tony Deluca? A do-nothing job created for this hack by Mark Brainard and Ruth Ann Minner?
Oh, I’m sorry, it WASN’T a do-nothing job. Viola had to toss every discrimination case into a paper shredder. You know, as opposed to investigating them. That was forbidden while Tiny Tony and the construction trades functioned as the racist foxes guarding the henhouse. Viola was a well-compensated henchman. Whose timecards are off-limits. You know–they’re a ‘personnel matter’.
So many reasons to dump Viola , so little time:)
You do realize that you attack other elected officials nonstop who work for entities that receive state funding, correct? So it’s ok for you to go after them, but it’s not ok for me to raise the issue for this candidate? Got it.
I guess you are ok with the UD concerns as well. Interesting. So much for transparency and advocating for those who aren’t given the same opportunities, huh? Is it fair to ask if she intends to go not voting on any UD bill? Or is that too mean to want to know where she stands on an issue that comes up every session?
Gotta love when you ask a question and the person ignores all your salient points, then responds with info that no one cares about except for them. Hey dummy, if he had that job all that time, then voters don’t actually give a shit about it because he got re-elected or failed to draw a challenger for all those years. Wonder why that could be? Could it be because the service he provides his constituents is exceptional and they preferred to keep him? That couldn’t be it, makes no sense whatsoever – well, I’m sure it doesn’t to you.
Just shut up, no one cares about you name dropping people that haven’t been around in years. We get it, you’re old and were slightly relevant at some point – probably when Wilson-Anton was still diapers, but I’m sure she appreciates your Boomer advocacy.
She’s working for her Master’s at the U of D while working as a policy analyst at the Biden Institute there. How you make her into a shill for keeping the university’s books closed is beyond me.
BTW, you’ve gone too far with your personal attacks. I’m sure it was fun while it lasted. Goodbye.
Since you mentioned me in a rather unflattering context allow me to weigh in. Madinah Anton Wilson is a highly intelligent and compassionate individual who has the tools, talent and intelligence to make a wonderful representative. By the way this so called progressive has been the one to author and file the UD foia reform bill every year.
P.S. You sound an awful lot like one of those Trumpian a-holes that troll these sites more and more everyday.
“You sound like a transplant moron with this comment.” What a “well reasoned ” 500 or so word screed when you coulda just stopped after this first line, threw in your hate for Kowalko and UD and called it a day.
Viola has been invisible as a back bencher in Dover forever and now the poor guy has to struggle to defend his non existent “record of accomplishment” . With friends like you we can see why that’s not working. The second Tuesday of January in the Hall is going to look a lot more like the real Delaware when the new class of Madinah, Marie, Eric and Larry are hopefully there in person with their families or it will be a joyful Zoom Party!
It’ll be really fun if you come back and read this ridiculous prediction on September 16th, and realize you are an absolute idiot who can’t pick a winner to save your life. Can you read a campaign finance report? Do you honestly believe that every challenger is going to win when they can’t campaign in a meaningful way because of a global pandemic? I bet you’re one of those jackasses out in districts looking to see who has more signs out and then assumes they’ve got it in the bag. I’d ask how many races like this you’ve correctly predicted in the past but I know the number is closer to 0 than you’d ever admit, so I won’t even bother with that exercise; save your bullshit for someone who cares, whoever that may be. You’re relevancy in Delaware politics expired about 12 years ago, so I hope this little exchange made you feel important for a few brief moments. This is my good deed for the day, getting a boomer to think his perspective was something anyone gives a shit about. Which is cute because no one cares what old white dudes think this cycle.
Piece of shit. Quickly went from arguing points to personal attacks, because she can’t defend the Old White Dude she’s protecting while pretending to care about non-Old White Dudes.
She also cares so little what we Old White Dudes think that she saw fit to throw a Trumpian tantrum about the fact that we dared disagree with her.
Are all younger people such assholes?
Learn something new every day. John Viola has been in the General Assembly since the Triassic, but this is the first time I’ve ever heard him called a champion of the downtrodden. Apparently he’s been doing this on the sly for lo these many years.
DeLuca and Viola consider white construction trade goons the downtrodden.
No, actually, despite you having no understanding of or respect for history, I’ve got long experience around Delaware politics. So does Joe Conner, do does El Som. We form our own opinions. And we’re not like you — we don’t assume the past has no relevance for the present.
Now let’s get to the logic you clearly didn’t learn in school.
You claim to be concerned about the University of Delaware’s long record of failure in promoting diversity. Answer me this: What has John Viola done about it? Has he ever worked to open it up? Has he ever worked on any of the other issues you care about? Of course not, because in a long but undistinguished legislative career he hasn’t accomplished anything beyond making “public service” a family sinecure.
You assume she will protect UD. You ignore the fact that John Viola has been in position to do something about it for decades without accomplishing anything. That, dearie, is a logical fail. You can check that out with someone smarter than you. Shouldn’t be hard to find someone.
You quickly went from arguing a point — not well, but arguing it — to personal attacks that have nothing to do with the issue. They do, however, establish you as another brick in the Democratic Party establishment wall, with the zero credibility that implies.
Go away, little turd.
Well this thread has been busy while I was out lit dropping for Marie Pinkney 😉 . This young lady is not even a very good troll. You would think a guy who made his bones with tiny Tony and Tom Sharp could find better defenders. I think I am most offended by the not so subtle racism and Islamaphobia.
Heather you personally attacked one guy on here. I am an easy target but I suspect your too slow on the uptake to even find the ammunition . Mr. Viola you are a small angry vindictive guy. Enjoy your retirement !
She has history here. History that is now over. Years ago, she ‘outed’ where I worked back when that was a no-no. How did she find out? She was ‘friends’ with a certain ‘law-abiding’ state rep from Sussex County, back in the days before Pistol Pete decided that he had to cut his losses. He innocuously got the info out of a staff member who had no idea that he was gonna feed it to this Heather
Here’s the kicker: I didn’t even have to ban her. Know why? Because she posted her screeds from her e-mail address and, guess what? She worked for a state agency, and it was against state policy for her to use her state e-mail for that, which is what she had done. I told her I’d out her if she didn’t stop. She stopped.
Ahhhh then she actually knows me and the 12 years was a reference to me perhaps. Makes me wish I could go to Ocean City but alas the pandemic keeps me close to 19809.
Yes I can read a campaign report. Madinah went into 2020 with 14K raised in ’19 and raised 33k this year and has 28K on hand.
Viola started the year with 53K accumulated over the past gazilion years, raised 15K in 2020 (for the math challenged that’s 45% of Madinah’s take!) and he has 34K on hand
Pretty favorable to the challenger!
Viola accomplished his meager hall with $2,300 by begging his caucus. This would include his kid, Lumpy, Val and more. Most of the rest came from a rogues gallery of Lobbyists and companies that feed at the public trough.
Our Boy has spent over 12K on 2 consultants that bill themselves respectively as “Campaign All Stars” that operate from 3 states away:) and a local dude who offers “Hyper Local” Campaigns,
Ill put my money on the lady with a grass roots fundraising base and an amazing team of committed dedicated young folks!