Every Single State Legislative Race*

Filed in Delaware, Featured by on October 3, 2016

The asterisk means that I’m only looking at races with one D and one R on the ballot.  Per usual, the real story is the paucity of those races.  It’s even more pathetic than usual this year.

Of the 11 Senate seats up this year, 5 are uncontested.  It’s worse in the House. Of the 41 seats, 23 candidates are running unopposed.  Well more than half. Just. Awful.

Here’s an early look at the Senate races:

SD 1:  Good news and bad news for the R’s.  James Spadola may well be the best challenger that the R’s are fielding this year. Why? Because he’s running on a platform far to the left of his party and, by all accounts, he is quite likeable. The bad news? Incumbent Harris McDowell enjoys a huge registration advantage and it’s a presidential year. Spadola might want to consider a party switch or a new address.

SD 5: D challenger Denise Bowers is running a stealth (aka almost non-existent) campaign against incumbent R Cathy Cloutier. No contest.

SD 7: If you consider the term ‘conservative intellectual’ to be an oxymoron, then R challenger Anthony Delcollo is running an oxymoronic campaign.  2nd Amendment rights and being anti-Obamacare will get him nowhere in this working-class district.  Incumbent D Patti Blevins has little to fear.

SD 8: R’s likely view Meredith Chapman as their best chance to flip a seat in this swing district. She’s telegenic, as she has been a TV reporter, communications aide to Mike Castle, and Director of Digital Communications at the U of D. Incumbent Dave Sokola has faced tough challenges before, but topped 60% in his most recent reelection bid.  With registration trending a bit more Democratic in this district, Sokola is the favorite in a competitive race. It might not hurt Chapman if she had, you know, real positions on the issues.  Words meaning nothing.

SD 14: Incumbent D Bruce Ennis faces Carl Pace in this Smyrna/Clayton area district.  Ennis fits this district like a glove and should handily win reelection.

SD 20: I suppose we should credit Mitch Crane with at least finding someone to challenge incumbent R Gerald Hocker.  For completists, the challenger is Perry Mitchell. The greengrocer wins.

Most Egregious Failures to Recruit: Gun range owner David Lawson (R-SD 15) was almost defeated by a political newcomer four years ago.  The failure of the Kent County D’s to put up an opponent is political malpractice. The failure of the R’s to even challenge the open seat in SD 9 (Karen Peterson’s district) is also noteworthy.  D John Walsh will be the new senator from that district.

Here’s how the House races stack up:

RD 9 (That’s right. No challengers in RD’s 1-8):  Incumbent R Kevin Hensley likely faces little trouble from D challenger Monique Johns. Although she handily defeated the district committee’s choice for the seat in a primary.  I’m starting to think that this district committee could use an enema.

RD 10: This will be a less close rematch of the 2014 contest between incumbent D Sean Matthews and semi-perennial challenger R Judy Travis.  Matthews is one of the good guys, so it might not hurt to send a few dollars his way.

RD 11: The D’s found someone to challenge incumbent R Jeff Spiegelman here, and the challenger is, wait for it, a New Castle County cop who is retiring after 20 years on the force. One David Neilson.  Kinda makes you wonder whether Pistol Pete Schwartzkopf ever looks beyond the police rolls to find candidates.  Little known fact: Neilson is also an equine dentist.

RD 14: Speaking of Pistol Pete, he is being challenged by R James DeMartinoI found this tidbit about DeMartino interesting:

“Though divorced, Jim is close to his two sons, Matthew and Nicholas. Both graduated from the Savannah School of Art and Design. He was inspired by both sons art education, creativity and desired career paths.   As a result his practice of law now focuses on Art & Entertainment and protecting the rights of artists.

As someone who has seen how artists, particularly musicians, are screwed out of reaping the rewards of their creations, I must say that I like that. Unfortunately, Schwartzkopf wins big.

RD 19: Realtor James Startzman is back again to challenge incumbent D Kim Williams. Williams got over 63% of the vote last time. Next!

RD 20: Incumbent R Stephen Smyk got over 58% of the vote in a race against D Marie Mayor last time. This time, his opponent is D Barbara Vaughan, a nice 86-year-old lady who is a name on the ballot. Next!

RD 22: The D’s have a credible challenger to longtime R incumbent Joe Miro here. Lanette Edwards is a career educator who appears to be running an active campaign. Miro is something of an institution, and he’s the favorite, but Edwards shows potential and could make this race competitive.

RD 24: R Timothy Conrad, who is a transit supervisor at the University of Delaware, is challenging popular incumbent D Ed Osienski.  Uh, that’s about it.

RD 25: Incumbent John Kowalko is being challenged by pro-business R Michael Nagorski. Nagorski got in late so, at best, this is a dry run for perhaps another run later on.

RD 29: Schwartzkopf acolyte Trey Paradee faces a challenge from R Janice Gallagher. She is, or was (there’s not much info out there) secretary of the Kent County Republican Party, and she’s married to a pilot.  Anyone care to flesh out the details?  Looks like a name on the ballot to me.

RD 30: Yet another late addition to the ballot. This time in the form of D Charles Groce to challenge incumbent R William Outten.  Stop me if you’ve heard this before–Groce is a retired state cop who now works for the Wyoming (DE) Police Department.

RD 31: One of Delaware’s most progressive legislators, D Sean Lynn, is being challenged by R Jean Dowding.  She is a realtor and a military veteran.  Might not hurt to send some $$’s Sean’s way as there’s at least a chance that this race could be competitive.

RD 32: One of Delaware’s least distinguished legislators, D Andria Bennett, faces R Patricia Foltz.  Foltz is campaigning actively. It would probably be too much to ask, however, that she knock off Bennett. Although, to quote former Phils’ manager Gene Mauch, “Sometimes you add by subtracting.”  Registration numbers are too daunting, though, better than 2-1 D over R.

RD 33: This is probably the district Most Likely to Flip.  Which doesn’t mean it’s gonna happen. But still.  The voters in this district didn’t mind sending someone to Dover who almost never was gonna make it to Dover.  They reelected R Jack Peterman twice with the knowledge that he was not in good health.  Well, Peterman passed away this year after basically not showing up for this entire term and at least half of the last term. The R’s chose Charles Postles, who had primaried Peterman in 2014, in a three-way tussle this year.  The D’s have found a candidate in Karen Williams, who appears to suit the profile of this rural Kent County district well.  Postles is campaigning as the ‘only full-time farmer’ who would be a member of the General Assembly.  One potential problem for Postles is that he campaigned in 2014 as a candidate who was physically up for the job–a not too thinly-veiled reference to Peterman’s health problems–and he only got 35% of the vote.  There might well be some lingering resentment here against Postles.

RD 34: R Lyndon Yearick  knocked off incumbent Don Blakey in a 2014 primary and cruised to election in the fall.  He is being challenged by D David Henderson. You may be surprised to find out that David Henderson is, wait for it, a retired Delaware State Police sergeant.

RD 35: Malaprop-prone auctioneer R David Wilson faces D Gary Wolfe this fall. Wolfe has run twice before, with little success. Third time won’t be the charm.

RD 37: D Paulette Rappa ran a credible race against the odious R Ruth Briggs King in 2014.  However, she only garnered about 35% of the vote.  I know it’s a presidential year, but this is Trump Country.  Hope I’m wrong.

RD 41: Following John Atkins’ latest bout with law enforcement, the D’s came up with one Bradley Connor to challenge incumbent R Richard Collins.  Connor was a long-time elected public official in Dagsboro.  Who knows, but I’m skeptical.

OK, that’s my take.  What do my spies on the ground think?

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  1. liberalgeek says:

    I got to meet Lanette Edwards last week. She seems to be a very reasonable challenger to Miro. In 2008, her involvement in the Clinton campaign had her traveling around the midwest as a surrogate. It shows. She is an excellent speaker. Hopefully she will get to speak to a lot of the district.

  2. Thanks, LG. I had the chance to speak to her on the phone, and I got that impression. Glad she comes across as well in person.

  3. cassandra_m says:

    DelDemsWilmington is Phone Banking every Monday to support Lanette Edwards. Two calling times available, every Monday until the General Election. First shift: 11:00AM-2:00PM & Second shift: 6:00PM-8:30PM. Bring your laptop.

    Sign up for shifts by logging onto http://www.DelDems.org, click on the Events Calendar.

    This is happening from the coordinated campaign office at the Riverfront.

  4. Mitch Crane says:

    41st RD incumbent Rich Collins is unpopular in his own caucus. Many Republicans are supporting Brad Connor, who is well known and working hard. I believe this is a pickup. I also believe Barbara Vaughan in the 20th and Paulette Rappa in the 37th are possible. Both R incumbents have issues and close races in 2012 and Independent Party chair Don Ayotte is a candidate in the 20th too. If he pulls 500 votes from Smyk….,

  5. Jason330 says:

    Don Ayotte may perform an actual public service? This is a strange election year.

  6. Sorry. No way that Barbara Vaughan is winning that race. She even says that she’s friends with Smyk. If a legit candidate running an aggressive race like Marie Mayor couldn’t come close, Vaughan is not gonna be competitive.

    Rappa ran a good campaign last time and got 35%. What is gonna make the difference this time?

    And, no offense, but I’ll believe that Connor is competitive when someone other than the chair says he is. Anyone else with some views on this race?

  7. chris says:

    Brad Connor has little chance with Trump on the ticket down there. Rich Collins is an old curmudgeon with no personality, but the R next to his name will carry him..

  8. Steve Newton says:

    Sorry, but Joe Miro gets 58% of the vote–lowest.

    Institution in this district doesn’t even begin to describe it.

  9. You’re probably right, Steve. However, Lanette Edwards is precisely the kind of candidate who the D’s should cultivate. Even if she doesn’t win this time, she has a promising future should she choose to run again. Gotta say, though, that the numbers in that district are a challenge for a D. Especially against someone as entrenched as Miro.

  10. Dave Sokola didn’t win a lot of friends with his education stunts in the past couple years. I predict a Chapman win. With that being said, she does need to talk about a lot more!

  11. Hmm says:

    If this were for school board with super informed voters sure Kevin that may happen… Dave’s district is super D and he is superb at constituent relations.

  12. While the district is more D than it used to be, and has a D plurality, it’s not a super-D district. Still, Sokola’s margins of victory have increased over the years.

    Simply being a millennial will not be enough for Chapman to win, she’ll have to engage on the issues. I agree with those who aren’t happy with some of his positions on education, but he has also been one of the most progressive senators throughout his career.

  13. Gymrat says:

    There is a wild card in the 41st that may give Brad Connor a shot vs the supremely arrogant Collins, the founder of the organization that invented the paving over of Sussex society PGA {not golf} but the inaptly named Positive Growth Alliance. Brad is an actual Democrat on the conservative side. Collins has angered the Firehouse in Gumboro by screwing up their GIA leaving the Good old boys at the hall with zip. The dog and bluelight pick up crowd is not amused. Could tip the balance.

  14. Steve says:

    El Som- Any reason you failed to include that Spadola is yet another cop running for office? Is it safe to assume you didn’t realize this considering how nicely you described him, as compared to the tone you used for the other cops or former cops running in the House? Spadola was responsible for that bs pro police propoganda video, Hug a Cop, which received a bunch of praise for its efforts to improve community and police relations. In reality it’s just this guy standing on Main Street in Newark and offering free hugs to hungover college kids. Spadola claimed that this was his idea. I guess it’s good to know he thinks the serious issues people have now with police can be absolved with a 5 second hug.

  15. I’ve mentioned it several times. You’re right, though, should’ve done it again.

    I’ve raised the issue here that I don’t believe that he can serve in the General Assembly and continue to serve as a cop, Newark or otherwise. The Delaware Supreme Court has delivered an opinion that it is unconstitutional to make the laws and enforce the laws. It’s either one or the other.

    Of course, every sworn constitutional officer of this state looked the other way when Tony DeLuca did just that–served as President Pro-Tem while being handed a six-figure job by the Minner Administration as Director of Labor Law Enforcement.

    One can only hope that times have changed.

  16. OK, Gymrat, you’ve convinced me. The 41st is on my watch list. BTW, your info is precisely the type of feedback that our readers appreciate. Thanks.

    I mean, Collins is really terrible.

  17. mouse says:

    Connor needs to do so serious networking with those people. I think he’s a local and should know how to play the game. Should be a pick up in that dirstrict

  18. chris says:

    That hug a cop thing is ridiculous. If that is all Spadola has, Harris will flatten him like a pancake. Race will be 60-40 McDowell.

  19. Mitch Crane says:

    Brad Connor is out knocking on doors every day. Calls are going into the district from the county headquarters. He has networked with those organizations that lost funding due to the incumbent’s failure to look after their needs. The race is targeted by the state Dem caucus and the State Party as a top pick up opportunity.

    Mr. Connor is a moderate in a district that is less conservative than others west of it. John Atkins lost in a close race in 2014-due to the suppressed Democratic turnout. There are at least two Sussex Republican legislators who have told me no tears would be shed in Mr Collins were to lose.

    I agree it is hard for me to be objective but we have to analyze statistical chances before we allocate resources. We have done that and I am optimistic about the 41st. Trump may very well carry Sussex, but he is below 50% and that bodes well for Sussex Dems running down ballot.

  20. Of course, what other legislators think about the guy doesn’t matter. By that standard, John Kowalko, for example, would be legislative toast.

    Still, the 41st is now on our radar.

  21. Mitch Crane says:

    What other legislators think does matter. Both Party caucuses encourage unopposed incumbents to write checks to support incumbents and challengers in identified races.

  22. doverdem says:

    It’s pretty obvious that the author is clueless about any of the races below the canal. Couldn’t even muster up anything about Dave Henderson even though he has a pretty strong and diverse background in public service.

    You read some of these descriptions and think the author wants the Republicans to pick up at least two of the seats

  23. liberalgeek says:

    Doverdem,

    I think the goal here is to start a conversation. Got any insight you wish to share?

  24. Anon says:

    I don’t think Griffiths knows he actually lost the primary. Seems to have all of his signs still up.

  25. Yo, Doverdem, I mentioned that Henderson is challenging Yearick in the 34th RD. I also mentioned that Henderson is yet another retired State Police officer.

    If your implication is that I don’t want to see any more retired cops in the General Assembly, you’re absolutely correct. The last thing progressives need is for there to be more Schwartzkopf pawns in the General Assembly. Which is why retired cops are virtually the only candidates that Pistol Pete seeks out.

  26. doverdem says:

    No one wants all these cops we’re running, but Dave at least was a ten year member of the school board, on the state board of parole (I know), and an air force vet. He has a bit more qualification than most of the retired cops on the slate

  27. doverdem says:

    But yeah my issue is with you not bringing any info to the table other than the fact that he’s a cop. We all know that if you throw a dart at an RD map of delaware that you’re probably gonna hit an ex cop district, but he’s an infinitely better candidate than Groce or Neilson

  28. Qualifications to be a legislator? My real question is, does he have a chance to win? Other than you, I haven’t heard anyone focusing on this race. Can you provide any insight into the race? If it’s truly competitive, I want to know.

    Having said that, I don’t want Pete to have yet another state cop to do whatever he wants. And the fact that Pete has recruited three ex-cops to run is more important to me than whether this cop is better than the other cops.

    Besides, I did bring more information to the table. I linked to an article that lays out what you’ve been saying. Did you bother to click on it?

  29. doverdem says:

    I would say its 2nd most likely district to flip blue behind the 33rd and a bit ahead of the 41st

  30. doverdem says:

    and honestly no, I didn’t read you link. the color of your hyperlink text doesn’t really standout against the background, and I did not see it

  31. Yeah, it used to be blue, don’t know why it changed. But then, I’m the least technologically-literate contributor we have. Still miss my rotary phone. I’ll keep an eye on this race.

  32. AAuen says:

    Not sure where Doverdem is getting his info but the race in the 34th honestly won’t be close. I live down here in Kent; Lyndon is a pretty popular guy around the 34th and is actually a really nice person to hold a conversation with, quite respectful about policy differences. That being said, there should have been more info about the candidate on here, but since ElSom has some sort of weird obsession with hating the Speaker, and since the Speaket was a cop, he must now go after every cop because he feels the Speaker recruited them.

  33. Jason330 says:

    Oh please. The Speaker’s legislative record speaks for itself. And now his recruiting record speaks for itself. So nobody has to gin up any Pete Schwartzkopf animus around here.

  34. Steve says:

    Ever consider why so many former cops decide to run for office in this state, beyond blaming it on one guy’s recruitment efforts? Perhaps there’s a correlation between the fact that most cops can retire after 20 or 25 years of service with a full pension. Makes sense some would want to fill their time by running for office in their 40s or early 50s, and they don’t need the legislative paycheck or the healthcare like others their age so they can take the gamble of running and possibly not winning. If the legislature was made a fulltime gig and the legislators were paid a commiserate salary that attracted qualified, successful people with all different kinds of professional experiences, then maybe you’d see less youngish retired cops lining up to run for office- or at least there’d be more civilians challenging them if they do run.

  35. Steve-Ever read this blog much? We’ve written and many people have commented on the negative impact that has been caused by too many cops in the Delaware General Assembly. Everything from the ‘Police Bill of Rights’, which gives cops the right to do virtually anything w/o fear of sanction, opposition to the death penalty, opposition to legalization of marijuana, and, of course, benefits to cops that are not enjoyed by any other state employees.

    While you’re correct that many ex-cops have run for office over the years, there’s one difference now. Perhaps it’s too subtle for you. But it’s the fact that Pete Schwartzkopf is an ex-cop who continues to push the police agenda in Dover, even when it runs counter to the majority of his own caucus. He’s also the Speaker of the House, and wants to remain the Speaker. Which is why ex-cops are his preferred candidates.

  36. Steve says:

    El Som- Apparently reading comprehension isn’t your strong suit because there’s nothing in my post that suggests I think that having more cops in the legislature is a good thing. I merely pointed out a reason as to why historically so many former cops have had the opportunity to run, followed by a suggestion as to how one would encourage a variety of qualified candidates from different professions to be interested in serving in elected state office. The fact that you lay this oversaturation of cops in the General Assembly at the feet of one member just goes to show that you’re unable to see beyond your own bias against that member. If Schwartzkopf was no longer in office, I guarantee the same number of cops would still be running. Don’t be dumb, you know it’s true.

  37. Uh, I think you’re on dangerous ground when you talk about ‘reading comprehension’.

    I tried, but apparently failed, to make the point that the difference now is that you’ve got a Speaker who seeks out like-minded ex-cops as a mechanism to maintain control over the chamber and to keep bills like death penalty repeal and legalization of marijuana from passing despite support for these measures within his own caucus.

    I’ve pointed out time and time again how the traditional cop ‘career’ path moves from retirement to a legislative run and/or a security job, often at a Delaware college or university. And/or Pete’s own former gig in security at the Delaware State Fair. You can go back eight years and read what I’ve written on this. This long predates Schwartzkopf and, IMHO, has never been good for the state.

    So, I didn’t lay the oversaturation of cops in the GA at Schwartzkopf’s feet, but just pointed out that he is largely responsible for three downstate D candidates being former cops this campaign season. It’s called job security, and I think it’s bad for Delaware.

    I hope that this clarification is not too subtle for you.

  38. Steve says:

    El Som- Assuming the consensus is that having a surplus of cops (and firemen in my humble opinion) in the legislature is not good for the state, then instead of whining about it, why not explore how to change it? The commenters on this blog have a tendency to harp on an issue, followed by assigning the blame for who they perceive is responsible, then never offer up any realistic ideas as to how to solve the problem. Schwartzkopf is not likely going anywhere any time soon, so maybe stop with the unproductive bitching?

  39. Pointing out is not bitching. I don’t think that a ‘full-time’ legislature is the answer. What’s that old saw: “Work expands to fill time allotted’? I think that less legislative mischief is preferable to more legislative mischief.

    The ideal solution? Elect another speaker. The problem is that Schwartzkopf is the first speaker in my memory to govern through fear. He would never have been speaker at all if then-Rep. Dennis E. Williams didn’t flip his vote in exchange for a spot on the Bond Bill committee. So, it would require courage, something that is always in short supply in Dover. Because, if you lose, you get punished.

    The influence of the police can be managed if the House leaders are legislators first and ex-cops second, or not at all. Failing that, true criminal justice reform will never be achieved in Dover. Do YOU have an idea? I’ll listen to anything.

  40. Steve says:

    Pretty sure I already offered one. And if you’d bother spending a hot minute actually considering whether a fulltime legislature could be beneficial in a variety of ways instead of dismissing it outright, that could be a nice change of pace for you. The benefits I see include attracting candidates with a multitude of backgrounds and experiences who otherwise couldn’t afford to do it; possibly having a stronger committee process that examines issues in greater depth and explores ideas and solutions through informational hearings and collaborative work sessions (which isn’t done now because they only have so much time to get bills passed before they recess); and allowing the public more of an opportunity to follow legislation through the process because the sense of urgency to get it done by the June 30th deadline wouldn’t drive the pace that bills make it through the process. That’s just a few, but I’m sure there are more.

    There is some research on this that speaks to the correlation between the legislative pay and the quality of candidates running for and elected to office. Frankly, you get what you pay for- and this is what we are willing to pay, so it can’t be all that surprising that we lack a majority of innovative, forward thinking, progressives in the Delaware General Assembly.

  41. Limecherrypie says:

    I talked to David Henderson and he is pretty nice guy. He is for criminal justice reform which and a big member in the local community. The Democrat Kent County Deputy, said the reason why the 34th district is republican because of voter turnout. It turns out there are more Democrats than Republicans in the district but voter turnout is low. This year there might be a chance to flip the district blue.

  42. Hello, is this mike on? Having worked for the General Assembly for over 20 years, I’ve had the chance to consider and to discuss the possibility of a full-time General Assembly for a long time.

    The members get paid over $60 K a year plus mileage, and some get paid quite a bit more than that.

    There is plenty of time for bills to be considered in a timely manner, and some are (keep in mind legislative sessions are for two years), but making the General Assembly full-time would have little impact on that unless Legislative Council, the so-called research arm of the General Assembly, was expanded to have policy analysts. There are fiscal analysts within the Controller General’s office, but they only look at the fiscal impact of a bill, not the policy impact. The reason why there aren’t policy analysts? The legislators don’t want them.

    If you’ve ever spent some time in the General Assembly, one thing becomes clear. A lot of time is wasted. There’s a rhythm which has them sorta dallying through until the beginning of June. Then comes the rush. And here’s the dirty secret…many of the bills that they try to rush through are bills they don’t want the public to see. That’s one of the main reasons why I wrote my daily legislative articles–to alert the public to those kinds of things.

    The ‘sense of urgency’ issue will remain. The difficult stuff will always be pushed off until the end of a legislative session, whether it’s in June or November. And, of course, with elections, the can will get kicked down the road.

    Plus, here’s a question I have for those who support a full-time General Assembly. Who are these magical ‘better people’ who would serve who don’t already serve? Do we want a legislature full of lawyers like many large states have? Just how, exactly, would a full-time legislature make the General Assembly ‘more progressive’? Oh, and how would a full-time legislature reduce the impact of ex-cops?

    We’re a small state, there SHOULD be plenty of time for the General Assembly to conduct its business. While I agree that the time is not used economically and that there’s always a press at the end, that’s also true in surrounding states who meet more frequently. All it does in their cases is to push back the crisis until the end of session. Just like it does here.

  43. cassandra_m says:

    And I am going to add (as I always do when someone brings up a FT General Assembly) that Maryland’s GA meets for 90 days in regular session every year. And every year they also complete capital and operating budgets as well as all of the legislation they need to consider.

    90 days to get the business done of a state much larger than ours.

  44. BTW, I’ll be on WHYY tonight at 5:30 pm talking about the state legislative races. It will be repeated a few times as well. I’ll try to put up the link when it airs.

  45. liberalgeek says:

    Cassandra – It looks like their legislators make about what our legislators make as well. Does MD have the same sorts of issues that we have with retirees being over-represented?

  46. cassandra_m says:

    Not sure about that, LG — I think that there are a mix of retirees from government jobs, people who own their own businesses and some who currently work for the government. I do think that it is very difficult for someone with a normal 8-5 gig to be a legislator even if it is part time.