Delaware primary day: General election ballot emerges with some races too close to call
The primary election may be over, but the results and their effects are just beginning.
Tuesday marked an important day full of contested races including seeing who will be the major parties' respective candidates for governor come the November general election. In some places where registered Democrats far outnumber Republicans, primary day is often decisive for who will be the next mayor of Wilmington, for example.
We were here all day and night bringing you news from the polls, along with results from the count.
Several races remain too close to call
Several races, including the District 21 House Democratic primary and the District 36 House Republican primary, remain too close to call.
As of 10:45 p.m., Democrat Frank Burns was barely ahead of his opponent, Michael Alexander Smith.
In the District 36 race, Republican incumbent Rep. Bryan Shupe had a minuscule advantage over contender Patrick Smith.
Wilmington's District 1 race was also too close to call, with Coby Owens and Thea Lopez going neck and neck.
Del. House Speaker Valerie Longhurst upset by first-time candidate
Kamela Smith is projected to beat longtime incumbent Delaware House Speaker Valerie Longhurst in Tuesday's primary.
Smith won by 180 votes, or about 6.74 percentage points over Longhurst. She said there was excitement and happiness where she was.
"I'm trying to feel what I'm feeling," Smith said.
She has no opponent in the general election in November.
READ: New Castle County state representative primary results: Speaker of the House upset
"Today proves that something new is possible," she said.
Longhurst has served as a state representative for nearly two decades. This is Smith's first political campaign.
- Shane Brennan
Gov. John Carney celebrates projected win in Wilmington mayoral race
With 99.6% of precincts reporting as of about 10:15 p.m. Tuesday night, Gov. John Carney is projected to win the Wilmington mayoral race, receiving 53.8% of the vote.
He celebrated at Catherine Rooney's in the city, where he was joined by U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, current Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki and numerous others.
His opponent, Velda Jones-Potter, received 46.2% of the vote.
- Isabel Hughes and Anitra Johnson
Trinidad Navarro wins state insurance commissioner race, AP predicts
Delaware Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro has won his primary race, the Associated Press said.
Navarro was first elected in 2016, then re-elected in 2020. He will face Republican Ralph Taylor in November.
Kyle Evans Gay projected to win Lt. Gov. primary, Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association says
Delaware Sen. Kyle Evans Gay is projected to win the primary for lieutenant governor, the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association said shortly after 9:45 p.m.
At the time of the announcement, she had received 47.9% of the vote. Her opponents ? Rep. Sherry Dorsey Walker and Debbie Harrington ? had received 37.2% and 14.9%, respectively.
Marcus Henry projected to win New Castle County Executive race
With more than 90% of the 100,000-plus ballots cast, Marcus Henry is projected to win the New Castle County Executive seat. He garnered nearly 61% of the votes, according to the Delaware Department of Elections.
Henry will replace former County Executive Matt Meyer, who secured the Democratic win for Delaware’s gubernatorial race, as called by the Associated Press.
- Molly McVety
John Whalen to face Sarah McBride in U.S. House race, AP says
John Whalen will face Delaware Sen. Sarah McBride in the race for U.S. House of Representatives, the Associated Press said about 9:15 p.m.
AP had called the Democratic primary for McBride at about 8:40 p.m.
As of 9:30 p.m., Whalen had received 54.97% of the vote compared to 45.03% for his contender, Donyale Hall.
Matt Meyer wins Democratic primary for governor: AP
Just after 9 p.m., the Associated Press called the Democratic gubernatorial primary for New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer.
As of 9:05 p.m., he had received 48.4% of the vote, compared to Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long's 36.6% and Collin O'Mara's 15.4%.
Meyer's campaign said he will address constituents at The Chancery Market at 9:30 p.m.
READ: Matt Meyer clinches Democratic primary for governor, will face Mike Ramone in November
Mike Ramone wins Republican gubernatorial primary, AP predicts
Delaware House Minority Leader Mike Ramone, the Republican vying for governor, has won the primary, the Associated Press said shortly before 9 p.m.
“Delawareans sent a message to Dover,” said Ramone said in a news release. “Stale leadership and inaction in Dover has created an environment where failing schools, crumbling infrastructure and a declining GDP are normal. Delawareans recognize the need for a fresh perspective and bold ideas to turn Delaware around.”
Ramone had received 71.79% of the vote at the time of AP's prediction. He was facing Jerrold Price and Bobby Williamson.
Delaware elections 2024: Check live for the latest primary election results
Sarah McBride wins Democratic primary for U.S. House seat, AP says
The Associated Press has called the U.S. House of Representatives Democratic primary race for Delaware Sen. Sarah McBride.
As of 8:45 p.m., as in-person voting had just begun being reported but early and absentee voting had already been inputted to the state election website, she had received 81% of the vote.
She faced Earl Cooper and Elias Weir.
The Republican primary has not yet been called.
STORY: Delaware Sen. Sarah McBride wins Democratic nomination for congressional seat
Elections site temporarily down as early voting, absentee numbers inputted
The Delaware Department of Elections' results page was down in the 8-o'clock hour Tuesday evening as absentee and early voting numbers were inputted. It began working again about 15 minutes later.
Atmosphere at P.S. DuPont jovial as polls close
Shortly before the polls closed, the atmosphere at P.S. DuPont Middle School was like a party.
In the dim of early evening, music played and food trucks provided refreshments to voters on their way to cast their votes and candidates supporters.
There were many primary candidates present including Wilmington City Council candidates Maria Cabrera, Alexander Hackett, Shane Darby, Coby Owens and Danielle Covington.
One candidate for mayor, Velda Jones Potter, was also there. Gov. John Carney had been there earlier in the day. New Castle County council candidate Monique Johns and candidate for Lt. Governor Sherry Dorsey Walker were there as well.
One Wilmington resident, who asked to be identified as Tasha G., ran into P.S. DuPont to cast her vote right before the polls closed. She was the last voter out.
While she wouldn’t say who she voted for, she said she was looking for a change.
She said she hopes elected leaders institute programs focused on young teens offering alternatives to activities that lead to gun violence. As her mother’s only daughter and her caretaker, she also wanted leaders to offer resources to help her assist her elderly mother.
- Anitra Johnson
New Castle County Executive candidates traveled county Tuesday
Candidates for New Castle County Executive Marcus Henry and Karen Hartley-Nagle traveled around the county on Tuesday speaking with voters during the last few hours that polling locations were open.
Henry, joined by supporters and members of his campaign team, made the rounds at different spots, including Pleasantville Elementary near New Castle. Hartley-Nagle, after making similar stops county-wide, ended up at P.S. DuPont Middle School in Wilmington.
Voter turnout around the county was “slow but steady" Tuesday, but both Henry and Hartley-Nagle reported seeing enthusiastic community members showing up to cast their vote.
Henry, who previously worked for the county as general manager of community services and economic development and policy director, said that this experience makes him stand out.
“I’ve worked under three county executives in their administrations, running departments,” Henry said. “I think I’m imminently qualified for this office, and I’m excited for the opportunity.”
Similarly, Hartley-Nagle, who has served as New Castle County President since 2016, also thinks her experience will distinguish her from her opponent during Tuesday's primary.
“My experience over the last eight years as a council president, I’ve been doing that job, still representing the whole county and integrating myself into every issue,” Hartley-Nagle said.
- Reporter Molly McVety
Polls close, results not yet published on state elections website
Polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
While the state election result website was live as of 8:07 p.m., no results had yet been recorded.
About 590,000 of Delaware's 782,000 registered voters were eligible to vote Tuesday. Only Democrats and Republicans and those whose registration was listed as "no party ? AVR" could vote in the primary, per Delaware election law. (Though those listed as "no party ? AVR" had to declare what party they were voting for if they headed to the polls.)
Follow along with live results here.
Sign announces candidate's withdrawal from race
A sign in Woodlawn Library in Wilmington advised voters in State House District 3 that Branden Fletcher-Dominguez withdrew from the race. His withdrawal came on Sep. 5, too late to remove his name from the ballot.
His opponent, Josue O. Ortega automatically advanced to the November general election, and any votes cast for either Dominguez or Ortega will not be tallied or reported.
BACKGROUND: State representative candidate drops campaign amid documentation issues, DOJ investigation
Ortega has no listed opponent in November.
- Reporter Shane Brennan
Enthusiasm in Wilmington as voters, candidates pass through
Turnout was high at Wilmington’s P.S. Dupont Middle School on Tuesday afternoon.
Dozens of people representing and supporting candidates for both state and county-wide races showed out in big numbers, welcoming cars into the crowded parking lot and directing people to voting booths.
The two candidates vying for the position of Wilmington mayor were also present at the middle school, which is historically one of the most centrally-located and highly-visited polling places in both the city and county.
Outgoing Gov. John Carney spoke about the need to campaign on a smaller scale than his team is typically used to ? though he visited at least six different polling locations Tuesday afternoon.
“It’s much more intense, much more personal and individual-focused,” Carney said of running for mayor versus governor. “It’s not clear if they’re going to vote for me."
He added that regardless of Tuesday's result, he's "just going to be happy that I did my best."
"One way or the other, it will be positive,” Carney said.
Velda Jones-Potter, Wilmington's former treasurer, said she'd also been to a number of polling places throughout the day.
“I heard them say they’re excited for some change,” Jones-Potter said. “I think the main thing is for us to really focus on people in this city: Communities, neighborhoods, people and meeting some of the fundamental needs that people have."
The environment at P.S. Dupont, while chaotic, was largely joyous. A large bus decked out in “Vote Meyer” signs was selling Philadelphia Eagles merchandise, food and playing music loud enough for the crowd to sing along to.
- Reporter Molly McVety
A slow day for voting at Lewes sites
A volunteer at Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes said they had seen about 300 voters by 5 p.m., and a handful of electioneers waited outside while people arrived for a volleyball game.
For about 10 minutes, there were no voters at all. When one finally appeared, an electioneer told her Bethany Hall-Long would appreciate her vote.
There were only two electioneers at the nearby Lewes Public Library, though voters were showing up more regularly there than at Cape Henlopen High. Still, there were no lines at the library.
Jean and Richard Woolley of Lewes, 80 and 89, respectively, said the economy is the issue that most affects their vote. Richard Woolley added immigration and drilling are key issues for him, as well.
Voter Beth Polakoff, 62, said "choice, rights and democracy" are what she's concerned with.
- Reporter Shannon Marvel McNaught
Voters trickle in to cast their ballots at Townsend Fire Company
Several residents of the Middletown-Odessa-Townsend (MOT) area arrived to cast their ballots at the Townsend Fire Company in Townsend for the primary election – many out of responsibility, others out of desire for change.
Bill Ferguson, of Townsend, said he voted because “it’s what you’re supposed to do.”
Middletown resident Jason Hunt, who owns the small business Elite Feet, said he came to vote because it is “a civic duty.” His focus was on supporting candidates that “talk to the people” this election, including those who support local businesses and want to allocate resources for small businesses.
“I’m all about small business and economic thriving from a small business standpoint,” Hunt said.
Another Middletown resident, Maria Malone, said she voted Tuesday because “it’s a very important election.” Her key issues included women’s rights, climate change and the current state of democracy.
It's "very important stuff,” Malone said, adding that “we’re not going to be able resolve any of the other issues if our democracy is no longer intact, so I believe it's important for people to come out and do something about it.”
- Reporter Olivia Montes
A steady trickle at Hodgson Vo-Tech:
Supporters for various candidates in Tuesday's primary election camp outside of Hodgson Vo-Tech High School in Glasgow as a steady trickle of afternoon voters come to fill out their ballots. Wearing campaign shirts, hats and other candidate swag, most campaign crew members came prepared with foldable chairs, water bottles and a few snacks as they wait out the sunny day at the polls.
A "thank you for voting" is the popular greeting of the day as people enter and exit the high school, where three voting booths sit in the corner of the main lobby area.
Along the school's main entrance, and in the grassy areas surrounding the front parking lot, dozens of campaign signs supporting some candidates and denouncing others are rooted in the ground. The parking lot sees a healthy stream of cars as voters come and go.
-Reporter Krys'tal Griffin
Governor candidate drops by kid's school to vote
Gubernatorial candidate Collin O'Mara stopped by his daughter Alana's elementary school in Bear on Tuesday afternoon -- this time, to place a ballot.
Some volunteers for county and state legislative candidates stopped their own campaigning briefly to pay their respects and take photos of O'Mara, his wife Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, and two young daughters Alana and Leya.
The youngest, Leya, turned out to be a surprisingly fast runner. Set loose briefly on the parking lot until her parents caught up to her, the toddler unleashed perhaps the most unbridled enthusiasm that the somewhat sleepy polling location had seen all day.
The family then went inside to vote, presumably for O'Mara.
"I guess he's my neighbor," said one campaign volunteer for New Castle County Executive candidate Marcus Henry, after O'Mara disappeared inside the elementary school.
"He is unless he wins," said the woman next to him.
The man took a short moment to register this.
Great weather to vote:
Stefano and Barbara Medio wished State Representative Candidate Margie Lopez Waite good luck as they left Hodgson Vo-Tech High School Tuesday morning.
“We vote every time,” Stefano Medio said, adding today’s weather just made the day better to vote.
“I voted,” his wife added. “It’s my duty. I’m a U.S. citizen.”
-Reporter Esteban Parra
Newark senior citizen: the Democratic primary for governor has been spicy
A Newark senior citizen contacted Delaware Online/The News Journal on Tuesday trying to get in touch with New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer about the negative ads he's seen about Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long. He typically "doesn't bother" with primary elections, but concern over an elected official paying their spouse in campaign donations didn't sit well with him.
He expressed frustration with this year's election that has inundated Delawareans with negative ads and bombarded them with text messages.
Here's some links to catch up on that controversy:
Audit finds Hall-Long's campaign finances 'incomplete, inaccurate, misleading'
Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long refutes ‘biased’ campaign finance report
-Reporter Amanda Fries
Thou shalt not electioneer within 50 feet of the polling place:
Reporter Shannon Marvel took this photo outside the polls at Lighthouse Baptist Church in Lewes. The line marks the distance campaigners must stand from the polling place while they try to woo voters heading in to cast their ballot.
Delaware law dictates that line at 50 feet from the door, a law that carries up to a $200 fine if violated.
Teacher shortage among voter concerns in Kent County
W.B. Simpson Elementary School in Wyoming saw a small but steady group of voters before early lunch time on Tuesday.
One of the voters at the polling station was Carrie Goodman who said she's "concerned about family issues, border issues, and the overstepping of gun control."
Nancy Quinn of Wyoming is a retired art teacher who said she's "voting for people who support new ways of finding energy for us."
Kaitlyn Heverin of Camden said her biggest issue is affordable housing, and she's also concerned about how the teacher shortage can be filled. The 20-year-old said it's important for more young people to show up at polling stations.
"Everyone focuses on the general election/presidential election, but it's just as important at the local level as it is at the federal level."
-Reporter Andre Lamar
Short lines at Thomas McKean:
If you were looking to avoid a line at the polls on Tuesday morning, Thomas McKean High School off McKennans Church Road in Mill Creek was the place to be.
A smattering of middle-aged voters drove past a line of campaign signs, parked in the lot, and then walked to the polling place in the lobby of the school’s pool and gym.
One woman, who didn’t give her name, said she had no excuse not to vote. She lived within walking distance of the school. Shortly after 11 a.m., poll workers and a couple of people holding up signs for Marcus Henry for County Executive were the only people at the site.
-Reporter Patricia Talorico
Governor candidate shakes hands at local diner
Matt Meyer, a Democrat vying to be Delaware's next governor, made an appearance at the Long Neck Diner this morning. Here's a rundown of Meyer's campaign, as well as those of his two opponents in today's primary.
Throwback: Gordon v. Meyer (and Grimaldi) plus internet sock puppets in 2016
The controversy around the current Democratic primary for governor contains a parallel to the great sock puppet battle of the 2016 race for New Castle County Executive.
Leading up to that race, then-incumbent Tom Gordon had just gone through an epic breakup with his second-in-charge and once protégé David Grimaldi. During the fallout, Grimaldi began leaking phone calls he recorded with Gordon, creating some wild sound clips and subsequent newspaper articles.
Then, dueling sock puppet accounts posting on Twitter drove the county political scene bonkers and spawned at least one lawsuit as election season built toward the primary.
One anonymous account was Ncco_Politics, which leaked Grimald's phone recordings and trashed Gordon with posts like one that featured Gordon as a windup doll that can only answer questions with subjects, verbs and the word "police."
Then there was the Victoria Hobson account, who did double duty trashing Grimaldi and Gordon's opponent.
Matt Meyer, then a political newcomer and Gordon's opponent in the primary, sought to distance himself from the fray, loaning his campaign a raft of cash and purchasing dramatic television ads that tied Gordon's past corruption allegations to the troubles of his then-current administration.
Meyer eventually won that primary and, after eight years as county executive, is now vying to be Delaware's next governor. Some of the controversy around Bethany Hall-Long, one of his current opponents, contains a common character from Grimaldi's clandestine recordings.
In one, Grimaldi asks Gordon why he didn't fire Dana Hall-Long, Bethany Hall-Long's husband, for reportedly leveraging his position as a government housing contractor to pressure voters living in subsidized housing to support his wife, then a rising state legislator in 2014.
In the recording, Gordon told Grimaldi that when he learned who Dana Hall-Long was married to, he thought: "woah, in that case, everyone deserves a second chance." A link to that recording is below.
The Ncco_Politics account ? which Grimaldi, despite obvious connections, never publicly admitted to operating ? no longer exists. However, the Victoria Hobson account, which Gordon's daughter later copped to, is still around.
Here's a link to the current controversy around Hall-Long's campaign and husband.
And here's a link to information about the Democratic candidates vying for governor.
And, in case you're interested, here is that phone call:
-Reporter Xerxes Wilson
Democracy underway below the canal
At the Sunnyside Elementary polling site in Smyrna, Darrell Birl said he was most interested in the 29th District representative race. Birl said he wanted to vote “to ensure that our representation is what we want it to be on the issues we find important.”
For Manuel Green, the race for Delaware’s next chief executive topped his priorities.
“I want to help decide our new governor. That’s what I’m focusing on,” Green said.
Voting is important to him “because I recently talked with an older person who told me how they struggled to vote. It wasn’t easy back in their day. Because of their struggle, I have a voice and I’m going to use it by pushing that button.”
Turnout was light. There wasn’t a line. From 7 to 7:30 a.m., 11 people entered the school. In Clayton, at the Clayton Firehouse polling site from 7:45 to 8:15 a.m., 10 people entered.
-Reporter Ben Mace
Shout out to Delaware's registered Mandalorian voters
Delaware has 351,000 registered Democrat voters, 205,000 registered Republicans and 99 people that have registered to vote as “Mandalorians,” according to Delaware Department of Elections statistics.
Unfortunately, it will be an uneventful day for those 99 folks as Delaware operates closed primaries. This means you can only vote for candidates in your own party on primary day. Some people think this is lame.
And, also unfortunately, the Mandalorian contingent in Delaware has yet to run a candidate, which I think we would all love to see come the next round of elections. This is the way.
You can have a look at how many people are registered to various political parties and funnies here.
-Reporter Xerxes Wilson
Speaking of closed primaries:
Primary day always reminds me of the time then-Wilmington mayoral candidate Mike Purzycki, a Democrat in registration, rallied a bunch of city Republicans to change their registration to Democrat ahead of the 2016 primary.
Purzycki ended up winning that primary by a slim margin in an overloaded field of eight candidates. Today, sitting Gov. John Carney is vying to replace Purzycki in the Democratic primary against Velda Jones-Potter.
If you want to take a spin down memory lane, here was some coverage of the great Wilmington Republican swap from back in the day.
-Reporter Xerxes Wilson
Why can I not register to vote on election day?
In Delaware, you can't register to vote and actually vote on the same day. The deadline to register to vote for today's primary was Aug. 17.
You might ask: why?
Delaware is among about half the states in the U.S. that don't allow same-day voter registration. They have tried, however.
The General Assembly in 2022 passed legislation that would allow for such as part of numerous efforts in recent years to make voting easier. Conservative interests have attacked those efforts in court and successfully saw the Delaware Supreme Court strike down the state's same-day voter registration law in 2022.
So if you see your buddies' cool "I voted" stickers today and are feeling left out, your next shot at a cool sticker is the general election in November.
Granted, the general election is in many ways (and for some people) is less fun than the state primaries, but it is still part of the process. The deadline to register for that in Delaware is Oct. 12.
Read more: Delaware's early voting, mail-in ballot rules reinstated with latest Supreme Court ruling
-Reporter Xerxes Wilson
Who is on the ballot?
Get acquainted with your ballot before heading to the polls this morning with our guide to the 2024 primary here.
You'll find roundups of both the statewide and local races, as well as some deeper profiles on the gubernatorial candidates.
VOTING: Your guide to the 2024 primary election
Additionally, you can find the League of Women Voters guide here ? input your address and it will help you find the races you'll get to vote on.
What you need to know before heading to the polls this morning
We rounded up some important details about voting in Delaware's primary. You can find those here.
An important one to remember? You can vote on races only in the party you're registered for.
Only registered Democrats and Republicans can participate in the primary election. You cannot change your party or declare one at the polling place. When you enter the polling booth, you will be able to vote in races for your party only. For example, a registered Republican can vote in primary races between Republican candidates only.
STAY INFORMED: Primary election polls open Tuesday morning. Here's what to know before you vote
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware primary election 2024: Here's who voters chose in local races
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