Delaware Political Weekly: Dec. 8-14, 2017

Filed in Delaware, Featured by on December 15, 2017

1. Miro To Retire, Grease The Skids For His Daughter?  That’s the word on the street. The longtime pol who currently represents the 22nd RD is planning to retire and have his daughter run for the seat.  I’ve also heard that the D’s have a strong prospective candidate.  This is precisely the kind of seat that can flip in a strong D year. There are now more registered D’s (barely) in the district, 6901-6696, and the numbers get better every month.  There is no reason that a D can’t beat Miro’s daughter next year.

2. Ramone Gets An A-List Challenger. No, I’m not gonna break a confidence and name the name, but Ramone will have a fight on his hands from a strong progressive challenger in the 21st RD. Oh, and check out the registration figures: 7637 D, 5015 R, and 5057 I. I’m ready to make a contribution as soon as the challenge is official.

3. Melanie George Smith Still Playing Games. Depending on who you talk to, Lonnie’s daughter is either (a) running again, (b) not running again, but seeking a like-minded (read pro-Del Tech, anti-state employee) person to run in her stead, or (c) not running.  Regardless, word is out that there will be a progressive alternative in the 5th RD.  That makes at least three new worthy D candidates this week alone.

4. Lopez Files, Peterson Not Running.  Don Peterson wrote on our blog that he would not seek Lopez’ senate seat.  Lopez filed this week.  Doesn’t look like there’s much intrigue here, other than where Lopez is hanging his hat nowadays.

5. Sisterhood Is Powerful.  It looks like every R representative incumbent whose district is totally in NCC will have a challenger, virtually all challengers being female. Granted, there aren’t that many, but it’s yet another manifestation of the power that grew out of the Women’s March(es) at the beginning of this year.  The one possible exception is RD 11’s Jeff Spiegelman, whose district is partly in NCC and partly in Kent.  Former DL scribe/technical whiz Dave Woodside, Becca Cotto, and Sarah Fulton are the forces behind this candidate recruitment boom. It’s real. If I had done a 2017 MVP list, they’d all be on it.

6. Other Than Lopez, No Other Filings.

OK, that’s it for this week. What’d I miss, and whaddayathink?

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  1. FYI – Mike Ramone represents the 21st RD.

  2. loritool says:

    Also their must be another typo, doesn’t show how many R’s in 21st

  3. Fixed. Kidz, never try to rush an article to completion ’round midnight. ‘Round Midnight?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zre0u5XyNfY

  4. Jason330 says:

    Lopez news is sad, but I think there is still a slim possibility that every Republican office holder faces a opponent this year. Certainly every Kent and New Castle office holder.

  5. mouse says:

    For being relatively affluent and educated, these retired beach transplants sure don’t get involved or even know who their rep, senator and councilman are.

  6. Alby says:

    @mouse: Because they don’t care. They’ve got their pile.

  7. SussexWatcher says:

    Lopez confirmed he and his wife have separated. Now can we end it with the innuendo, please? There are kids involved.

    http://www.capegazette.com/article/sen-ernie-lopez-files-re-election/147877

  8. Alby says:

    And you think the kids are going to read Delaware Liberal so they can hear innuendo about their father? Tell your tender sensibilities to grow some skin.

  9. Dave says:

    “these retired beach transplants sure don’t get involved”

    Some do. Some don’t. For the ones that don’t, I would prefer they did not get involved if they are not going to study the issues and candidates and vote intelligently. But a great many of the ones that do get involved, come from high tax states (NY, NJ) and anything that promises to raise their taxes is anathema to them.

    In fact I remind them, when they complain about something that the property taxes are low in Sussex County because the county provides very little direct services. I tell them that there is no free lunch. If you want something from the county you have to pay for it. You can’t have NJ services at a Delaware price. Life doesn’t work that way.

  10. Dee Durham says:

    How has Ramone won with numbers like THAT?

  11. Dee: This grassroots effort, largely led by Delaware United and Network Delaware, is an outgrowth of the Women’s Marches in January. I’ve not seen anything like it.

    There will be several great candidates, mostly female, who will galvanize support from progressives.

    This is so much better than a group of D insiders deciding who will, and won’t get challenged, I can’t even begin to tell you.

    I hope that sorta answers your question w/o really answering it.

  12. Mike Dinsmore says:

    Dee, Mike Ramone hasn’t had a decent opponent since 2008, when he defeated Pat Creedon. He ran unopposed in 2010 and 2012, and had a Green Party challenger in 2014 and 2016. It’s about time a progressive Democrat stepped up to make the 21st. competitive.

    BTW, does anyone remember the 2008 election, when Ramone’s campaign made the unproven accusation that someone, ostensibly his opponent, had taken down his campaign signs?

  13. Alby says:

    I’ll take a crack at it: Mike Ramone has run for office something like 4,000 times. Do it often enough and people learn your name, and name recognition is worth a lot in races people pay no attention to. Ask Karen Weldin Stewart or Karen Hartley-Nagle. Also, he’s a fairly nice guy, especially for a politician, which outweighs his lack of smarts. People have a harder time voting against politicians they like as people.

  14. puck says:

    “Ask Karen Weldin Stewart or Karen Hartley-Nagle.”

    Who both benefited from the “I don’t know who these people are, so I’ll vote for the woman” vote. Which generally offers the better odds, but when you lose that gamble you lose big.

  15. puck says:

    BTW, does anyone remember the 2008 election, when Ramone’s campaign made the unproven accusation that someone, ostensibly his opponent, had taken down his campaign signs?

    That was 2006, I think, for Sokola’s seat before redistricting. Ramone made the accusation in a hysterical robocall asking his supporters not to retaliate against his opponent.

    That year someone also unearthed an old incident involving Ramone and some other shopkeeper. Ramone made a hysterical call to WDEL from his car as he sped to Dover to retrieve records to prove he had not been arrested or whatever (not sure who the host was back then). Of course he blamed his opponent. I don’t know what the accusation was, because I never heard it from anybody except Ramone (and I looked for the source). Whatever it was it didn’t sound like much.

    Mr. Nice Guy has a victim complex and a thin skin.

  16. Alby says:

    Hey, I didn’t say he was perfect. I was explaining why he wins despite a lack of accomplishments and effectiveness in office.

  17. I think he wins b/c he hasn’t been challenged in ages and b/c the D’s haven’t prioritized him. Prolly ’cause Ed Freel has a soft spot for him. And Ramone throws the D dogs a bone every now and then.

    That’s gonna change in 2018.