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Posted: June 12, 2014
THE DOVER DOZEN
By Celia Cohen
Grapevine Political Writer
As soon as the votes were counted on Election Day in
2012, it was all but inevitable that seven legislators
would be in for a fight in 2014.
They were state representatives who were elected to
the Delaware General Assembly with no more than 55
percent of the vote, a margin considered uncomfortably
close, and sure enough, all of them find themselves
challenged in 2014.
Three of them -- John Atkins, Trey Paradee and Dennis
Williams -- are Democrats, and the other four -- Ruth
Briggs King, Jack Peterman, Steve Smyk and Jeff
Spiegelman -- are Republicans.
Their races form the core of the Dover Dozen, the top
legislative races to watch at this point in the campaign
season with the candidates' filing deadline less than a
month away on July 8.
There are 10 out of 21 state senators up for election
for four-year terms and all 41 state representatives up
for two-year terms.
Whatever peril there is for individual legislators,
the Democratic majorities in the Senate and the House of
Representatives look safe without enough competitive
races to make a difference. The current breakdown:
Senate --
13 Democrats and 8 Republicans
House of
Representatives -- 27 Democrats and 14 Republicans
| DISTRICT |
DEMOCRATS |
REPUBLICANS |
VOTERS |
RUNDOWN |
|
Senate 3rd
Wilmington |
Bob Marshall Sherry Dorsey Walker |
|
D:
70%
R:
11%
O:
19% |
In a classic veteran/new blood fight,
Marshall is a 36-year senator, and Dorsey Walker
is a first-term city councilwoman |
|
Senate 21st
Seaford-Laurel-Delmar |
Bob Venables |
Bryant Richardson |
D:
40%
R:
38%
O:
22% |
Any longtime legislator who is 81, as
Venables is, gets challengers. Richardson is
after him again, despite coming up a hefty 2,000
votes short in 2012 |
|
House
10th
Brandywine Hundred |
Dennis Williams Sean Matthews |
Judy Travis |
D:
44%
R:
32%
O:
24% |
Williams always seems to be endangered, but
he has managed to keep squeaking through
elections since 2008 |
|
House
11th
Southern New Castle County/Northern Kent County |
Lynne Newlin |
Jeff Spiegelman |
D:
41%
R:
31%
O:
28% |
This rematch was probably inevitable, since
Spiegelman won an open race the last time by 210
votes |
|
House
15th
Bear-Delaware City
|
Valerie Longhurst James Burton |
Matt Lenzini |
D:
53%
R:
23%
O:
24% |
As Eric Cantor showed in D.C., it is open
season on House majority leaders, and Longhurst
is a lightning rod |
|
House
20th
Lewes-Milton |
Marie Mayor |
Steve Smyk |
D:
39%
R:
36%
O:
25% |
Mayor was just not ready to give up, after
Smyk defeated her in an open race with 53
percent of the vote in 2012 |
|
House
29th
Cheswold-Dover-Camden |
Trey Paradee |
Pete Kramer |
D:
44%
R:
32%
O:
24% |
Paradee ousted a sitting Republican
representative the last time, and the
Republicans want to turn the tables |
|
House
30th
Felton-Harrington-Farmington |
Jonathan Gallo |
Bob Outten |
D:
36%
R:
35%
O:
29% |
The Democrats plan to make this district a
battleground |
|
House
31st
Dover |
Sean Lynn Ralph Taylor |
Sam Chick |
D:
52%
R:
24%
O:
24% |
With Darryl Scott, a three-term Democrat,
calling it quits, this is the only open
legislative seat. No surprise it attracted a
crowd |
|
House
33rd
Milford-Frederica-Magnolia |
Kevin Robbins |
Jack Peterman |
D:
39%
R:
34%
O:
27% |
Peterman polled a slim 53 percent of the
vote against Robbins in 2012. This is definitely
a rematch to watch |
|
House
37th
Georgetown-Long Neck |
Paulette Rappa |
Ruth Briggs King |
D:
40%
R:
37%
O:
23% |
The Democrats likely had their best shot at
unseating Briggs King in 2012, when she ran in a
newly drawn district to poll 55 percent of the
vote |
|
House
41st
Millsboro-Dagsboro-Selbyville |
John Atkins |
Rich Collins |
D:
41%
R:
38%
O:
21% |
Another election season, another soap opera
for Atkins. Not good, since this is a rematch of
a race Atkins won by a mere 69 votes |
Incumbents in bold
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