Delaware
State Rep. Mike Ramone won’t seek reelection. He plans to run for Delaware governor
Rev. Al Sharpton calls for diversity in Delaware courts
Citizens for Judicial Fairness hosted a rally in Wilmington that featured civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton speaking in support of judicial diversity. 4/30/24
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.
Delaware
Delaware County prison warden resigns after just months on the job
From Delco to Chesco and Montco to Bucks, what about life in Philly’s suburbs do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know!
Willie Bonds has tendered his resignation as warden of the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Delaware County after less than six months running the prison.
“The resignation was submitted due to a personal family matter and an opportunity to pursue other career interests,” said Michael Connolly, communications director of Delaware County, in a written statement.
The Delaware County Jail Oversight Board named Bonds the warden in February. He took over for interim warden David Mascollino, who spent five months on the job.
Mascollino had stepped in following the resignation of warden Laura Williams in August 2025. Bonds will remain in his current role until the county implements a succession plan.
“While the County was looking forward to his continued good service, County leadership respects his personal decision and is immensely grateful for his work on behalf of our residents, the incarcerated population, and the dedicated staff of George W. Hill,” Connolly said.
The county will name an interim warden and work with the prison’s leadership to identify a permanent replacement, Connolly said.
“As this process moves ahead, Delaware County remains committed to continuing its efforts to build George W. Hill into a facility that every resident can be proud of and continuing the major investments and upgrades to the facility already well under way,” he said.
Delaware
Delaware closer to allowing public campaign expenses to cover security
When will Delaware’s 2026 midterm elections take place?
Delaware’s midterm elections are coming up. Here’s what voters need to know before heading to the polls.
Delaware candidates and elected officials may soon be able to use campaign funds to protect themselves on and off the campaign trail.
A House bill introduced June 4 would allow funding for security costs for Delaware officials and candidates. Lawmakers said those expenses would be covered through voluntary contributions, not taxpayer dollars.
Nationally, the bill arrives during a fraught period for public officials. In recent years, several lawmakers in other states have been targets of politically motivated violence, resulting in serious injuries, property damage and, in some cases, deaths.
In Delaware, lawmakers didn’t point to any local examples, but said many legislators are on edge. A 2024 research report from the Brennan Center for Justice found that 43% of interviewed state lawmakers experienced threats, as well as 18% of local officials.
Some public officials in that research said they were less likely to hold public events, work on contentious topics or even run for higher office.
The Delaware bill mirrors similar proposals introduced across the country aimed at improving safety. At the federal level, candidates and officeholders — along with their families and staff — are already allowed to receive such protections.
To advance, the bill will need to clear its final committee and the Senate floor before June 30. Otherwise, lawmakers start all over again next session, after the midterms.
‘A responsibility to act’
Campaign expenditures in Delaware are currently limited to mostly advertising, food and refreshments, as well as attendance at political events and travel expenses.
If passed, House Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown’s bill would cover several security-related expenses, include:
- Electronic security systems located in a candidate’s home or office
- “Personal security,” a category the Delaware Department of Elections said it would further define if the bill passes.
- Cameras, fences or “other comparable security-related equipment”
These funds can also be used to help protect their families in certain circumstances, Minor-Brown told Delaware Online/The News Journal.
They cannot be used to pay for firearms, however.
House Minority Whip Jeff Spiegelman raised a concern about this during the bill’s June 11 hearing in his chamber, calling guns another matter of defense.
Fellow sponsor House Majority Leader Kerri Evelyn Harris said the choice was not to include firearms in the bill, saying this could lead to discomfort for many, and potentially do more harm than good.
Minor-Brown also said candidates covered in this bill must have filed for office and currently be campaigning. Additionally, the New Castle Democrat said money must come from voluntary contributors.
No officeholder or candidate is required to abide by this measure, Harris told lawmakers, as the use of funds will remain “entirely optional.”
The bill comes as lawmakers nationwide have faced rising intimidation and violence in recent years.
This includes former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, who, alongside her husband Mark, were shot and killed in what officials described as “a politically motivated assassination” last year, as reported by USA TODAY.
In Pennsylvania, Governor Josh Shapiro’s home was the target of an arson attack last April.
And just a few weeks before, New Mexico Republican Party headquarters in Albuquerque was vandalized, almost a year after it was damaged in an arson attack.
Minor-Brown also pointed toward the 2022 attack on former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, the assassination of conservative politico Charlie Kirk last year, as well as the attempts on the life of President Donald Trump.
“This is not about politics. It’s not about partisanship,” Harris said ahead of the floor vote. “It’s about safety.”
Minor-Brown said lawmakers should not have to choose between their safety and performing their elected responsibilities. As such, lawmakers have “a responsibility to act” now, she said.
Several other states – including New Jersey and Maryland – have proposed similar legislation, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Other states have also enacted laws on the safety of candidate families and staff, cybersecurity and using campaign funds to pay for home security systems. Minor-Brown told Delaware Online/The News Journal she expects to see measures regarding cybersecurity in Delaware.
This bill passed the House on June 11. It is now scheduled to be heard in Senate committee on June 25.
Olivia Montes covers state government and community impact for Delaware Online/The News Journal. If you have a tip or a story idea, reach out to her at omontes@delawareonline.com.
Delaware
Comcast Xfinity cable down: TV streaming outage hits New Hampshire, Texas, Delaware, Wyoming and Maine
Comcast’s Xfinity cable service is down for thousands of people in the United States on Monday afternoon.
More than 12,000 users are reporting the outage with the cable service run by NBC’s parent company, according to Down Detector, a platform that tracks such outages based on users’ reports.
Much of the outages seemed to be concentrated in New Hampshire, Texas, Delaware, Wyoming and Maine, according to the outage map shown on Down Detector.
According to Down Detector, 77% of the customers reported issues with the cable TV services, 12% with the broadband internet and 8% with TV streaming.
Also read: Who is Dasha Kilpatrick? Texas healthcare worker’s row with Muslim women at HEB store viral
Comcast Xfinity Outage Map
The map of Comcast’s Xfinity outage showed that urban centers across the country were affected. It included cities in the east and west cost, north and southern states and well as parts of central US.
The map showed outage reports concentrated in Boston, New York City, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Miami and large parts of Florida.
In the north, Minneapolis and Chicago reported the most outages. While in the South, Houston was affected. Customers from Denver also reported a significant number of outages.
In the east coast, most outages were reported up north. Portland Salem and Seattle reported a large number of outages. Additionally, the areas around San Francisco and Carson City reported outages.
Here’s the map of the Comcast outage per Down Detector, as of 4:28pm ET.
Comcast’s Response
As of now, Comcast or Xfinity has not acknowledged that the issue is widespread. The X account of Xfinity support is replying to queries on social media, asking customers to message them their service ID.
Also read: Alaska coast guard helicopter crash: MH-60 Jayhawk goes down in Sitka, search and rescue crews responding
For instance, one such post on X read: “Hello! Thank you for contacting the Xfinity support team. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience due to the service interruption. Please DM us with your first and last name and your complete service address, so we can assist you further.”
Thus, those seeking a solution to the problem may send their service details and the disruption that is happening to Xfinity.
Comcast’s Xfinity is one of the largest cable and broadband services in the US. It serves around 11.27 million traditional cable TV customers in the Unites States. Its broadband user base is approximately 31.25 million strong.
This is a developing story.
-
Rhode Island1 minute agoTwo Rhode Island residents charged in $6.5 billion healthcare fraud crackdown
-
South-Carolina4 minutes agoAdmiral fired in Hegseth purge wins Democratic primary in South Carolina
-
South Dakota9 minutes agoSocial media’s latest squeeze is flying off South Dakota shelves
-
Tennessee16 minutes agoNate Ament becomes Tennessee basketball’s highest NBA Draft pick since 2002
-
Texas19 minutes agoNBA Draft 2026: Chicago Bulls draft Texas standout Dailyn Swain at No. 15
-
Utah24 minutes agoUtah mother charged with international kidnapping claims she was saving kids from ‘end of times’
-
Vermont31 minutes agoVermont trooper found justified in fatal Putney shooting
-
Virginia33 minutes agoVirginia House honors ABC13’s Noreen Turyn as she retires after 36 years