Tag: Andria Bennett

Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tues., January 14, 2014

Filed in Delaware by on January 14, 2014 27 Comments
Delaware General Assembly Pre-Game Show: Tues., January 14, 2014

The 2nd Session of the 147th General Assembly begins today. For newbies, or for those who forget easily, here’s what you need to know.  Each legislative term lasts two years, from election to election. The 147th General Assembly runs until Election Day. Since this is the second year of the Assembly, all legislation that was in play on July 1, 2013 remains in play today. Of course, that doesn’t even consider new bills, new nominees, new controversy and, of course, new snark from Yours Truly.

The General Assembly meets for three weeks in January, breaks for six weeks for Joint Finance Committee hearings until mid-March, meets until Easter, breaks for two weeks, meets until around Memorial Day, breaks for two weeks (this is usually when the fiscal bills are finalized), and then meets until the early hours of July 1. But that’s getting ahead of ourselves.

This can and should be a busy and productive January session. It WILL be a contentious session. Here’s just some of the stuff that likely will be considered during January….:

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Election 2014: Delaware’s Most Vulnerable Incumbents

Filed in Delaware by on July 16, 2013 53 Comments
Election 2014: Delaware’s Most Vulnerable Incumbents

I’m El Somnambulo, and I’m a listaholic.

Admit it: So are you.

Bearing in mind that incumbents need viable challengers in order to be vulnerable, here is a list of those with at least reason to be worried:

State Auditor Tom Wagner: A do-nothing R in an increasingly D state. Here’s the problem. If a do-nothing R is replaced by a do-nothing D, does it really make any difference? No doubt it does to Tom Wagner. But not to Patrick Harker or Lonnie George. Which is my point. And the problem.

State Treasurer Chip Flowers: While the R’s talk hopefully, and, IMHO, delusionally, about defeating him, I suspect that any real challenge would come from the Democrats. We’ll likely know in 6 months or so whether there will be a party-backed challenger. We might as well get used to Flowers being a polarizing figure by choice. Which would be fine if it was principle, not ego, driving that train.

State Senator Greg Lavelle (4th SD): Got 50.8% against Michael Katz. Probably less vulnerable this time, but he’s got two more years of anti-gay and pro-gun votes on his record. Will a credible challenger emerge?

I know that people expect me to have Ernesto Lopez on this list, but I don’t see him as particularly vulnerable. Feel free to make a case.

More inside….

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