Sen. Chris Coons talks about President Biden’s decision to end his campaign
Sen. Chris Coons on Monday said that President Biden made a “tough call, but the right call” to end his presidential campaign. 7/22/24
First it was U.S. Sen. Tom Carper.
Then it was Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki.
Finally, President Joe Biden announced on July 21 he would no longer seek reelection.
The departure of longtime politicians in Delaware opens the door to new faces in the First State’s political landscape. But will the Delaware Way limit just how fresh new leadership will be?
Elected leadership in Delaware has a pecking order.
Typically, when a longtime politician in the state retires, there is someone lined up to take their place.
It’s what happened when Carper announced he was retiring from the U.S. Senate in late May 2023. The veteran politician called on Delaware’s sole congressional leader, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, to fill his shoes, and a few weeks later, Blunt Rochester announced her plans to run for Delaware’s U.S. Senate seat.
DELAWARE IN CHICAGO: Biden and Harris drink Charcoal Pit milkshakes Monday at Democratic National Convention
Blunt Rochester remains the only Democrat running for that office. She faces Republican challenger Eric Hansen and Independent candidate Michael Katz in the general election.
And while Purzycki opts not to seek a third term as mayor of Delaware’s largest city, opening the door to a new face for Wilmington’s executive leadership, Gov. John Carney now seeks that seat in a Democratic primary with Velda Jones-Potter.
Among Delaware Democrats, there’s also an unspoken expectation that Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long is “next in line” for the governor’s seat. And despite Hall-Long’s campaign for governor being dogged by campaign finance-related issues, she remains supported by the state Democratic Party and its key leaders.
Not all races in Delaware have an expected script to follow – Democratic candidates have fallen in and out of both the congressional and lieutenant governor races.
But when the expectation is to fall in line, it can make for bitter primary elections that could upset the status quo.
Rich Heffron, past president of the Delaware Chamber of Commerce, said upsets in elections don’t happen “very often,” but Delaware’s political dynamics have changed over the years, opening the door to more opportunities for surprising wins in political races.
Heffron worked for the chamber since the early 1990s and worked with several different administrations in Delaware over the years. He acknowledged the parallels between the latest gubernatorial race and that of 2008 between Jack Markell and Carney.
“It’s not exactly the same, but yes, it’s similar,” he said. Upsets “might happen more often now than they did before for two reasons: more money and it costs more, and the party structure isn’t there.”
Indeed, this year’s gubernatorial race is shaping up to be one of the most expensive in Delaware history, rivaling that of the 2008 governor’s race.
Party support
When Carney, Delaware’s lieutenant governor at the time, ran for governor in 2008, Democrats thought it was his time.
He had garnered the support of the state Democratic Party and as the lieutenant governor, the governor’s seat was seen as a natural progression. But his opponent – state Treasurer Jack Markell – put up a fight, funneling millions of dollars into his campaign and beating Carney in the primary election by 1,737 votes.
Markell wasn’t considered a party favorite – like Hall-Long’s Democratic challengers, Meyer and O’Mara.
But Hall-Long’s run has been plagued by campaign finance issues, which Delaware State University political science professor Samuel Hoff said could be “the issue in this race.”
“Given her several tries to put the fire out, that would be unfortunate for her if that ends up being the case,” Hoff said.
Meyer also has outraised the other Democrats in the race as well as the three candidates vying for the GOP line.
Meyer and O’Mara said Delawareans don’t want an “insider game” and seek a more progressive approach than the establishment.
“There’s no place for the sort of next person up-ism, where you just sort of say it’s her or his turn,” Meyer said. “Instead, people really want elections to be a time for the people to take control, talk about the issues that matter, and look at different candidates’ records and say, ‘Who’s got a real record to deliver for Delawareans?’”
Hall-Long, who enjoys the support of established political and union leaders along with the Democratic Party endorsement, acknowledged there is a general understanding that the person who serves as lieutenant governor must be prepared to take over as governor.
“You are ready on Day 1, for which I am,” she said during a virtual interview with Delaware Online/The News Journal on Thursday, Aug. 22. “I think it’s more about the public servant that I am to Delawareans. They’re used to seeing me.”
O’Mara, CEO of the nonprofit National Wildlife Federation, hasn’t been a Delaware public servant since he was secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control from 2009 to 2014 under then-Gov. Markell.
But his campaign has taken a different approach, O’Mara said, by knocking on doors, showing up to 150 events across the state, and utilizing streaming and social media platforms to get his message out.
“Folks are hungry for a new generation of leadership that’s going to be more ambitious and aggressive on housing, child care, education and environment,” O’Mara said.
Democratic Party endorsements have bristled other candidates running for statewide offices, too.
Kayode Abegunde, who is challenging Democratic incumbent Trinidad Navarro for state insurance commissioner, has called the party’s endorsement of Navarro “unjust” and “lack[ing] merit.” Abegunde requested the party halt its support and “give all the candidates a fair shot.”
Passing the torch
Delaware’s U.S. Senate and House of Representatives seats have been prime examples of baton passing, with incumbents tapping already known politicians to run for the seat they are vacating.
Those who have been tapped by other elected leaders to fill their shoes, though, speak humbly of the endorsement and stress that an outgoing politician’s support does not guarantee a seat in office.
“It was really powerful to see him offer the torch because you can’t pass it. I’ve got to get elected,” Blunt Rochester said in an Aug. 7 interview with Delaware Online/The News Journal. “But for him to say, ‘I think you should go for this.’ And he’s been such a help and champion ever since.”
If elected, Blunt Rochester would become the first Black Delawarean and first woman to represent the state in the U.S. Senate.
While the federal representative faces two opponents in the November general election, Carper – a Democrat – has held the seat since 2001, beating Republican incumbent Sen. Bill Roth.
The second Delaware U.S. Senate seat, held by Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, has also been filled by a Democrat since now-President Joe Biden won the seat from Republican Sen. J. Caleb Boggs in 1972.
Biden’s decision to not seek reelection as president has also created another ceremonial torch-passing. The first night of the Democratic National Convention featured the 81-year-old officially passing the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris, who will be on the Democratic ticket for president in November.
The president’s speech highlighted his term in office alongside Harris. He emphasized that selecting Harris as his running mate was “the best decision” he made in his “whole career.”
“She’s tough. She’s experienced. And she has enormous integrity. Her story represents the best American story. And like many of our best presidents, she was also vice president. But she’ll be a president our children can look up to,” Biden said during his Aug. 19 speech at the convention in Chicago. “She’ll be a president respected by world leaders because she already is. She’ll be a president we can all be proud of. And she will be a historic president who puts her stamp on America’s future.”
The sole congressional seat
It took time to solidify who would wind up on the ballot for Delaware’s sole congressional seat being vacated by Blunt Rochester.
But one candidate has stood apart from the rest since she announced – state Sen. Sarah McBride.
The congressional seat initially attracted several elected or appointed Democrats to the race, including McBride, former Delaware State Housing Authority Director Eugene Young and state Treasurer Colleen Davis.
But even with the potential candidates announcing their intentions to run last year, giving them a jump on fundraising, McBride outraised them all. By February, Davis had announced she would no longer seek the congressional seat. Then Young dropped out of the race in June.
It wasn’t until Young dropped out that McBride earned the endorsement of Blunt Rochester, the state Democratic Party and Delaware’s governor. Carney initially endorsed Young for the seat.
Despite the changing political rosters, two more Democratic challengers emerged before Delaware’s deadline to file for candidacy: Earl Cooper and Elias Wier.
The winner of that primary race will face the winner of the Republican primary for the congressional seat, of which Donyale Hall and John J. Whalen III are candidates.
The at-large congressional seat was last held by a Republican, Mike Castle, from 1993 to 2010. Castle retired to run for U.S. Senate in 2010, and Carney took over in 2011.
Carper held the congressional seat before Castle from 1983 through 1992 but retired that year to run for Delaware governor. Carper went on to serve two terms as governor before successfully running for U.S. Senate in 2000.
Going backward
When Purzycki announced he would not seek reelection to Wilmington mayor, Jones-Potter had made her intentions to run well-known – nearly eight months before Purzycki’s announcement in March 2023.
Purzycki cited both his age and plans to spend more time with family as reasons for not seeking a third term.
Jones-Potter isn’t an unfamiliar face for Wilmington voters or the state. She was appointed by then-Gov. Markell in 2009 to finish out a state treasurer term, served as Wilmington city treasurer and unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2020 against Purzycki, who was the incumbent.
WILMINGTON RACE: Who will be Wilmington’s next mayor? Candidates participate in primary forum
Jones-Potter has kept a relatively quiet, but visible presence since she announced her intentions to run for mayor last year. She’s in the backdrop of news conferences and made her thoughts known when Wilmington was set to eliminate residency requirements for city workers last year.
But with Purzycki’s plans not to seek reelection came the Delaware governor’s “serious” consideration to run for Wilmington mayor. It would take Carney nearly seven months before he officially launched his bid for mayor.
This has set the stage for yet another familiar mayoral run, Jones-Potter told Spotlight Delaware in an interview earlier this year, facing the “same vision” that Purzycki touted four years ago through Delaware’s highest elected politician.
She told Spotlight Delaware a Carney administration would amount to a “third term for Purzycki,” alluding to both politicians being friendly with the biggest developers in the state.
“I perceive it to be a method to just continue and perpetuate the practices, the policies, and the management of the city as it’s been done for the last eight years,” Jones-Potter said to Spotlight in April.
In an interview with Delaware Online/The News Journal on Aug. 23, Carney dismissed that comparison, saying Purzycki “comes from more of a business background. I’m kind of a career public servant.”
Carney said, if elected Wilmington’s mayor, he would focus on both neighborhood and commercial corridor growth because “you’ve got to have an expanding tax base to protect the residents.” He said he also wants to empower the Wilmington Land Bank when it comes to investing in vacant homes throughout the city’s neighborhoods.
“Mike Purzycki and I are very different,” Carney said. “And with respect to where the focus has to be – frankly, you have to do it all. Because if you don’t, you’re going to be in trouble.”
Negativity drowning out issues
Political candidates and insiders alike say the negativity during this year’s election cycle is dominating the conversation, leaving little room for discussion or media coverage of the issues facing voters.
Navarro has heard from consumers and constituents alike that many have been “turned off” this election season due to the growing presence of negative ad campaigns.
Abegunde agreed that this season has been negative but said it hasn’t felt that way in the insurance commissioner’s race.
He also emphasized how much he believes in the substance of a race, which he defines as “having a meaningful conversation and probe further for clarity.”
Hall-Long described a stream of ads about her campaign finances as “low [and] unacceptable.”
“I’ve tried diligently to stay above the fray – it is who I am,” Hall-Long said. “I am tired of the false lies.”
Meyer denied any involvement with the negative ads that have flooded the governor’s race. He pointed blame at the political action committees spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on TV advertisements and mailers.
“I leave it to the voters to determine what communications sway them,” Meyer said.
Several TV commercials and mailers target Hall-Long, with the latest ad by the Citizens for a New Delaware Way PAC showcasing a sticky note with the words “need to create 2021 & 2022 receipts” written on it, as was discovered during an audit of the lieutenant governor’s campaign. The PAC’s mailers also target Hall-Long and her campaign finance issues, with a Monopoly-themed one claiming “politics is just a game for Hall-Long.”
Despite this, the state insurance commissioner, Navarro, holds out hope that campaigns will distance themselves from targeting candidates in future elections and instead address the critical issues facing residents.
The “truth should matter,” Navarro said.
O’Mara aims to do this by remaining “relentlessly positive,” telling Delaware Online/The News Journal on Aug. 20 that he has no desire to attack fellow Democrats to try and win the race.
“We are going to try and make the case that this election is about education and affordability and climate and fundamental rights and reform, but not about individual scandals.”
Spotlight Delaware contributed to this report.
Got a tip? Contact Amanda Fries at afries@delawareonline.com, or by calling or texting 302-598-5507. Follow her on X at @mandy_fries. Olivia Montes covers state government and community impact for Delaware Online/The News Journal. Reach her at omontes@delawareonline.com.
Source link : http://www.bing.com/news/apiclick.aspx?ref=FexRss&aid=&tid=66d703db5f6e459886945f2d385993c5&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Felections%2F2024%2F09%2F03%2Fdelaware-election-2024-will-longtime-politicians-departures-make-way-for-fresh-faces%2F74602375007%2F&c=4800640498618140285&mkt=en-us
Author :
Publish date : 2024-09-02 22:13:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.