Posted: March 29, 2016; updated: April 12, 2016

WHO FOR PRESIDENT? 

By Celia Cohen
Grapevine Political Writer

Greg Lavelle, the state Senate's Republican minority leader, will not be endorsing for Delaware's presidential primary. Twice bitten, thrice shy.

Lavelle was for Jeb Bush. Then he was for Marco Rubio. He managed to steel himself to get beyond being once bitten and twice shy, but really. Enough already.

"I'm just going to hang out," Lavelle said.

Meanwhile, with less than a month to go before the voting here, the state's elected officials and party leaders are deciding on their presidential preferences, some of them committing publicly and some not. The public commitments can be expected to grow as the primary gets closer.

It should not be a surprise that Hillary Clinton is a favorite for the Democrats and John Kasich for the Republicans, because this is Delaware, where the center holds.

The state's predilection for centrist politics can even be measured. Delaware turned out to be the most moderate state in the whole country in a Gallup Poll released about a year ago, while Mississippi was the most conservative state and Massachusetts was the most liberal. Not exactly a surprise there, either.

Delaware broke down this way: moderate 44%, conservative 29%, liberal 23%.

Clinton may identify as a progressive, and Kasich may call himself a conservative, but Clinton is regarded as less progressive than Bernie Sanders, not to mention less of a democratic socialist. Kasich is regarded as less conservative than Ted Cruz, and Trump, well, it is hard to think of anything moderate about Trump.

Presidential primary: Tuesday, April 26

Also voting: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island

 

Delaware Democrats: Delegates awarded proportionally

Delegate breakdown: 31 total delegates, including 10 super-delegates

Super-delegates: Joe Biden (vice president), Jack Markell (governor), Tom Carper (senator), Chris Coons (senator), John Carney (congressman), John Daniello (state chair), Lisa Goodman (state vice chair), Bob Gilligan (national committeeman), Karen Valentine (national committeeman), one elected official or party leader still to be determined

Delegates needed to nominate: 2,382

 

Delaware Republicans: Delegates awarded by winner-take-all

Delegate breakdown: 16 delegates

Delegates needed to nominate: 1,237

 

Candidate

Party

Committed

Clinton

Democrat

Jack Markell governor

Tom Carper, senator

Chris Coons, senator

John Carney, congressman

Bob Gilligan, national committeeman

Margaret Rose Henry, state Senate majority whip

Bethany Hall-Long, state senator

Nicole Poore, state senator

Helene Keeley, state representative

Stephanie Bolden, state representative

Debra Heffernan, state representative

Sanders

Democrat

John Kowalko, state representative

Kim Williams, state representative

Cruz

Republican

Ellen Barrosse, national committeewoman

Kasich

Republican

Mike Castle, ex-governor & ex-congressman

Tom Evans, ex-congressman

Debbie Hudson, state House minority whip

John Fluharty, past state party executive director

Trump

Republican

Rob Arlett, Sussex County councilman

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