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Democrats Pick Polly Adams Mervine As The New SD 19 Candidate

July 8th, 2009 • Related • Filed Under
By Unstable Isotope

Mike Matthews is reporting by Twitter that the new Democratic Senate candidate in the 19th SD is Polly Adams Mervine. More as details emerge.

Update: Matthews is reporting that Matthew Opalinski is also a candidate. A four-way race! This should be interesting.

There Are 45 Responses So Far. »

  1. Comment by Delaware Dem on 8 July 2009 at 9:25 pm:

    And things continue to get interesting in the 19th. But this time, on the Republican side.

    From a Press Release:

    Opaliski Announces Candidacy for 19th Senate District

    Greenwood, De – Greenwood resident Matthew A. Opaliski, 35, will soon finalize the arrangements to allow a run for the State Legislature in the Special Election for Senate District 19 to replace the late Sen. Thurman G.
    Adams Jr. With the date of the Election set for August 3rd and a few other candidates already selected this now becomes a short but crowded race to fill the vacancy.

    Opaliski, a Republican who has lived in Sussex County since 1992 has long been involved in politics and at many levels. With a passion for community involvement including many grassroots efforts, along with political activism
    that has taken him from simply following Local and State Government issues to testifying in front of Legislative Committees and all the way to a run for the same District 19 seat in 2002 and 2006, he says ‘That same passion
    still burns strong, and when something just feels right, to the extent that you know that know you can and will make a positive and lasting impact, you have to follow your heart and act on it.’

    As a Service Technician with JC Ehrlich, Co. located in Bridgeville, and covering the entire Delmarva Peninsula he travels a large area and says, ‘I talk to people all over the downstate area including all of the areas in this District and people are craving new leadership with fresh ideas. They’re ready as much as I am to shake things up a little and I look forward to doing just that if I’m fortunate enough to be elected.’

  2. Comment by Unstable Isotope on 8 July 2009 at 9:31 pm:

    Wow, how does this work? Booth is already the Republican candidate, is Opalinski running as an independent? I can’t help but think this is good news for Adams Mervine.

  3. Comment by Mike Matthews on 8 July 2009 at 9:34 pm:

    Yup, he’s running as an IPoD candidate. This could be very interesting. I imagine UI is right. This could be very good news for Adams Mervine. The Booth machine is WAAAAY strong in Georgetown, though, and I’m guessing the GOP will be pulling out all the aces in the special, much like they did with the Kovach win in December.

  4. Comment by Mike Matthews on 8 July 2009 at 9:38 pm:

    The question being, though: Does the GOP have any aces at this moment?

  5. Comment by anonone on 8 July 2009 at 9:40 pm:

    No aces, just asses.

  6. Comment by Unstable Isotope on 8 July 2009 at 9:55 pm:

    I think this is tough for the GOP. Booth does have advantages of name recognition, but Adams Mervine almost completely takes this away.

  7. Comment by Delaware Dem on 8 July 2009 at 10:09 pm:

    You would have to think any party-backed Republican is strongly favored to pick up this seat in a special election. The district is conservative and it figures to elect a conservative.

    Mervine is the huge question mark. Is she well known in the district enough for voters to know her politics? How will the Adams loyalty fall, to the daughter or to the friend? Are grassroots GOPers dissatisfied enough with Booth to vote for the Libertarian or Opalski (remember, the tea parties and SCCOR are big down there)?

    If the conservative vote is divided enough between Booth, Opalski and the Libertarian (apologies, I forget her name, think it is Wendy Jones), then maybe Mervine can win.

  8. Comment by Perry on 8 July 2009 at 10:14 pm:

    Matt Opaliski ran as an Independent against Thurman Adams in the last election and pulled about 25%, not bad! So he has name recognition. He wanted to run as a Republican, but the party for whatever reason refused to back him. I don’t remember who the Republican candidate was in 2006.

    I like Matt and helped him in his campaign. He is very knowledgeable about Delaware code and the politics of the GA. He is a likable Conservative, meaning that he is not an absolutist, rather a pragmatist. He is accessible, civil, and happy to dialogue. He is a credible candidate and deserves serious consideration of the voters in the 19th SD.

    I agree with UI, this is good news for Adams Mervine.

  9. Comment by liberalgeek on 8 July 2009 at 10:16 pm:

    I had a nice chat with Matt during one of our liveblogging sessions. He was smart and engaging. I am also hearing that Polly was elected in a very fractious meeting. I wonder whether she is actually damaged out of the gate?

  10. Comment by anon on 8 July 2009 at 10:19 pm:

    There was no Republican in the race in 2006. It was Adams v. Opaliski.

  11. Comment by liberalgeek on 8 July 2009 at 10:22 pm:

    Fun fact about Mervine: She was third runner-up for Mrs. Delaware 2007.

    http://www.tftj.com/db/preliminary.htm/33/4/2008/40

  12. Comment by MJ on 8 July 2009 at 10:23 pm:

    DD – SCCOR is not that big, yet. They project themselves to be this huge movement, but that’s only because Curly from WGMD (one of the 3 Stooges on the air) talks them up.

    This is going to be an interesting election.

  13. Comment by Mike Matthews on 8 July 2009 at 10:36 pm:

    Yes, no Republican candidate in 2006. Adams was in power at the time and I heard from many sources that he “didn’t want to deal” with a “real” opponent in that election and would have made matters hellish for the GOPers in the Senate if the Republicans dared put someone up against him.

  14. Comment by anonone on 8 July 2009 at 10:39 pm:

    Fun fact about Mervine: She was third runner-up for Mrs. Delaware 2007.

    Oooooo… Delaware’s own up and coming Sarah Palin.

  15. Comment by Tom S on 8 July 2009 at 10:42 pm:

    Was she a flight attendant or have any daughters we can bash?

  16. Comment by Another Mike on 9 July 2009 at 2:03 am:

    “Yes, no Republican candidate in 2006. Adams was in power at the time and I heard from many sources that he “didn’t want to deal” with a “real” opponent in that election and would have made matters hellish for the GOPers in the Senate if the Republicans dared put someone up against him.”

    Another reason why I see no justification to glorify the late senator.

    Thought I read somewhere (maybe TNJ) that Mervine endorsed Joe Booth after Parker was selected. Should make for some interesting campaigning, if anyone down there actually cares.

    Does Mervine have any actual qualifications for this job other than being Adams’ daughter?

  17. Comment by Joanne Christian on 9 July 2009 at 2:27 am:

    Did she need any?

  18. Comment by MJ on 9 July 2009 at 5:34 am:

    Mervine beat Lynn Rogers by a vote of 15-13. Lynn Rogers was a lousy county councilman and would have made an even worse state legislator if he had gotten the nod and won.

    This race is now Booth’s to lose. My thinking is that Booth will win and there will be an all-out effort to take his House seat for the Dems.

  19. Comment by Delaware Dem on 9 July 2009 at 7:07 am:

    Agree, MJ.

  20. Comment by Brian Shields on 9 July 2009 at 8:37 am:

    I honestly think Wendy Jones has a fighting chance. She is a fiscal conservative, she would vote to protect business and personal rights, she would have the ear of the people, and she is passionate about changing the status quo in Dover.

    What I love about her is that she doesn’t dodge a question. Seeing her straight answer questions at the SCCOR debate vs Booth who waffled through and filibustered like a polished politician was a breath of fresh air.

  21. Comment by El Somnambulo on 9 July 2009 at 8:54 am:

    Always keeping in mind ‘bulo’s cluelessness about Sussex County, Opaliski is more likely to draw votes from disaffected D’s who can’t bring themselves to vote for the Golden Child than R’s, who will be singleminded in trying to flip the seat.

    The Beast Who Slumbers now believes that the single best outcome for the Sussex County D’s would be for an overwhelming rejection of the Adams/Good Ol’ Boys machine.

    Until that machine no longer wields major power there, rebuilding the Party at the grassroots will be more difficult. The sooner it implodes, the better.

  22. Comment by Brian Shields on 9 July 2009 at 8:56 am:

    I would like to see a single policy position from Mervine. Noone knows where she stands on anything.

  23. Comment by MJ on 9 July 2009 at 9:34 am:

    She’s standing on her daddy’s legacy. That’s about all there is.

  24. Comment by grunk on 9 July 2009 at 9:45 am:

    She takes a very strong position on stencils:

    http://www.stencilsearch.com/blog/artists/dimensional-design/

  25. Comment by PI on 9 July 2009 at 10:34 am:

    This looks like a contest of who has more friends now. I wish them all well. Glad it’s not a race I have to get involved in. There is not one single candidate I’d be proud to admit I helped.

  26. Comment by Maria Evans on 9 July 2009 at 10:42 am:

    If you notice, on her business site, she’s just Polly Mervine:

    http://www.fauxbulousfx.com/aboutus.html

    “Fauxbulous FX, Inc. is co-owned by Polly Mervine from Bridgeville, DE and Lynn Kokjohn from Rehoboth Beach, DE.”

    The suspense is killing me…will she faux hyphenate her name in her campaign literature?

  27. Comment by arthur on 9 July 2009 at 11:24 am:

    she’s a perfect democrat. vow change and then add some new paint and curtains to the office and declare change has been accomplished.

  28. Comment by anonone on 9 July 2009 at 12:25 pm:

    Did you ever realize that it can’t have “fabulous” without “bulo”?

    I know I didn’t.

    And another thing:

    Her business website translates into “fake-bulous fx.” Hmmmm…

  29. Comment by Geezer on 9 July 2009 at 12:31 pm:

    In honor of the late, lamented Delatacit, I would like to point out that she would immediately become Delaware’s hottest lawmaker.

  30. Comment by El Somnambulo on 9 July 2009 at 1:32 pm:

    Anon1: ‘Bulo knew, but, in keeping with his low-key self-deprecating manner, he chose not to point out the obvious.

  31. Comment by anonymous on 9 July 2009 at 2:00 pm:

    Polly is not a question mark. She will vote whatever way DeLuca tells her to vote.

  32. Comment by Libby Stiff on 10 July 2009 at 11:37 am:

    Word is she’s socially way more liberal than dad. Can that be possible? Associates with “those people” at Clear Space.

  33. Comment by grunk on 11 July 2009 at 8:30 pm:

    It’s Saturday night and still Princess Polly has not granted us an audience.

  34. Comment by John Young on 15 July 2009 at 12:30 am:

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBauPB7oGrw]

  35. Comment by grunk on 20 July 2009 at 8:51 pm:

    Polly was essentially a no-show tonight at the debate.

  36. Comment by Unstable Isotope on 20 July 2009 at 8:57 pm:

    Is she too busy to campaign? Isn’t this the second forum she’s brushed off?

  37. Comment by grunk on 20 July 2009 at 9:02 pm:

    The folks on WGMD/WGMD.com are not happy.

  38. Comment by jason330 on 20 July 2009 at 9:03 pm:

    What does “essentially a no-show” mean? She was there or not there. Which was it?

  39. Comment by Steve Newton on 20 July 2009 at 9:03 pm:

    Who’da thunk that an effective slogan for any of Polly’s opponents would be, “Vote for me, I’ll actually show up.”

    As another laugher, when Shirley asked for Polly’s position on helmet laws over at the Curmudgeon, Polly’s husband answered for her.

  40. Comment by jason330 on 20 July 2009 at 9:03 pm:

    The folks on WGMD/WGMD.com are nutbags. Did she not show up?

  41. Comment by grunk on 20 July 2009 at 9:06 pm:

    She showed, gave an opening statement, then left. Took no questions.

  42. Comment by cassandra_m on 20 July 2009 at 9:26 pm:

    Maybe she thought they would ask her about Obama’s birth certificate.

    Whatever the story is, this is plenty weird.

  43. Comment by Dover is Faux Enough on 20 July 2009 at 9:51 pm:

    She had “a campaign event scheduled.” If I were having a campaign event, I would advertise the time, date, and location on my website, Facebook, or twitter account. She is total BS… Vote for me because of my daddy. Seriously Democrats, can you really support this “Faux” so called candidate?

  44. Comment by Brian Shields on 20 July 2009 at 11:52 pm:

    She read, word for word, a prepared statement. Then left after all of the opening remarks were made.

  45. Comment by Maria Evans on 21 July 2009 at 12:14 am:

    jason Crossroads Community Church in her hometown of Bridgeville organized the forum, Gaffney moderated, GMD broadcast it live.

    She’s also apparently bailing on the question part of the Sussex League of Women Voters forum and just showing up for the closing statements, that’s scheduled for the 30th. They certainly aren’t “nutbags”. I posted a link to the DelawarePolitics.net post about that on another tread. There aren’t any other forums/debates at this point.