There are a (precious) few. Some of them could have real consequences for policy-making in Delaware. We’ll start from the top of the ticket and work our way down–although some of the most important races are at the tail-end of the ballot.
STATE TREASURER: A race where two Republicans are facing off against each other. Albeit one, Ted Lauzen, is a recent convert to the Democratic Party despite his family’s history in elective Republican politics in Illinois. He has what I consider to be a smarmy sort of charisma, and he clearly views this office as a stepping-stone. It is beyond my understanding how so many Democrats have embraced this guy. Except–he has Delaware Way stink all over him. Hope I’m not being too subtle here.
His real R opponent Mike Ramone retired from the General Assembly in 2024, moved downstate (not necessarily in that order), and ran against Matt Meyer for Governor. He got about 44% of the vote. I doubt he gets much more this time since he probably had plenty of Bethany Hall Long supporters who voted for him in 2024.
I still consider this an intriguing race in that so many Democrats seem willing to embrace a complete cipher as their nominee. Somebody please tell me why.
STATE SENATE DISTRICT 14: A rematch of the 2022 race where D Kyra Hoffner edged R Mark Pugh by an approximate 52-48 margin. This district has portions in NCC and (mostly) Kent County. I think most of Smyrna-Clayton all the way into northern Dover. While Hoffner is hardly a dynamic presence, the registration numbers in that district are strongly D. And, in what is likely to be the biggest difference since 2022, independents in poll after poll are breaking towards the D’s this time in contrast to 2022, when dissatisfaction with Biden strengthened R numbers. This represents the R’s best chance to flip a D Senate seat, so it’s definitely worth watching.
STATE SENATE DISTRICT 15: Perhaps the marquee legislative race this cycle. State Senator Dave Lawson, ex-state cop, ex-gun range owner, aka ‘Sen. Sharia Law’, is retiring. He will not be missed. This western Kent County district skews Republican–11,196 D; 14,279 R; 14,939 I. Both parties seem to have recruited quality candidates this cycle. What’s notable to me is that D candidate Nisha Lodhavia has raised well over $100 K, with much of it coming from Senate Democrats and Delaware Way D’s.
Lodhavia is a career educator with lots of community involvement. From her website:
Serving others has always been central to Nisha’s life – including in her work as a college professor at both Delaware Technical Community College (Terry Campus) and Wesley College. It was far more than a job for her; it was a passion. She found joy in teaching, mentoring, and changing lives.
Beyond that, Nisha has served in leadership roles with local nonprofits – supporting children after school, packing meals for homebound seniors, advocating for caregivers and loved ones with disabilities, and standing up for children in Family Court. Nisha has worked alongside educators, families, small businesses, and underserved communities, seeing firsthand how decisions can make life easier or harder for everyday people.
The R candidate, Emily Thompson, also has strong credentials. From her website:
A lifelong Delawarean, Emily A. Thompson proudly lives on her family farm in Hartly, where she was raised in a multi-generational farming and small business family. She learned the importance of faith, hard work, and personal responsibility — values that guide her today.
For nearly a decade, Emily has served Delaware families in state government, strengthening communities and supporting children. She currently oversees programs that promote the healthy development and well-being of children and families.
A proud alumna of Wilmington University, she earned her undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees there, completing a Doctorate in Prevention Science.
My take?: Regardless of who wins, the victor will be a significant upgrade over Dave Lawson.
STATE REP. DISTRICT 4: This district migrated downstate following the most recent redistricting. (Trivia question: Who was the last person to represent RD 4 in the General Assembly before it was moved downstate?) Incumbent R Jeff Hilovsky is retiring. Both D Gregg Lindner and R Dan Zitofsky are relatively new to the district. Current registration: 8310 D; 9600 R; 9186 I. If I’s break D at the level it appears to be happening nationwide, then Lindner might have a shot.
STATE REP. DISTRICT 8: Incumbent D Rae Moore handily won a primary that some had projected to be close. She is running against ex-cop Gary Taylor. While there has been talk that some D’s might try to cut her (looking at you, Kim Williams), I think she wins in this southern NCC district. Registration?: 9589 D; 4556 R; 7506 I. Yep, she’s good. Prediction: She succeeds in getting school lunches for students this time around. Right, Kim?
STATE REP. DISTRICT 9: I’m thoroughly confused (insert snark here). I’ve heard everything from ‘Kevin Hensley got the two candidates he wanted’ to ‘Khan-Flowers has gotten a bad rap’. But, I’ve gotten ahead of myself. Disgraced Kevin Hensley ‘retired’ rather than face defeat after one of the more reckless DUI’s in recent memory. A relatively-late entry into the race, Ayanna Khan-Flowers, won the D primary over perceived frontrunners Gemma Lowery and Michelle Wall. Ayanna Khan-Flowers 43%, Gemma Lowery 34%, and Michelle Wall 23%. She faces R Jamar Money in November. Money was an educator for 17 years. I’m kinda surprised that he’s placing so much emphasis on preventing a D super-majority:
At the core of these challenges is a lack of balance in our state government. When one group holds unchecked control, policies are shaped without the broad debate, scrutiny, and compromise that best serve the public. These combined issues are placing significant strain on families and diminishing our overall quality of life.
I am running to strengthen our educational system, reduce the size of government, lower the cost of living, and restore the balance necessary for effective, accountable governance.
More:
Meaningful debate, thorough scrutiny, thoughtful questioning, and genuine compromise — policies that reflect the needs and values of the people, not a single supermajority.
Those, of course, are incentives for R’s to support him. The registration totals?: 10,353 D; 5869 R; 7946 I. Hmmm, not convinced that opposing a D super-majority is a winning argument here…
The D candidate, Ayanna Khan-Flowers, is the President of the Delaware Black Chamber Of Commerce. That, of course, has engendered comparison to Mike Smith’s role as the new State Chamber head. While there are differences (the Black Chamber is a charitable organization for tax purposes while the State Chamber is not), I think Khan-Flowers should agree that she will step down from her role should she be elected.
I’ll just come right out and say it–I have absolutely no idea who will win this race. I mean, Hensley survived in a district with a distinct D advantage. Meaning, I’m relying on you guys to tell me what you see happening there.
STATE REP. DISTRICT 14: Incumbent D Claire Snyder-Hall has pissed off some D’s with her somewhat unpredictable antics. Her opponent is R Mike Simpler, who is a far cry from Ken Simpler. The registration is: 9724 D; 6590 R; 7122 I. This is a rerun of the 2024 race that Snyder-Hall won by roughly a 55-45 margin. When you look at Snyder-Hall’s fundraising, it’s almost all grassroots, and she’s raised a lot. Plus, you won’t have Speaker Pete mucking around in this race like he did last time. Plus, it’s a shitty year for R’s. So, I make her the favorite.
STATE REP. DISTRICT 20: Incumbent D Alonna Berry faces R Gene Dvornick. Berry has already been battle-tested in her brief legislative career, having edged R Nikki Miller in the Special Election to replace Stell Parker Selby in 2025, and having easily turned aside the challenge of DINO Ruby Keeler Schaeffer in this year’s September primary. Gene Dvornick is a credible candidate who even stresses his ‘moderate’ positions on his campaign website. (How many downstate R’s do that?). He was Georgetown’s Town Manager from 2007 up to his recent retirement. He’s raised a respectable $21 K for his campaign. I think that Berry has pretty much been a model State Rep since she was first elected. Registration: 8616D; 7622 R; 7670 I. By pretty much any metric, this will likely be one of the closest contests in Delaware this cycle.
STATE REP. DISTRICT 22: Newly-minted Delaware Chamber Of Commerce President Mike Smith faces D Alex Green in this Hockessin-area district. I have some theories:
1. Mike Smith will not serve in the General Assembly this coming session. I think he stayed on the ballot b/c it was simply too late to replace him, and he didn’t want to hand over the seat without a fight.
2. D’s aren’t enamored of Alex Green. I sorta understand. It’s difficult to discern exactly what he stands for. You haven’t seen any rush to support Green. That’s not by accident.
So, I expect that there will likely be a Special Election, unfortunately with candidates to be chosen by a small group of committee members. Depending on the effective date of Smith’s resignation, it could take place in December (it’s happened before) or, more likely, during the six-week break for Joint Finance Committee.
That’s what I think and I’m sticking to it until I’m inevitably proven wrong. BTW, I expect Smith to win.
STATE REP. DISTRICT 41: Two questions here–will enough R’s vote against perennial bad boy John Atkins to swing this race to D Ryan Stuckey? Since I think the answer is no, the larger question is: How long will John Atkins last this time? The secondary question is: Will it be the D’s or the R’s who move to oust him from the body first? Color me a skeptic, but I don’t believe that John’s claimed reformation (‘I’ve found the Lord in the arms of a good woman’) is remotely true. All things being equal, I’d rather have him in Dover, however briefly, to write about than not.
NCC Council District 3: No, Kira Alejandro was not elected in the September primary. She faces Melissa Brayman who, if you remember, ran as an R against Marcus Henry for NCC Executive in 2024. While she didn’t come close to winning, she did get about 48% of the vote in the part of the county in NCCD 3. Like Mike Smith, Brayman owes her allegiance to the Delaware State Chamber Of Commerce as the Director of Administration And Finance for the State Chamber. She still works there. (Hmmm, sounds like Smith’s preferred candidate for his soon-to-be-vacated RD 22 seat, n’est ce pas?) Now is not the time to sleep on this race.
Sussex County Council District 4: The first of two Suxco Council races pitting D’s who favor slower controlled development and two R’s who have allied with rapid unfettered development. This race pits incumbent R Douglas Hudson vs. D challenger Justine Cuccia.
Hudson serves as President of Council, and represents this SE Suxco district. Stop me if you’ve heard this before–he served with the Delaware State Police for 27 years.
Cuccia is part of a coalition that recently flipped a seat on Council, and development is the key issue in this race. Her stated reason for running:
The Council focuses on land use, which connects to every issue facing Sussex residents today. It affects taxes, roads, schools, affordability, health care availability, preservation of wetlands and forests, the ability to recruit and retain new essential workers (Think Police, Fire, EMTs, Teachers, Paraprofessionals, office staff, Pre-school Teachers, Home Health Aids, Nurses) and much more.
At a moment when “business as usual” just doesn’t work anymore, we need a new voice, a new vision, and a new way of doing things. In short, we need smart development to stop the out-of-control growth until adequate infrastructure is in place FIRST!
BTW, I could find no webpage for Hudson. If you have the link, please share.
Sussex County Council District 5: A virtual repeat of the previous race. This one featuring incumbent R John Rieley and D challenger Jill Hicks. Didja know that Rieley is the father of 11 children and has 36 grandchildren? Now you do.
District 5 covers Georgetown, Millsboro, Harbeson & Cool Spring.
Here’s a Q & A with both candidates from Delaware Online.
That’s my take. What races have I overlooked, and where am I flat-out wrong?
