Delaware Way Insiders Try To Foist Ed Mulvihill On RD 6 Democrats

By insiders, I mean at least two of Delaware’s top corporate lobbyists, and blood relatives of Tiny Tony DeLuca.

As you know, Deb Heffernan announced her retirement last week. She will not run for reelection.

A great candidate, Rachel ‘Rae’ Krantz, has been running for that seat for several months now.  She would be an incredible legislator.

Because nature and Delaware Way insiders abhor a vacuum of vacuous empty vessels,  Ed Mulvihill posted his campaign page and announced his candidacy before the tears had dried on Heffernan’s speech.

He was, and is, the chosen candidate for the Delaware Way folks on that RD 6 committee.  It is a schizophrenic committee in that there are some great progressives on the committee.  It is also the home of two powerful lobbyists and three members of one family, a family who are blood relatives with the disgraced and disgraceful DeLuca.  Did I say three members of one family?  Actually three members of two families.  The other family?  Yep, the Heffernans.

Ed Mulvihill is the owner-operator of Peco’s Liquors on Philadelphia Pike.  He is a Republican-turned-Democrat who has maxed out to Deb Heffernan at least since 2021.  Feel free to go further back, should you desire.  I mean, there’s nothing really wrong with maxing out to your local state rep.

Here’s where it starts to get interesting.  According to his Facebook, Mulvihill has served as president of the Delaware Small Beverage License Council.  Nothing wrong with that–presumably a network of small liquor retailers.  Here’s where it turns from interesting to incestuous.   The Delaware Small Beverage License Council lobbies on pretty much every alcohol-related bill before the General Assembly.  Its chief lobbyist is Sean Finnigan who, yes, along with two other Finnigans, sits on the RD 6 committee.  Finnigan previously was the House Chief Of Staff for the House D Caucus.  He parlayed that into this position, and serves on the RD 6 Committee along with perhaps the uberest of uber-lobbyists–Bobby Byrd.  These are the people behind this candidacy.  

Here is Sean Finnigan’s client list.  Not only is the Delaware Small Beverage Council on the list, here are the bills that Finnigan has lobbied for on behalf of Mulvihill’s organization.  That’s a lot of bills and, in some cases, the Delaware Small Beverage Council took positions in opposition to what I would consider the public interest, and Finnigan ran interference for them.

While we’re at it, here is a list of Bobby Byrd’s clients.  It’s um, lengthy.  Byrd also throws around his clients’ money for ‘Food, Refreshments, and Entertainment’.  Looks like lotsa complimentary beer from Anheuser-Busch.

Which reminds me–Sean Finnigan has done something similar–once.   The beneficiaries?  Trey Paradee, Deb Heffernan, Ed Osienski, and noted Democrat (not) Jeffrey Spiegelman.

Which illustrates my point–the people from RD6 backing this Mulvihill guy are backing him because they are confident that he will support the business of their clients once elected.  After all, his organization is a client. In doing so, they expect him to take positions that directly conflict with the platform and policies of the Democratic Party.  I mean, just go back and look at the clients for Byrd and Finnigan.  In many cases, those clients are the enemies of positive change.  Delaware Way all the way.

I don’t know what the entire 6th RD Committee will do.  But if it’s a numbers game, perhaps enough Delaware Way insiders will do for Mulvihill what they did for Dan Cruce.  Which also reminds me–I’m just shocked, shocked that the first two ‘likes’ for Mulvihill’s candidacy came from Rethug-turned-D James Spadola and, wait for it, Dan Cruce’s spouse.

If you’re a Democrat with a conscience, head on over here and help elect a true progressive leader in RD 6.  While you’re at it, help elect a true progressive leader to replace Dan Cruce.