A deeper Election 2024 dive: Local races
The third of what will be a series of several posts as we approach Election Day 2024.
By my count, there are seventeen different races in Sussex County, only one of which is countywide. There are three County Council seats up for grabs as well as thirteen legislative seats. Out of all those seats, only seven are now contested: one State Senate seat, five State House seats, and one spot on County Council. What follows will be a capsule of each campaign from information I have gleaned through the study of their social media, campaign websites, and biographical information where available.
And as always for my readers, most of whom live outside Sussex County and Delaware: consider this a template for covering your local and state races.
Because there’s not a ton of information out there on some of these candidates, I’m choosing to do this by race and not by individual. I’ll start with the legislative races then do the County Council seats.
State Senate District 6
Since there was no primary in this race, it’s really the first time I’m looking at it. Republican Kim Hoey Stevenson is taking on one-term incumbent Democrat (since 2022, when all seats were up after redistricting) Russ Huxtable. It’s a district that takes in the area around Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, and Milton.
Stevenson has an unusual approach to issues, stressing her six years on the Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission and changes she worked for. And she claims, “Now is the time to bring people together. As your senator, I will be committed to bipartisan action for real change, not just talk.” It’s more or less in the spirit of former District 6 Senator Ernie Lopez, who chose not to run again in 2022.
She wants to uphold the “shared values” of Enhancing Personal Responsibility, Expanding and Embracing Government Efficiency, Strengthening Public Safety, Supporting Children and Seniors, and Prioritizing the Values of Equality and Equal Opportunity.
Interesting to me, Stevenson is a “award-winning writer and journalist who specializes in feature writing.” Hey, it takes all kinds.
On the other hand, Russ Huxtable looks at issues from the district out. He starts by talking about transportation and infrastructure, investment in the community, and better balanced growth and housing, but eventually gets to what he considers “quality of life” issues: education, healthcare, the environment, public safety, equality, and voting. As for what he does, Huxtable describes it as: “For the last 18+ years he has worked for a nonprofit that is dedicated to developing affordable housing in Sussex County, and the entire state of Delaware.”
Having a bit of a voting record now, I can tell you Russ is a very reliable vote on the Democrat line. While he’s tied for second-best among Democrat Senators on my upcoming Delaware Accountability Project, the fact is he votes well left of where his district stands. His list of endorsements reflects that left-leaning philosophy as well.
My thoughts: Usually it’s an incumbent’s first election where he or she is most vulnerable, even more so if a challenger works hard at it. Apparently Stevenson is working hard and this is the first time Huxtable has run for re-election, although he did beat a sitting House member bucking for a promotion to gain the seat. If Stevenson can convince the voters she will be like former Senator Lopez, who people would never mistake for a rabid conservative but generally kept the liberal tendencies to a minimum, she has a shot at getting a much-needed seat back for the GOP.
State House District 4
This is the same situation as Senate District 6, although this almost-new district in the Long Neck area is now having its second election. No Republican challenged one-term incumbent Jeff Hilovsky, nor did a Democrat take on his opponent Gregg Lindner.
You get a good idea about Hilovsky when you see he quotes Ronald Reagan: "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." Hilovsky scored in the upper half among Republicans on my upcoming Delaware Accountability Project, so he was better than average at representing our interests.
He stands for improving education, fiscal responsibility, public safety, small business support, veterans, improving manufactured housing (a full 62% of Delaware manufactured houses lie in his waterfront district), government accountability, and improved medical care. A statistic he cites in a couple places is the fact Delaware is 50th in the nation, a state with a negative GDP over the last couple years. (In other words, we as a state are in a recession.)
The retired optometrist, Air Force Reservist, and small business owner could enjoy his retirement but instead is an instructor at three high schools teaching a program called Leadership is a Lifestyle. “I stand for the Constitution and for Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness,” he notes. Works for me.
Some of what Gregg Lindner stands for:
Increased state involvement in infrastructure and population density.
Public education funded at levels that ensure all children have access to educational experiences that enable them to reach their full potential and contribute to society.
Support efforts for safe and affordable housing. This is an essential building block for our community.
Support for a woman's right to make her own decisions regarding reproductive health care. (He recently got an endorsement from Planned Parenthood, which seems to be the coin of the realm with Democrats.)
Restore Delaware early voting and absentee voting to 2022 status ASAP. (I believe the Delaware courts already took care of this, unfortunately.)
As his vision for the district, Gregg says:
As our community continues to evolve, I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. I believe that growth and change should be a positive force for our community, and I am committed to contributing to thoughtful progress. Together, we can work towards creating a vibrant and inclusive community that we can all be proud of.
I will be actively engaging with the community over the next several months to carefully listen to your concerns and issues. Join me as we move the community forward.
Lindner describes himself as “semi-retired” from an upper management position and notes he served two terms on a school board in Pennsylvania.
My thoughts: I imagine Hilovsky has some name recognition, but in a new district anything is possible.
State House District 14
In this district, which basically covers the Dewey Beach/Rehoboth Beach area and bumps up to the southern outskirts of Lewes, three Democrats were in the running to replace longtime House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, who declined to run again. Claire Snyder-Hall emerged victorious in the primary.
The Republican trying to win the seat for the first time in ever since it was relocated to Sussex County in 2002 is Mike Simpler. Simpler’s claim to fame isn’t political, but being the president of the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company.
Since I did my original post, Mike has updated his website, placing his platform into five buckets that affect coastal Delaware: attracting sustainable and high quality jobs and talent, attaining necessary educational resources, leading Delaware in better development, smarter infrastructure, and responsible approaches to our air, water, and land use, growing access to healthcare, and smarter growth overall.
He also has an interesting page in which he quotes his opponent, from a book she wrote about her previous State Senate campaign. (I have something to say about that myself in a second.)
Overall, he’s looking at this in a bipartisan manner, securing support from Democrats - and what Republican celebrates Pride Month? Surely the lady below did since she has a “wife.”
Claire Snyder-Hall is trying to be the first woman to represent the district. And she lays it on the line right away: “Claire is a pro-choice Democrat who will work to protect reproductive freedom, strengthen the democratic process in the First State, and advance doable bills aimed at improving Delaware’s quality of life in terms of health, education, housing, and the environment.” Okay then. Abortion is literally her number one issue, even before anything else.
While she has led Common Cause in the state on two separate occasions, the biggest part of her political experience was losing a run for State Senate in 2014 - hence, the book Simpler refers to above. She’s also an educator: one throwaway line describing her academic career: “Her twenty years of classroom teaching experience also include courses taught at Princeton University, Rutgers University, Hunter College, Illinois State University, & New College of Florida (before DeSantis destroyed it).” Bitter much? In fact, she IS a childless cat lady who just happens to have a “wife.” She also just got the DSEA endorsement, which may help her a bit.
This is how her book is described by the publisher:
Using an intersectional understanding of identity, Snyder-Hall unpacks the ways in which gender, class, and sexuality affect political campaigns, and offers advice for progressives. She also draws on insights from Machiavelli, Rousseau, Marx, and Gramsci to argue that a democratic republic requires a politically engaged populace, a democratic culture, and economic justice, and this can only be achieved when people defend democratic values in the face of rising authoritarianism, stand up to bullies, transform their political consciousness, and create a party willing to fight for the 99%.
Did you understand a word of that? And that’s who could be their representative and another zero score on the Delaware Accountability Project.
My thoughts: Snyder-Hall is racking up the endorsements previously given to her Democrat opponents, which tells me they’re more interested in getting her in their pocket than the residents of her district. Unfortunately it’s a Democrat-leaning district by nature.
State House District 20
Just up the coast from House District 14 is this district, which covers the Lewes and Milton areas. In fact, all three contested House districts abut each other, with District 20 being the meat of the sandwich.
The lone GOP candidate is Nikki Miller, and I couldn’t find anything on her except that she’s an educator who went from being principal at Cape Henlopen High School to an administrative position in the Seaford School District. While she filed way back in February, she only has a barebones website and not a whole lot as far as issues go. Since I’m not going to be on her door-to-door route or at the many events she’s at, your guess is as good as mine.
The incumbent Democrat, Stell Parker Selby won the seat just two years ago after losing twice in the aughts, once for State Senate in 2002 and then in the primary for State Treasurer in 2006. She recovered to serve for a decade on Milton’s town council as well as the Cape Henlopen School District, where she was an educator for 34 years. While she had a primary, it was pretty much a walkover.
One thing I like about her presentation is her concise “Points of Focus” with a topic sentence and an explanatory paragraph. Here, then, are her Points of Focus:
“I will work to find common ground for smart growth that doesn’t threaten our environment and undermine what we love about our area.”
“I support an environment preservation plan that ensures safe drinking water, protects open space, and anticipates the impacts of climate change.”
“As a lifetime educator, I believe that quality education is a benefit to all and is key to our future.”
“Having served on the Beebe Medical Center Board for 16 years, I am acutely aware of the healthcare challenges we face now and in the future.”
“I believe everyone has a right to feel safe.”
“No person in our democracy should face discrimination on the basis of sex, race, national origin, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation.”
It’s a good compilation of bullet points, although Selby and I wouldn’t see eye-to-eye on these issues.
My thoughts: Good thing Miller is at least knocking on doors; otherwise, the seat is Selby’s to reclaim. Unfortunately, she’s been a reliable “let’s turn Delaware into California” vote in the General Assembly.
State House District 36
Incumbent Bryan Shupe has held the seat since 2018 after serving four-plus years as the mayor of Milford. He’s a guy who makes his living online, so here’s his website.
Probably because I’m on the Delaware Live mailing list, I’m also on Shupe’s mailing list. So I’ve found over the years he’s a more moderate, bipartisan representative who will still object when Democrats don’t want to play ball.
Priorities for Shupe include standing against government overreach, holding developers accountable, improving childhood literacy, protecting our first responders, and protecting our natural resources.
Shupe could be considered a serial entrepreneur, as he also owns a pet resort, too.
Speaking of Democrats, I’ve never seen a bilingual website front page until I found the one that challenger Rony Baltazar-Lopez has. And he has a LOT of priorities, including Equitable Education, Affordable Housing, Quality Healthcare, Supporting Small Businesses, Ensuring Access to Government, Reproductive Health, Protecting the Environment, Maintaining Balanced Growth, Upholding Voting Rights, Investing in Clean Infrastructure, Protecting Human Rights, Investing in Public Safety, and - last but not least - Criminal Justice System.
Baltazar-Lopez believes, according to a recent social media post, “The 36th District needs someone who represents all communities. This afternoon I had the pleasure of visiting our Haitian business owners in Downtown Milford with my good friend and leader Duvanel Louis. Our Haitian neighbors are an important part of the fabric that makes Milford hometown.” That’s good, but unless there are all minorities opening businesses in his district, I’m wondering just how he would represent mine.
So he has all these “priorities” but also has a political background, working as a staff assistant to Senator Tom Carper and then being appointed to the Milford Board of Education in 2019, winning a full term in 2020. He’s a first-generation American who worked his way through college and attained a master’s degree in public administration.
My thoughts: It’s interesting to me that Baltazar-Lopez got into the race after the two Republicans did. If there weren’t a primary on the Republican side I wonder if he would not have waited two years. But there is probably a lot of backing coming his way, as the Democrats would love to snatch another seat in mostly red Sussex County. Given the rancor of the GOP primary (mostly from the challenger), and the closeness of the primary that was one mysterious vote from a recount, the task for the winner will be to bring the party together.
State House District 41
There wasn’t a primary in this race, so this is my first real look at it.
For the last three sessions, Richard Collins has been my Delaware Accountability Project Legislator of the Year. What that means is he has the best conservative voting record in the entire body.
And according to his non-updated website, he believes in small government and reducing regulations.
Now I know that because I follow the legislature, but that aversion to modern campaigning worries me because I don’t want to lose a voter like that from the General Assembly. Collins has been there for ten years, losing his first try in 2012 but beating the incumbent two years later. He’s a retired insurance agent.
Tom Brett, the Democrat running, notes on his website:
There are 41 representatives and 21 senators who pass legislation. Your state representative makes decisions that impact you and your family in fundamental ways. They vote Yes or No on bills that address sustainable land use, create renewable energy policy, ensure a woman's reproductive rights, provide affordable and accessible childcare, protect the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, and support economic diversity and growth.
He lists his first priority as responsible growth, stating, “There is an urgent need for regional planning between the state and the county to ensure that infrastructure keeps pace with growth.”
Next up is women and families, where Brett will work to ensure family leave is implemented. But ironically, he goes anti-family here:
With the recent decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court, it has never been more important for state governments to protect a woman’s reproductive rights. In 2017 our General Assembly passed legislation that made a woman’s right to choose a constitutional right in Delaware. My opponent voted against this legislation. As a legislator I will always vote for a woman’s right to decide her reproductive health care.
Next is quality education, where Brett says we have to “fund our public schools so that every student has the opportunity to succeed.” It’s always calling for more money, not better results.
Finally, we have this for his last priority, Clean Energy and Jobs:
The Bipartisan Infrastructure and Investment Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and private industry each offer massive investments in new renewable energy industries. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that we must seize. Our current representative has hosted several town halls arguing against the need to transition away from fossil fuel dependence. He has opposed renewable energy solutions without offering any alternatives. I believe the preponderance of science-based evidence and the vast majority of climate scientists that the time to act on climate change is past due. Every obstacle to growing renewable energy sources threatens the quality of life of our children, grandchildren and subsequent generations. It is a moral decision to take actions now that allows those that come after to live healthy lives.
One thing Brett cites on his website are the letters to the editor he posted, one of which he uses to run down Collins.
My thoughts: Despite the lack of campaign media from Collins, I have faith the voters of District 41 are smart and will see through this charade. Do they really want another reliable vote against their interests in the General Assembly?
Sussex County Council District 3
Last but not least, we come to this. And the biggest issue is development.
In 2020, Mark Schaeffer was elected to County Council, with a background of being on local and county land trusts (as well as an EMT.)
And while development is his key issue, he’s also an advocate for public safety, small business, and lower taxes.
Mark takes it to his Democrat opponent, stating on his website:
Her campaign is a transparent vanity project, and her entire message is grounded in ludicrous accusations based on absurd conspiracy theories. Now is not the time to be taken in by childish nonsense that insults the intelligence of our people. We need authentic leadership focused on the issues that matter to our community.
The “her” in question is Jane Gruenebaum, who avoided a primary when her lone opponent withdrew. If you read between the lines of “Where I Stand,” the end result of that would be a moratorium on growth. Here’s one example:
Supporting our first responders means providing adequate training, quality equipment, fair pay and benefits, and an infrastructure that assists them in performing their duties. It also means minimizing the stress on their services posed by population growth. The number of calls to emergency services rises with population and the ability of emergency vehicles to respond is impeded by clogged roads. The impact of growth on our first responders must be taken into account when considering all new developments. (Emphasis mine.)
With a background including stints at the Brookings Institution and as Executive Director of the nation League of Women Voters, Jane is one of those D.C. insiders who retired to Delaware and now wants to help out.
My thoughts: Like the other two Council races, this race already has quite a bit of acrimony in it. Perception is going to be everything in this race, as Gruenebaum is already saying Schaeffer is “bought and paid for by developers.” Well, ma’am, if an area doesn’t grow, it dies. People want to live here.
Finally, this is a reminder of the other local 2024 races that are walkovers, so the following will either start or continue their terms in office:
State Senator, District 18: Dave Wilson (R)
State Senator, District 21: Bryant Richardson (R)
House District 35: Jesse Vanderwende (R)
House District 37: Valerie Jones Giltner (R)
House District 38: Ronald Gray (R)
House District 39: Danny Short (R)
House District 40: Timothy Dukes (R)
Clerk of the Peace: Norman “Jay” Jones, Jr. (R)
Council District 1: Matt Lloyd (R)
Council District 2: Steve McCarron (R)
Senate Districts 19 and 20, Recorder of Deeds, Register of Wills, Sheriff, and Council Districts 4 and 5 are up in the next election (2026.)
This is my last local Delaware election post, but I have a couple others up my sleeve after I take a bit of a break from the subject next week. One will talk about three of the major write-in candidates for President here in Delaware (the ones who actually have a ticket) and the other will discuss a ballot issue in Wicomico County, Maryland that has the county up in arms.
I’m trying to wrap this up earlier than in past years because voter registration closes October 12 and early voting starts on the 25th.
Until my next election focus, remember you can Buy Me a Coffee since I have a page there.