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State Rep. Mike Ramone won’t seek reelection. He plans to run for Delaware governor

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State Rep. Mike Ramone won’t seek reelection. He plans to run for Delaware governor


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  • 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. 

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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

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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

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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. 

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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.



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Delaware

Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas

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Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas


Authorities say a Delaware County school employee is accused of traveling to Texas to sexually assault a minor he met online.

What we know:

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Michael Robinson, 43, was taken into custody near Radnor Middle School where investigators say he worked as a paraprofessional.

Investigators believe Robinson traveled to Tyler, Texas in the summer of 2024 to meet a minor he had connected with online.

Robinson, according to U.S. Marshals, allegedly sexually assaulted the teen over the course of a weekend. 

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Delaware County school employee accused of sex assault of minor in Texas

Prosecutors in Smith County, Texas charged Robinson in December with Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child Under 15-years-old.

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Robinson is being held at a Delaware County jail where he is awaiting extradition to Texas.

What they’re saying:

U.S. Marshals in Pennsylvania said Robinson’s arrest shows that “sexual predators will always be pursued relentlessly.”

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The Radnor Township School District said Robinson has been placed on leave and will not have contact with students.

“Parents of the limited number of children to whom the employee was assigned were contacted by the administration immediately.”

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The district said it is cooperating with law enforcement and has “no information indicating misconduct involving district students.”

Crime & Public SafetyDelaware CountyNews



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Rehoboth cancels 2026 Polar Bear Plunge after major snowstorm

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Rehoboth cancels 2026 Polar Bear Plunge after major snowstorm


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Rehoboth Beach has canceled the upcoming 2026 Lewes Polar Bear Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge as the Sussex County resort town continues dealing with the aftermath of last weekend’s snowstorm, organizers of the annual Special Olympics fundraiser said on Feb. 26.

“Rehoboth Beach is navigating significant challenges because of the snowstorm,” a Special Olympics Delaware email announced. “At present, the boardwalk and all beach crossings remain snow covered and many sidewalks throughout downtown Rehoboth are as well.”

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The plunge and 5K had been rescheduled to March 1 after severe weather conditions in late January caused it to be moved from its original Feb. 1 date.

The plunge will not be rescheduled for this year.

Last weekend’s storm brought nearly 2 feet of snow to parts of Sussex, closing hundreds of roads when trees and wires were downed. There were also power outages across the county, including Rehoboth Beach which had to restore power to its wastewater treatment facility.

Plunging for a cause

The polar bear plunge is one of Special Olympics Delaware’s more popular fundraisers, drawing more than 4,000 participants last year.

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In recent years, the event has been bringing in more than a million dollars for Special Olympics Delaware. Last year, plunge events drew $1.3 million, just shy of the record-breaking $1.5 million raised in 2024.

Alex Seymore, Special Olympics Delaware’s director of digital media, said the organization had already raised more than $1 million from this year’s event.

“We expect a small impact,” Seymore told Delaware Online/The News Journal. “But again, we’re showing that we’ve raised over a million dollars.

He added they are reviewing how the cancelation will impact them and their services.

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“It’s been just a couple hours, so we’re not completely positive how it will impact things in the long run,” he said. “We’re thankful for everybody that’s helped raise this money through this time.”

What is still occurring

While the plunge and 5k and been canceled this year, there are other indoor events that will continue as scheduled:

Feb. 27

  • 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – pick up packets and souvenir sales for the Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, 229 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach.

Feb. 28

  • noon to 2 p.m. ​Fire & Ice in the Atlantic Sands Ballroom, 1 Baltimore Ave, Rehoboth Beach.
  • 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Restaurant chili contest.
  • 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. – pick up packets and souvenir sales for the Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, 229 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.



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Trump Accounts for kids; are they available in Delaware?

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Trump Accounts for kids; are they available in Delaware?


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President Donald Trump touted his Trump Accounts for kids platform during his State of the Union address Tuesday, Feb. 24, months before the savings account program goes live this summer.

Roughly 63% of parents open bank accounts for the newborns and young children according to The Financial Brand, showing that in general, opening a bank accounts for your child is a good idea.

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But what, exactly, are Trump Accounts for kids, and does it make sense for you to open one for your child? Here’s everything you need to know.

Trump Account for kids explained

The IRS explained in a memo Trump Accounts will be available for any children under 18, with $1,000 seed money available for newborns and very young children.

That account will be seeded with federal government funds.

“A Trump account is a type of traditional individual retirement account that is established for the exclusive benefit of an eligible individual and that is designated at its establishment as a Trump account,” read the IRS’ Trump Accounts memo. “Upon an election under the pilot program, $1,000 is paid by the Secretary to the Trump account of an eligible child.

“An eligible child means a qualifying child who is born after December 31, 2024 and before January 1, 2029, who is a U.S. citizen, and for whom no prior pilot program election has been made.”

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The Trump Accounts website confirms parents do not need to make a contribution, but can deposit up to $5,000 a year into the interest-bearing account.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in comments published Jan. 28 a single $1,000 deposit into a Trump Account at birth should grow to an estimated $500,000 by the age of retirement.

When will Trump Accounts for kids lunch, and can I apply in Delaware?

Trump Accounts for kids will go live on Monday, July 5, and parents in Delaware are allowed to apply for the nationwide offering when it opens.

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Until then, you can visit the Trump Accounts website to add your name to the email list to get an update when the service goes live.

The IRS and U.S. Department of the Treasury released Trump Accounts guidance you can read before opening an account.

Problems with Trump Accounts for kids

While opening a Trump Account for your child may seem a good thing, TIME uncovered a few problems with President Donald Trump’s namesake account service.

“The program may be open to every child, but its benefits will flow overwhelmingly to families with the means to contribute thousands of dollars a year. What could have been a leveling tool instead risks becoming a widening wedge between the haves and the have-nots,” read a portion of TIME’s take. “For a family living paycheck-to-paycheck that is unable to add anything beyond the government’s $1,000 seed deposit, the balance reaches just $5,839 by age 18. “

The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies echoed much of that sentiment, and said Trump Accounts for kids will have the opposite effect from its stated goals.

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Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic Region.



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