I just checked and the answer is ‘no’.

Something about promissory notes not being considered legal tender…

If a person can’t save up or raise on thousand stinking bucks should they even be running?

Do not be confused because filing fees are paid at the Department of Elections…the money is accumlated there and then given to the candidate’s party (or sub division). Is this a free service to the majority parties????I have no idea how the inner workings of the Rep. party and how they screw unwanted challengers.

This has nothing to do w/primary election costs….this is a bold face measure to ensure it’s too costly for most to run. Or minimally challengers start out w/a campaign debt that most incumbents do not have to carry.

Several years ago certain members of Wilmington’s Democrat City Committee requested a peek at the books. The treasurer–Lynn Doto (wife of Bill Montgomery, Wilmington’s full time mayor)– responded indignatly (sic) “It’s not needed…I’ve been treasurer for years ” (thru the Leo Marshall era even)….and so it goes.

Want to make a change? Call your (city, county, state) chair and ask how you can get a seat on your respective committee. Do not expect immediate placement as most committee members have ’served’ longer than most in Leg Hall…….20 – 25 years is not unheard of for the lowest level of party hack.

I am certain that an audit of any Dem committee from state to town would reveal that incumbents have indeed had their filing fees returned many ‘below the radar’ (cash)….there are exceptions for those electeds who refuse to ‘go along to get along’.

As Malcolm said: “There is no justice, it’s just us.”

The filing fees are ostensibily to offset primary election costs.

here is an email from Clark to the developers that looks like it was written by his wife and the content (not attached) is the plan to gut the UDC land use code.

On the other note about filing fees…all R candidates have to pay to file, no matter what. It’s determination is a percentage of the total salary of the term (I don’t know the %, but I think it is a low number). There is no preferential treatment as has been indicated above in reference to the D’s.

In the matter of fairness, I would check that on the D’s. I thought filing fees were mandatory for D and R, period. If they are being paid by someone else other than the candidate, then I think that is a problem, but I don’t know for sure. Also, I think it is a rule that the money can not be from donations, but again, I am no expert on that yet, so do your own due diligence.

One of the things I found from living and working in upstate New York and working in Salem County, N.J., is that states like those with many municipalities are much more conducive to getting involved in politics. You can serve on a village, town or city council, as well as planning boards, school boards, etc. Delaware, with its relative lack of local government, does not offer that opportunity, at least not on that scale.

Delaware doesn’t really have Democratic and Republican parties, it has the Incumbent Protection Party. The filing fee should be based on ability to pay, not how much you’ll make in the position.

We need someone to oust McDowell. Just as an example of how bad he is, I sent a letter (with a stamp, as he does not respond to email) with 13 questions I had compiled over an 18 month period. That was in early March. More than 3 months later, I have not received a reply. I have been told at least three times on the phone by one of his flunkies that a reply was just a few days away, but so far I have received bupkis. Now that’s public service for you.

In a Dem primary you must shell out filing fees based on the ’salary’ of the positon…in most cases filing fees are $1000.00 and up.

In a valiant attempt to make a level playing field the Dems do not charge the incumbent this fee. You can see the result…it is an uphill battle , with the cards stacked against challengers, from the gitgo.

In other words Markell would pay a filing fee…Carney would not (ok, maybe on books he pays but the party refunds the fee).

This is hardly my idea of a Democratic approach to electing our leaders.

Any one have any additional insights as to why incumbents go unchallenged year after year after dreadful year?