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Delaware primary to decide governor's contest and could pave the path for US House history

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Delaware primary to decide governor's contest and could pave the path for US House history


DOVER, Del. (AP) — Voters in Delaware are set to decide the nominees for several political contests, including a closely watched campaign for governor and a potentially historic race for U.S. House.

The contest for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination that pits Delaware’s lieutenant governor against the chief executive of the state’s most populous county is the marquee race in Tuesday’s primary election.

Democrats also are voting in a U.S. House race where the favored candidate if elected would be the first openly transgender person in Congress. That would join another trailblazing race in November in which the lone Democratic candidate for an open U.S. Senate seat could become one of only two Black women in the Senate next year.

Meanwhile, Democratic Gov. John Carney is hoping to continue his long career in politics by winning his party’s nomination for mayor of Wilmington.

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Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Here’s a closer look at those key races:

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FOR U.S. HOUSE

State Sen. Sarah McBride would move one step closer to becoming the first openly transgender person elected to the U.S. Congress with a win in the Democrat primary on Tuesday. Delaware’s lone U.S. House seat is being vacated by Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, who has no primary opponent as she seeks the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Tom Carper, who held the seat since 2001.

McBride faces only token opposition in the primary from businessmen Earl Cooper and Elias Weir, neither of whom reported raising any money for their campaigns. Cooper is a political newcomer, while Weir finished dead last in a 2016 congressional primary with less than 1% of the vote. McBride, meanwhile, has raised almost $3 million in contributions from around the country.

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McBride achieved national recognition at the 2016 Democratic National Convention as the first openly transgender person to address a major party convention in the United States.

The winner of Tuesday’s primary will go up against either Donyale Hall, a Dover businesswoman and a Gulf War-era veteran of the U.S. Air Force, or James Whalen IIII, a retired state police officer and construction company owner from Millsboro, who are facing off in the GOP primary. Democrats have held the seat since 2010.

Meanwhile, with a victory in November Blunt Rochester could become one of only two Black women in the Senate next year, joining Angela Alsobrooks of neighboring Maryland if she is also victorious in her campaign.

DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY

Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, who has held public office since winning a state House seat in 2002, is hoping to overcome a campaign finance scandal and succeed Carney, who can’t run for governor again due to term limits. Hall-Long has been endorsed by Carney and Delaware’s Democrat Party establishment.

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But the two-term lieutenant governor is facing a tough primary challenge from New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer, who has raised substantially more money and has repeatedly drawn attention to Hall-Long’s campaign finance violations. Former state Environmental Secretary Collin O’Mara also is seeking the Democratic nomination, but has been overshadowed by the other two candidates.

Hall-Long’s campaign finance scandal surfaced last September, when she abruptly postponed a campaign event with Carney, saying she needed to attend to “a personal, private matter.”

In reality, her campaign was in disarray after people hired to lead it discovered major discrepancies while reviewing years of finance reports. The scandal led to a series of resignations among top campaign staff and prompted election officials to commission a forensic audit. The audit found that Hall-Long and her husband had received payments totaling $33,000 more than what she purportedly loaned to her campaign over several years — with many of the loans never being reported in the first instance.

It also found that Hall-Long’s husband and former campaign treasurer, Dana Long, wrote 112 checks to himself or to cash. The checks totaled just under $300,000 and should have been reported as expenditures. Instead, 109 were never reported in initial finance reports, and the other four, payable to Dana Long, were reported as being made to someone else.

Despite the violations, Delaware’s attorney general and elections commissioner, both fellow Democrats, declined to seek criminal charges against Hall-Long.

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DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FOR WILMINGTON MAYOR

Carney is prohibited by law from seeking a third term as governor, but he wants to remain in public office as a chief executive and is seeking the Democratic nomination for mayor of Wilmington, Delaware’s largest city.

His opponent is Velda Jones-Potter, a former Wilmington city treasurer who lost a bid for mayor four years ago. Potter served a two-year stint as Delaware’s state treasurer after being appointed to that post in 2008, but she lost an election for a four-year term as treasurer in 2010.

The winner of Tuesday’s primary will face no opposition in November. Carney has said as mayor he would build on the investments his gubernatorial administration has made in Wilmington, with a focus on improving public schools, expanding affordable housing and helping small businesses.



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Delaware

Integrating arts in Delaware classrooms spurs academic and emotional growth

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Integrating arts in Delaware classrooms spurs academic and emotional growth


This spring, her students created puppets tied to their English-language arts unit on global water issues.

“The current unit for ELA is to read about problems related to water around the world. They learned about problems with people not having enough water, problems with people not being able to get to water and having to walk really far, and then also water pollution,” she said. “And we focus mainly on water pollution … because in Wilmington, pollution, like on the streets, is a problem and it is something that the students can relate to.”

The curriculum encouraged students to create a video public service announcement — but Salisbury saw an opportunity to take it further.

“We decided that the video itself is already sort of adding a little artistic element, but creating the puppet as well will add sort of another aspect to it,” she said. “We sort of brainstormed all these different questions that we might ask a scientist or someone who lives by water, or even if we could talk to an animal that lives in the water, what could we ask them about water pollution and its effects?”

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For the second time this school year, Emma Salisbury, Kuumba Academy’s third-grade team lead, brought puppet making into her classroom to support her students’ academic learning and to make the process of learning more joyful and hands-on. (Johnny Perez-Gonzalez/WHYY)

Through this approach, students brought to life characters ranging from scientists to river otters affected by pollution. As they brainstormed, designed and sewed their puppets, they merged science, language and art into one unified project.

The impact was especially noticeable with students who arrived midyear.

“Even like this year, I had two students come sort of in the middle of fall … There’s one in particular, she really blossomed into being very artistic,” Salisbury said. “She’s made a ton of growth in reading this year, and writing as well, which is super exciting. And I remember right before winter break she even said to me … ‘Thank you so much for all that you’ve taught me. Like, my old school… I didn’t learn like this. I didn’t understand anything.’”

four puppets raised in the air
A group of finished student puppets fly into the air, each one representing a unique voice, character and creative expression. (Johnny Perez-Gonzalez/WHYY)

Salisbury believes immersing into the arts gives students more control over their learning — especially during a season that can be overwhelming.

“Opening myself up to adding arts in … helps to make things seem a little less serious and … adds a little more fun and joy into what we’re doing,” she added.

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Major Delaware drug bust helps get fentanyl off the streets, likely saving lives

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Major Delaware drug bust helps get fentanyl off the streets, likely saving lives


Detectives in New Castle County have pulled off a major drug bust in Wilmington that they say included crack, heroin, ecstasy and lots and lots of fentanyl.

Working with the FBI and a high-tech device that uses lasers to test the compounds of narcotics, county officials say they were able to arrest three in what they are calling a major drug ring.

“This is a great lockup, members of our high risk offenders team working with the FBI task force conducted since March,” said Master Cpl. Richard Chambers of the New Castle County Police Department.

The investigation began after county police got a tip that people were dealing drugs in Wilmington, and after a monthslong investigation, they were able to make arrests and seize drugs mainly from a home on Maple Street in the city.

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The three suspected drug dealers now face a long list of charges, police say. However, they say the real story is the lives likely saved from getting the illegal drugs off the street.

“A tiny bit of fentanyl can kill a lot of people, and this is great to have this amount of drugs off the streets,” said Chambers. “This could save a lot of lives.”

According to police, the bust puts a major dent in the illegal drug market in the area, but the fight is never over for law enforcement as long as lethal drugs remain on the streets.



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'Tooty' the French bulldog stolen in Wilmington, Delaware home break-in

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'Tooty' the French bulldog stolen in Wilmington, Delaware home break-in


WILMINGTON, Del. (WPVI) — Wilmington police are investigating after a man’s 2-year-old French bulldog, Tooty, was stolen during a home burglary.

Police say the crime occurred around 1:15 a.m. Friday near N. West Street and E. Matson Run Parkway.

Tooty’s owner, Jahmeir Snow, says no one was home at the time. Snow says he usually takes Tooty with him to work, but he left her at home because she’s in heat. Looking back, he wishes he hadn’t strayed from his normal routine.

“Now that she’s gone, my mind is racing constantly. Sometimes it’s even hard to focus on the road. I’m constantly reminded of her because she’s right there as my passenger,” Snow said.

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“I feel like someone kidnapped my child,” he added.

Police have not released any suspect information, but video obtained by Action News purportedly shows the moments the burglar walked off with Tooty in a cage in the middle of the night.

IMAGE: Video captures suspect in theft of French bulldog in Wilmington on May 30, 2025.

IMAGE: Video captures suspect in theft of French bulldog in Wilmington on May 30, 2025.

Snow says the burglar broke down the door to get in, then, for some reason, fired shots inside. There’s now plywood where glass used to be and a bullet still lodged in the door frame. Snow says important documents, electronics, clothes and shoes were also taken.

“All the other stuff is material, but the dog is the main thing we’re worried about because I can’t replace her, ever,” Snow said.

Police have been investigating since Friday but are now turning to the public for help in finding the dog and identifying the burglary suspect.

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Snow says he has no idea if he was targeted, but French bulldogs are a popular and expensive breed. Law enforcement experts say thieves target them to possibly resell or demand ransom from owners.

Anyone with information is asked to call Wilmington police.

Copyright © 2025 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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