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Posted: Sept. 18, 2012
RACES-2-WATCH
By Celia Cohen
Grapevine Political Writer
The Delaware Republicans did not have a good year in
2010. Christine O'Donnell and 110,000 more Democrats
than Republicans on the voter rolls will do that.
There is some good news and some bad news for the
Republicans in 2012.
The good news is O'Donnell has flown away, my
pretties, at least for now. The bad news is the
statewide electorate has gone even more Democratic --
with 115,000 more Democrats than Republicans eligible to
vote.
It could be worse, and it might be. There are still
25 days left until the voter registration deadline.
With an incumbent running in every statewide race,
with what appears to be a stable majority in the General
Assembly, not to mention with Joe Biden as a favorite
son running again for vice president, the Democrats are
going for more of the same.
STATEWIDE
Statewide
registration: 47% Democratic, 29% Republican, 24% others
| OFFICE |
MAIN CANDIDATES |
RUNDOWN |
OUTLOOK |
| Senate |
Tom Carper
Democrat
Kevin
Wade
Republican
Alex
Pires
Independent |
Carper looks unstoppable on his way to
setting a record with 13 statewide wins |
Democrat |
| House |
John Carney
Democrat
Tom
Kovach
Republican |
It is hard to imagine a better situation for
Carney, who is a popular Democrat in a blue
state that has not chucked out a sitting
congressman in 30 years |
Democrat |
| Governor |
Jack Markell
Democrat
Jeff
Cragg
Republican |
The only question surrounding a second term
for Markell is what he wants to do next in
politics after he gets it |
Democrat |
| Lt. governor |
Matt Denn
Democrat
Sher
Valenzuela
Republican |
Sure, Delaware can elect a lieutenant
governor separately from the governor. The
voters just have not bothered to do it since
1984 |
Democrat |
| Ins. commissioner |
Karen Weldin Stewart
Democrat
Ben
Mobley
Republican |
The bigger challenge for Stewart was getting
through a primary, and she did. All she has to
do now is let the Democratic ticket carry her |
Democrat |
Incumbents in bold
LEGISLATURE
Current
Senate: 14 Democrats, 7 Republicans
Current House
of Representatives: 26 Democrats, 15 Republicans
All seats are
up because of redistricting
| DISTRICT |
MAIN CANDIDATES |
VOTERS |
RUNDOWN |
OUTLOOK |
| Senate 4th Greenville-Brandywine Hundred
|
Mike Katz
Democrat
Greg
Lavelle
Republican |
D:
35%
R:
39%
O:
26% |
Although Lavelle has the edge in
registration and credentials as the House
minority leader, Katz is the sitting senator in
a Democratic year |
Advantage: Democrat |
| Senate 12th New Castle-Delaware City-below
the canal |
Dori Connor
Republican
Nicole Poore
Democrat |
D:
54%
R:
23%
O:
23% |
There are 10,000 reasons Connor could lose,
namely, 10,000 more Democratic than Republican
voters in a newly configured district |
Advantage: Democrat |
| Senate 6th Lewes-Rehoboth-Dewey-Milton |
Ernie
Lopez
Republican
Andy
Staton
Democrat |
D:
40%
R:
37%
O:
23% |
Both candidates had primaries in this new
district, but Lopez had the tougher one and the
momentum |
Advantage: Republican |
| House 19th Mill Creek-Stanton-Newport |
Dennis Cini
Republican
Kim
Williams
Democrat |
D:
48%
R:
24%
O:
28% |
Bob Gilligan did not retire as the
Democratic speaker to let his district go
Republican |
Advantage: Democrat |
| House 23rd Newark |
Paul
Baumbach
Democrat
Mark
Doughty
Republican |
D:
41%
R:
31%
O:
28% |
Baumbach proved himself in a primary, but
this is UD country and Doughty has a prize
endorsement from Tubby Raymond |
Too soon to say |
| House 11th Southern New Castle
County-northern Kent County |
Lynne
Newlin
Democrat
Jeffrey Spiegelman
Republican |
D:42%
R:
31%
O:
27% |
Newlin won a primary going away in a new
district drawn to favor a Democrat |
Advantage: Democrat |
| House 32nd Dover |
Andria Bennett
Democrat
Ellis
Parrott
Republican |
D:
50%
R:
25%
O:
25% |
Dynamite might not be enough to blast anyone
named Bennett out of this seat |
Advantage: Democrat |
| House 20th Lewes-Milton |
Marie
Mayor
Democrat
Steve
Smyk
Republican |
D:
39%
R:
37%
O:
24% |
Both parties are serious about contesting
this new seat |
Tossup |
| House 37th Georgetown-Long Neck |
Ruth Briggs King
Republican
Beth
McGinn
Democrat |
D:
41%
R:
38%
O:
21% |
The district was drawn to give Briggs King
trouble, and it is. The manufactured housing
people are restless |
Advantage: Republican |
| House 38th Ocean View-Fenwick
Island-Selbyville |
Ron
Gray
Republican
Shirley Price
Democrat |
D:
35%
R:
44%
O:
21% |
Not only are the voters seldom kind to
ex-legislators like Price, but this is a
Republican district in conservative Sussex
County |
Advantage: Republican |
| House 40th Laurel-Delmar |
Tim
Dukes
Republican
Ben
Lowe
Democrat |
D:
41%
R:
38%
O:
21% |
The retirement of Biff Lee, an 11-term Republican, opened
up this Sussex seat in territory favorable to a
Republican |
Advantage: Republican |
Incumbents in bold
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