Delaware Political Weekly: July 6-12, 2018

1. Best Week Ever For Kerri Harris Campaign. Finally, the battle is joined. Tom Carper has a record that is indefensible to real Democrats. We’ve chronicled that record here for years now. It’s all over the DL blog this week. You’ve probably read much of it. Kerri Harris was not going to have a chance against Carper until/unless that abominable record was the issue in this campaign. Between the Working Families Party salvo on his pathetic rubber-stamping of ideologue judges and the highlighting of his pro-lobbyist proclivities, she now has a chance. Carper can become the Incredible Shrinking Senator. But every week needs to be like this week.

2. The Inevitability Of Ken Simpler Is Not That…Inevitable. I’ve rarely heard this many D activists as impressed with a candidate as they are with Colleen Davis, who will challenge Simpler for State Treasurer. Me? I think she’s got a real good chance to win. Here’s why.  She really is a good candidate who comes across well. By all accounts, she’s a hard worker and an (warning: difficult spelling ahead) indefatigable candidate. Ken Simpler, who is likely commiserating with John Carney over budget smoothies somewhere in Hockessin or Reboboth, is not all that. He got elected over Sean Barney who, along with Brenda Mayrack, ran two of the worst recent statewide campaigns that D’s can recall.  He is running in a year likely to be far less hospitable to R’s statewide than 2014 was. The anti-Trump revulsion and, I think, the fear that Roe v Wade could really be overturned, will likely lead to a record outpouring of women voters.  In that scenario, running for an office w/o much in the way of public attention or key issues, he could easily be swept aside in the tide. I’ve been told that the R to watch, the one with some charisma, is not Simpler, but State Senator Anthony Delcollo. anyway, this Treasurer’s Race is one to watch. I also suspect that contributions are welcome.

3. Hard Feelings In SD 3?  Looks that way. Although not necessarily between the two remaining candidates, but due to the perceived involvement of Wilmington Party chair and former DL blogger Cassandra Marshall. Her condescension continues unabated:

“My personal support for a candidate is the same kind of thing that goes on across the state,” she said. “Mature candidates and mature campaigns know the difference between what the party is doing and what an individual running the party is doing.”

You see what she did there. In her own way, she called both the candidate and his campaign ‘immature’. Nothing new for her. She then, as Chair, publicly blamed Hines for the cancellation of a scheduled debate.

I support Tizzy Lockman and I think she will be a much-needed progressive voice in the Senate. But I agree with Jordan Hines when he says, “The new executive team (of the city party) was supposed to be a change from the old guard,” he said. “But sometimes you can forget your intentions. … I just don’t know if I can trust them right now.”  Jordan, take it from me. You can’t.

4. Key Deadline Today. If you either want to withdraw from the ballot and get your filing fee returned, or want to switch to another race on the ballot, you must do so by 4:30 this afternoon. I’ve spotted one withdrawal, as Megan O’Donnell is no longer primarying Rep. Kim Williams in the 19th RD. Someone had better tell Deneice Berry that, if she wants her filing fee back, she’ll need to withdraw by the end of business today. She’s still listed as a candidate in the 5th RD D primary although she announced that she was dropping out. There may have been other withdrawals that I didn’t spot. If you know of any, please let me know. Oh, and please update as the day goes on since I’ll be working.

Next week: We begin our look at the most intriguing primary races. Which ones are you following?

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