• Delaware state Rep. Mike Ramone, who has represented the 21st District since 2008, won’t seek reelection.
• Ramone says he intends to run for Delaware governor.
• Should Ramone file his candidacy, it could set up a three-way primary race among Republicans vying for Delaware governor.

Pike Creek Republican state Rep. Mike Ramone says he won’t seek reelection to the House of Representatives this year, opting to run for Delaware governor, instead.

Ramone announced his intentions to run in the First State’s gubernatorial race during an interview with a Delmarva radio talk show on Friday, explaining that he plans to file his candidacy on Monday. 

Ramone in a news release from the House Republican Caucus sent out Friday announced the Republican incumbent would not seek reelection to the 21st District seat in November. 

Ramone, who currently serves as the House Minority Leader, expects to relocate downstate, which would prevent him from retaining the seat. Plus, the release stated, Ramone expects to run for governor. 

“I was uncomfortable seeking a new House term under those circumstances,” he said in the release. “While I am excited to kick off a new venture in the coming days, I will certainly miss directly serving the citizens of the 21st District.”

DELAWARE GOVERNOR’S RACE: GOP chair says she’ll run, setting up a Republican primary race

Ramone’s intentions to run for governor on the Republican line sets up a three-way primary for the ticket in September. Delaware GOP chair Julianne Murray says she will run for state governor and intends to file May 8. Meanwhile, Republican gubernatorial candidate Jerrold Price is on the ballot having filed his candidacy for the seat in December 2023. 

The future of the 21st District 

Ramone, who was first elected to the seat in 2008, narrowly won his reelection in 2022. 

Two Democratic candidates are vying for the seat: Michael Smith, a former legislative aide and substitute teacher – not to be confused with Michael F. Smith, who is the District 22 representative, and Frank Burns, a climate activist and biotech entrepreneur who unsuccessfully challenged Ramone in 2022. 

DELAWARE GENERAL ASSEMBLY: What seats are up for election? Races take shape

Along with serving as the House minority leader, Ramone sits on the administration, ethics, rules, legislative council and veterans affairs committees. 

Ramone thanked his constituents for allowing him to serve them for the past 16 years. 

“Your support over the years has meant the world to Lisa and me,” he said. “My family is forever grateful to each of you.”

The race for Delaware governor

The Republican contenders for governor will face one of three Democratic candidates for governor in the general election Nov. 5. 

Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer and former Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Collin O’Mara are all vying for the Democratic line.

ELECTION ISSUES: Rev. Al Sharpton returns to Delaware to rally voters, demand a more diverse court system

The Democratic candidates as well as the only filed Republican candidate for governor, Price, have been invited to a gubernatorial forum on Delaware’s education system hosted by Vision Coalition of Delaware at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, at Polytech High School near Woodside. This is the first event featuring the gubernatorial candidates to be held in Delaware.

Got a tip? Contact Amanda Fries at afries@delawareonline.com. Follow her on X at @mandy_fries.

By Kharisma McIlwaine

For years the Spirit of Philadelphia has been a major landmark in Philadelphia.

Year-round, Philadelphians and visitors are greeted by the massive vessel at Penn’s Landing. Originally built in 1988 and located at 401 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd, the Spirit of Philadelphia provides a unique dining experience, combining delicious food and live music as guests cruise the Delaware River.

Now, the Spirit of Philadelphia celebrates 40 years on the Delaware Waterfront. Ryan O’Connor, general manager of City Cruises Philadelphia, spoke with the SUN about the history of Spirit of Philadelphia and the upcoming 40th anniversary celebration.

O’Connor first joined the City Cruises team as an intern in Virginia.

“My journey actually started when Spirit Cruises had their corporate office in Norfolk, Virginia,” O’Connor said. “I started as a sales and marketing intern with the company my spring semester of senior year of college. I had a full-time internship in their corporate office.”

Originally from the Philadelphia area, as a native of Delaware County, O’Connor was able to make the transition with the company to work in his hometown.

“It was a natural fit to come back,” he said. “They hired me full time after I graduated from Virginia Wesleyan University. I started my career down there and then they moved me back to Philadelphia, which is my hometown. So, it was nice to come back. Around 2004, I came back and I’ve been back as the general manager of City Cruises Philadelphia for eight years now. It’s been about 12 years with the company, and I know it well. It’s a wonderful place to work and a great company.”

Philadelphia was one of the first cities that City Cruises chose to start a dinner boat operation. Since then, Spirit of Philadelphia continues to provide unique experiences for guests while cruising on The Delaware River. Those experiences include two-hour brunches, two and a half hour dinner cruises and live entertainment with a DJ and dance floor on board.

In 2019, Spirit of Philadelphia underwent a $1M renovation to further amplify the experiences of everyone on board.

“You’ll see a beautiful refreshed, modern vessel — it’s very clean,” O’Connor said. “We completely painted the exterior of the vessel and really just invested our money in the aesthetics and the looks of the inside. There’s new carpet, new tile and beautiful refacing of the bars with marble bar tops.”

“We know that the Spirit of Philadelphia operating in Philadelphia is a staple and we knew that we wanted to invest money into her to make her look really beautiful and make her be that wonderful venue for any occasion,” O’Connor said. “Whether you’re getting married or celebrating your anniversary, we really strive to create that amazing experience.”

Countless Philadelphians have had wonderful experiences aboard the Spirit of Philadelphia. Those fond memories are sure to continue with the milestone celebration of 40 years on the Waterfront.

“40 years on The Philadelphia waterfront has been spectacular,” O’Connor said. “It truly is a staple in Philadelphia. The amount of people that come up to me when they find out what I do, that have told me that they have been to a wedding on board, a corporate function or that their 8th grade graduation luncheon was on Spirit of Philadelphia — I love hearing all those stories. We have thousands of [crews] out there that have also stepped on board Spirit of Philadelphia and worked with us that we keep in the family. It’s a wonderful experience.”

“Getting ready for the 40th, we have our kick-off event on Thursday, May 12,” O’Connor said. “We’re excited to kick off the season, and we’ll be celebrating the 40th anniversary throughout the entire year. So [there’s] plenty of opportunities for our guests to come on board for brunch cruises. We have bottomless mimosa brunches on Saturdays and Sundays and dinner cruises throughout the week and weekend.

There will be plenty of opportunities to come out and celebrate this milestone with us.”

In addition to the ongoing 40th year celebration, City Cruises Philadelphia is offering an early brunch, a midday brunch and a dinner cruise for Mother’s Day. For more information on City Cruises Philadelphia, visit: www.cityexperiences.com/Philadelphia where you can research the variety of signature cruises offered and book the cruise of your choice. Also be sure to follow @citycruises across social media platforms.