Delaware
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Delaware
Delaware County approves 19% property tax hike in 4-1 vote
MEDIA, Pa. (WPVI) — Delaware County Council voted 4-1 Wednesday night to approve a budget that includes a 19% property tax increase, despite objections from residents.
Property owners with a home assessed at $255,000 will pay about $188 more annually under the new budget, which takes effect next month.
Before the vote, some residents urged council to reconsider.
“I ask council to revisit the proposed budget, forgo voting tonight, avoid solving the entire deficit on the back of the hardworking taxpayers,” said Cynthia Sabitini of Upper Providence Township.
One councilmember agreed, but most did not.
“Simply put, I feel that the increase is too drastic,” said Councilmember Elaine Paul Schaefer.
“This needs to occur. I don’t like it, but it’s what has to occur,” said Councilmember Kevin Madden.
The hike follows a 23% increase last year and a 5% increase the year before. County officials say tax hikes were minimal for a decade, forcing steep increases now.
The current all-Democratic council argues they’re righting the financial ship after past Republican leaders didn’t do enough.
“For the first time in more than a decade, this budget puts Delaware County on track to have a truly balanced budget,” said Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor.
County leaders say the increase addresses a structural deficit, but opponents blame spending on projects such as de-privatizing George Hill Correctional Center and creating a health department.
“How do you justify coming in with a deficit and then saying you’re repairing it after you grew it?” said Michael Straw of Media Borough Republicans.
Officials say future hikes should be minimal if the county makes any request at all, but some remain skeptical.
“I have my doubts that we won’t be seeing increases in the future,” Straw said.
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Delaware
Man in custody after reported threat near Kroger in Delaware County
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Reports of a potential threat near a Kroger store on Route 23 by Walmart shopping center in Delaware County quickly spread on social media Tuesday evening, with residents posting about an active shooter and sharing updates on neighborhood pages. Many in the community expressed fear and concern as the posts circulated.
Delaware City Police confirmed the suspect, who had made threats to harm himself, is now in custody. Police Chief Adam Moore told ABC 6 that there was no shooting, and the situation was safely contained. Patrons at nearby stores were temporarily asked to shelter in place as a precaution.
Officials say the area is now safe, and residents are being urged to rely on verified information from authorities.
Delaware
Sussex gets grant to fund Route 9 trail crossing feasibility study
The Delaware Bicycle Council approved a $35,000 grant Dec. 3, to Sussex County to help fund a feasibility study for a Route 9 tunnel crossing near Cool Spring Road to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians.
Council members present at the meeting voted 12-0 to give 2025 Cycling Infrastructure Innovation grants of $35,000 to Sussex County and $15,000 to Newark.
Sussex County would use its allocation toward a study of a potential tunnel for the Lewes to Georgetown Trail, County Administrator Todd Lawson said Dec. 4.
“This is just for us to study whether the feasibility of putting a tunnel in that location works,” Lawson said. “We view this as a kick-start of an idea we are looking into.”
Sussex County Council will have to approve the balance of the study’s estimated $45,000 cost, he said.
The trail connects to Lewes, and the state is in the process of extending it the rest of the way to Georgetown.
“The biking community and users of the Georgetown to Lewes Trail have contacted Sussex County for an improved crossing at this location,” said John Fiori, the Delaware Department of Transportation bicycle coordinator who assists the council.
Currently, the only crossing of Route 9 for the trail is at the signalized intersection of Route 9/Fisher Road/Hudson Road, which was constructed by DelDOT, Fiori said.
But safety of the crossing is a growing concern as traffic on Route 9 has been increasing, with housing and commercial developments in the area and more planned.
A developer has proposed building 1,922 houses and 450,975 square feet of commercial space between Hudson and Cool Spring roads. Safety of the Route 9 crossing west of Lewes was discussed briefly at a Nov. 2 public hearing on that development project, which is located near the Route 9 trail crossing.
A Route 9 crossing project was championed for a couple of years by Walter Bryan, a bicycle council member who died in April.
Several alternatives for a crossing have been discussed over the years, including a bridge spanning Route 9.
The idea of a bridge was dropped for several reasons, including the angle of the crossing would require a very long span and there are high-voltage power lines running along the highway.
If the feasibility study supports the project, the county would have to convince the state and federal governments to fund and build a tunnel, Lawson said.
Sussex County Land Trust would also be involved in the project, he said. The group owns the Stephen P. Hudson Park near the potential Route 9 crossing site. It includes a trailhead parking lot.
The bicycle council’s five-member working group met with eight applicants as it worked to determine how to divide the $50,000 that is available, Fiori said.
Applications were ranked based on five categories: proximity to other bicycle routes or public facilities such as a community center, post office, library, school or park; creating a link between compatible facilities; eliminating hazards; inclusion in a master plan; and ability to complete the project.
Lawson said the Lewes-to-Georgetown Trail is exceeding all expectations, making an improved crossing an important project. The anticipated completion of the trail will bring many more users, but also increased need for a safe crossing, he said.
“People are going to be very attracted to that,” Lawson said. “It will exceed all expectations.”
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