Tabula Rasa

A clean slate.

2019 is here.  We have many newly elected officials in Delaware.  Legislators, a State Auditor, a State Treasurer, and an Attorney General.  They all have a once in a lifetime chance to begin something new and to start a new conversation.

Even the ones I have gone after in the past have a clean slate.  Their world is just beginning no matter how they got there.  They have a golden opportunity to do more than the status quo.  They have a chance to steer Delaware in a new and better direction.

Beginning today, we will see these public officials being sworn in to their new roles.  In exactly a week from now, many new State Reps and State Senators will become a vital part of the public eye.  What they do and how they do it will become the foundation of their future.

Who will go against the grain?  Who will put the needs of Delaware citizens over corporate interests?  Who will dare to fight their own party for what is right and just?  We will find out.

In modern times, Tabula Rasa was the title of the third episode of the hit television show, LOST.  As we slowly learned about the secrets harbored by the survivors of Oceanic 815, we also see that they are beginning anew.  Despite the history they had before the island, they had the chance to start over again in their present circumstance.  This is the reality of all the new elected officials in Delaware.

I will give all of them a chance.  And I mean ALL of them.  Even the one I have written about the most on here.  Because, as of tomorrow, that person will be in a very unique position and how she does that will be the truest testament to her character and I truly hope she rises above my expectations.  I will believe they all mean what they say and how they want to make life better for Delaware.  If they slip and fall, I will be there.  If they succeed, I will be there.  I am watching them with curious eyes.  In my eyes, it is about more than political party.  I have always believed that.  It is about doing what is right, especially for kids.  Because they don’t always have a voice and they truly don’t care about Democrats or Republicans.

After the Primary: Delaware Candidates for General Election on November 8th

Delaware Primary season is over!  Now that the playing field has been seriously trimmed, this is the final list of Delaware candidates for the General Election on November 8th.  Some candidates who I previously called winners after the deadline in July now face an opponent from party-nominated candidates who were put on the ballot by September 1st or members of the Green party who are in the game now.  I will be coming out with my own endorsements in the weeks ahead.

 

Deadline to Register to Vote for General Election: October 15th

Delaware Election 2016: November 8th

 

What’s At Stake:

President: The future of the country.

Delaware Senate: 11 out of 21 seats up for re-election, 11 seats needed for party control.  As of the 148th General Assembly, there were 12 Democrats and 9 Republicans in the Delaware Senate. With no one running against some candidates, 8 Democrats and 7 Republicans will retain seats. Magic number for party control in the Senate- Democrats: 3, Republicans: 4

*the only thing that could change this scenario is if Senator Bethany Hall-Long wins the Lieutenant Governor race and then a special election would take place after the General Election for her seat.  The same would apply if Senator Colin Bonini wins the Governor race.

Delaware House: All 41 seats up for reelection, 21 seats for party control.  As of the end of the 148th General Assembly, there were 26 Democrats and 15 Republicans in the House. With no one running against some candidates, 16 Democrats and 4 Republicans will retain seats.  Magic number for Democrats: 5, for Republicans: 17.  These numbers don’t assume certain parties will win if a candidate is running against one of the Libertarians, Greens, or Independents.   Assuming the incumbents win in those elections, that would change the magic numbers for Democrats to 4 and the Republicans to 15.

As of tonight, we have a brand new Delaware Senator from the 9th Senate District: Jack Walsh.  Congratulations Senator Walsh!  As well, Wilmington will have a new Mayor.  Congratulations to Mayor Michael Purzycki.

 

President:

Hillary Clinton (D)

Jill Stein (G)

Gary Johnson (L)

Donald Trump (R)

 

Governor:

John Carney (D)

Andrew Groff (G)

Sean Goward (L)

Colin Bonini (R)

 

Congress: US Representative

Lisa Blunt Rochester (D)

Mark Perri (G)

Scott Gesty (L)

Hans Reigle (R)

 

Lieutenant Governor: 

Bethany Hall-Long (D)

La Mar Gunn (R)

 

Insurance Commissioner:

Trinidad Navarro (D)

Jeffrey Cragg (R)

 

State Senate:

District 1: 

Harris McDowell III (D) (Incumbent)

James Spadola (R)

 

District 5:

Denise Bowers (D)

Catherine Cloutier (R) (Incumbent)

 

District 7:

Patricia Blevins (D) (Incumbent)

Anthony Delcollo (R)

 

District 8:

David Sokola (D) (Incumbent)

David Chandler (G)

Meredith Chapman (R)

 

District 9: Winner

John Walsh (D)

 

District 12: Winner 

Nicole Poore (D) (Incumbent)

 

District 13: Winner

David McBride (D) (Incumbent)

 

District 14:

Bruce Ennis (D) (Incumbent)

Carl Pace (R)

 

District 15: Winner

Dave Lawson (R) (Incumbent)

 

District 19: Winner

Brian Pettyjohn (R) (Incumbent)

 

District 20:

Perry Mitchell (D)

Gerald Hocker (R) (Incumbent)

 

State Representative:

District 1: Winner

Charles Potter (D) (Incumbent)

 

District 2: Winner

Stephanie Bolden (D) (Incumbent)

 

District 3: Winner

Helene Keeley (D) (Incumbent)

 

District 4: Winner

Gerald Brady (D) (Incumbent)

 

District 5: Winner

Melanie George Smith (D) (Incumbent)

 

District 6: Winner

Deb Heffernan (D) (Incumbent)

 

District 7:

Bryon Short (D) (Incumbent)

Robert Wilson (L)  

 

District 8: Winner

Quinton Johnson (D) (Incumbent)

 

District 9:

Monique Johns (D)

Kevin Hensley (R) (Incumbent)

 

District 10:

Sean Matthews (D) (Incumbent)

Judith Travis (R)

 

District 11:

David Neilson (D)

Jeffrey Spiegelman (R) (Incumbent)

 

District 12: Winner

Deb Hudson (R) (Incumbent)

 

District 13: Winner

John Mitchell (D) (Incumbent)

 

District 14:

Peter Schwartzkopf (D) (Incumbent)

James DeMartino (R)

 

District 15: Winner

Valerie Longhurst (D) (Incumbent)

 

District 16: Winner

James Johnson (D) (Incumbent)

 

District 17: Winner

Michael Mulrooney (D) (Incumbent)

 

District 18: Winner

David Bentz (D) (Incumbent)

 

District 19:

Kim Williams (D) (Incumbent)

James Startzman (R)

 

District 20:

Barbara Vaughn (D)

Don Ayotte (I)

Stephen Smyk (R) Incumbent

 

District 21:

David McCorquodale (G)

Mike Ramone (R) (Incumbent)

 

District 22:

Lanette Edwards (D)

Bernard August (G)

Joseph Miro (R) (Incumbent)

 

District 23: Winner

Paul Baumbach (D) (Incumbent)

 

District 24:

Edward Osienski (D) (Incumbent)

Timothy Conrad (R)

 

District 25:

John Kowalko (D) (Incumbent)

Mike Nagorski (R)

 

District 26: Winner

John Viola (D) (Incumbent)

 

District 27: Winner

Earl Jaques (D) (Incumbent)

 

District 28: Winner

William Carson (D) (Incumbent)

 

District 29:

Trey Paradee (D) (Incumbent)

Ruth James (G)

Janice Gallagher (R)

 

District 30:

Charles Groce (D)

William Outten (R) (Incumbent)

 

District 31: 

Sean Lynn (D) (Incumbent)

Jean Dowding (R)

 

District 32:

Andria Bennett (D) (Incumbent)

Patricia Foltz (R)

 

District 33: 

Karen Williams (D)

Charles Postles (R)

 

District 34:

David Henderson (D)

Lyndon Yearick (R) (Incumbent)

 

District 35:

Gary Wolfe (D)

David Wilson (R) (Incumbent)

 

District 36: Winner

Harvey Kenton (R) (Incumbent)

 

District 37: 

Paulette Rappa (D)

Ruth Briggs-King (R) (Incumbent)

 

District 38: Winner 

Ronald Gray (R) (Incumbent)

 

District 39:

James Brittingham (L)

Daniel Short (R) (Incumbent)

 

District 40: Winner

Timothy Dukes (R) (Incumbent)

 

District 41:

Bradley Connor (D)

Richard Collins (R) (Incumbent)

 

New Castle County Executive

Matt Meyer (D)

Matt Blake (R)

 

Mayor of Wilmington: Winner

Michael Purzycki (D)

 

The following Delaware Senate seats are not up for re-election this year:

District 2: Margaret-Rose Henry (D)

District 3: Robert Marshall (D)

District 4: Greg Lavelle (R)

District 6: Ernie Lopez (R)

District 10: Bethany Hall-Long (D)

District 11: Bryan Townsend (D)

District 16: Colin Bonini (R)

District 17: Brian Bushweller (D)

District 18: F. Gary Simpson (R)

District 21: Bryant Richardson (R)