Yes, there’s news right off the bat. So much so that I think I may keep this first item at the top when I go through the rest of the reports. The news? The D’s are really serious about Senate District 15, currently held by the (finally) retiring Dave Lawson. The D candidate, Nisha Lodhavia, has raised over $100 K, and has spent $32 K, giving her a massive war chest to use until the election. She has tapped into a huge donor base in the Indian-American community, and has very strong support from the Senate and the usual Democratic suspects. Mostly the Democratic Delaware Way suspects, but still…
The deadline for raising money was midnight, October 4. The deadline for filing your report is midnight, tomorrow night. It’s clear that the campaign of Nisha Lodhavia wanted this report out ASAP.
Ho-kay, let’s see what else I can dig up.
The Delaware Stonewall PAC has made general election contributions to Branden Fletcher, Alonna Berry, Eric Morrison, Kira Alejandro, Rachel Krantz, Ryan Stuckey, Jack Walsh and–Ted Lauzen(?). Presumably because Ted is livin’ hand-to-mouth.
Just a note from Ed Osienski‘s report. I can understand why he contributed to caucus members who ultimately lost. On merit. They were, after all, caucus members. But Ed Mulvihill? Just wanted you and Rae Krantz to know.
Gotta give Charles ‘Bouvier de Flandres’ Copeland props. He threw over a grand ($1041.02, to be precise) at the black hole known as the Northern New Castle County Region Republican Party. Did anyone tell him it’s not tax-deductible, or has he found a workaround?
Concerned Dewey Property Owners weren’t concerned enough to raise or spend any money. Sussex County Young Republicans have apparently aged out as they neither nor raised nor spent any money.
The FOP State Fund PAC doled out only one contribution–to ex state cop Gary Taylor, who is running to save whatever honor cops have remaining in the General Assembly. As of now, there will be zero cops in the upcoming General Assembly. Let’s keep it that way. Taylor is running against Rae Moore. Which electeds will stand up to keep that seat in the D column? Certainly not Kim Williams, as she wants to keep school kids lunchless.
Say what you will about Claire Snyder-Hall, but she knows how to raise money, most of it of the grassroots variety. She raised $69K after having started the cycle with over $48K already in the bank. She’s spent $32 K, so money will not impede her reelection.
I think Mara Gorman will have to re-file her report. Her 30-day cites ‘State Representative–District 23’ as the office she is seeking. It’s actually SD 8, where she is running to replace the retiring Dave Sokola. Anyway, she has raised over $22K this cycle, and started the year with over $17K in the bank. While she has gotten some corporate funding, it’s largely a group of grassroots contributors who have fueled her campaign.
Republican Mark Pugh is challenging incumbent Kyra Hoffner in this southern NCC district. Pugh started the year with over $16K, and has raised an additional $33K. With his expenditures, he has about $32K available. I don’t think this seat will flip, but it’s one of the very few where an R could flip a D seat. Just not in this toxic atmosphere that Trump has created. BTW, Colin Bonini chipped in 25 bucks.
Speaker Mimi chipped in another $600 to Nnamdi Chukwuocha. Call it an ‘I’ve got your vote, right?’ contribution.
I always look forward to the report from the Shore Democrats. Why? Because they’re my kind of grassroots organization. They raise money to support local candidates, many of whom fall below the radar. Most of the contributions are of the small, but recurring, variety. They started out with about $26K as of the primary, and raised another $1600. They donated to the candidacies of Alonna Berry, Ryan Stuckey, and Harry Gold this time around.
Dan Zitofsky, who lost twice to Rae Moore, has moved south to Suxco, where he is looking to succeed the retiring R Representative Jeff Hilovsky. He has raised over $25K and has spent $6600.
I think we have the AYFKM Award-Winner for 2026. This rivals the worst reports that even Stephanie Bolden used to file. Except, instead of Walt’s Flavor Crisp Chicken, we’re talking pretty much every gas station in the Kirkwood Highway corridor. DeShanna Neal‘s report includes four transactions at Acme, 12 gas station transactions, three from Wawa (perhaps also gas transactions?), a meal at Applebee’s, and two meals at Hibachi Grill. Not to mention, several small transactions at BJ’s. Look, I guess it’s legal to spend the money any way you want (is it?), but campaign expenditures appear to be the lowest priority in this campaign finance report.
Keep an eye on the race for Sussex County Council District 4. Democrat Justine Cuccia is challenging incumbent R Douglas Hudson, and Cuccia has raised the kind of money needed to make this race competitive. Almost $35K. She’s spent over $14.5 K so far, so she should be able to execute her campaign plan. Sussex Spies: What saieth thou?
