Your election guide for county and Delaware House races in New Castle County

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect New Castle County Council District 7's candidate Michael Brown's status as former vice president of the NAACP Newark Branch.

Delaware’s primary election is coming up soon. Here’s a rundown of what to expect on your ballot this year if you live in New Castle County, including county government office and state House races.

The primary elections will be held Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. Early voting will take place between Aug. 28 and Aug. 31 and again from Sept. 3 through Sept. 8. Polls on election day will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Requests for an absentee ballot must be submitted by Friday, Sept. 6, for the primary elections, and must be received by the Department of Elections by the closing of the polls on election day.

The Delaware Department of Elections website can provide personalized information on your district, your nearest polling place, how to apply for an absentee ballot and more.

Remember, for primary elections, registered Democrats can vote for only one Democratic candidate for each position, and registered Republicans can vote for only one Republican candidate for each position.

Below is a summary of each candidate’s campaign promises and plans and links to each candidate’s campaign website. Candidates will be listed in alphabetical order.

Here are the races to watch in New Castle County this September.

New Castle County executive

The county executive acts as the chief executive officer for the New Castle County government.

Whoever is elected to this position leads and manages the county’s services such as police and paramedics, parks, libraries, land use planning, stormwater and wastewater management, housing assistance, economic development and more. Among these duties, the County Executive Office is also tasked with delivering the county’s budgets for each fiscal year.

The New Castle County executive can serve no more than two consecutive terms of four years each. The current executive is Matt Meyer, who is running for Delaware’s governor.

There are two candidates on the ballot for New Castle County executive.

Karen Hartley-Nagle, Democrat

Karen Hartley-Nagle has worked as the New Castle County Council president for the past eight years, where she acts as co-chair of the Public Safety Committee and has previously co-chaired the Economic Development Committee.

A previous small-business owner, television producer and board member for the New Castle County Board of Adjustment, Hartley-Nagle is running on campaign promises to keep taxes low, prioritize public safety and improve quality of life in the county.

Part of her plans include implementing affordable housing initiatives taken on by other cities around the country such as promoting accessory dwelling units, land trusts and boosting incentives for developers.

In order to improve the parks and recreation scene in New Castle County, Hartley-Nagle has stated that she wants to focus on Riverfront Regional Park in Claymont, the revival of Carousel Park & Equestrian Center in Pike Creek and implementing a best practices plan for park maintenance.

Marcus Henry, Democrat

Marcus Henry, son of former state Sen. Margaret Rose Henry, announced his campaign for New Castle County executive in April 2022.

Henry is no stranger to New Castle County’s political scene. He previously worked as director of development for the Wilmington Housing Authority, general manager of Community Services for New Castle County and economic development & policy director of New Castle County.

Henry also founded Brightbloom Centers, a clinical support service center for children with autism with centers in Delaware and South Jersey.

Henry’s campaign runs on strengthening public safety in the county by strengthening police and EMS resources and recruitment, employing responsible land use strategies to increase housing affordability, broadening youth and senior programming in the county and enhancing library and parks services and maintenance.

The campaign also focuses on strengthening partnerships with private employers in order to increase the number of local jobs available, to streamline land use processes to make permitting more efficient and promote mixed-use development to attract more businesses.

New Castle County president of County Council

The president of the County Council for New Castle County presides over the County Council meetings and has the right to vote and speak on matters discussed during meetings.

The president of the County Council can serve a maximum of two consecutive four-year terms.

New Castle County’s current president of the County Council is Karen Hartley-Nagle, who is in the running for New Castle County executive.

There are five Democratic candidates running for New Castle County president of the County Council.

George Frankel, Democrat

George Frankel began working as the Senate page under Sen. Chris Coons in 2015. He currently serves as the senior business liaison for the Delaware Workforce Development Board and resides in Wilmington. Frankel has previously worked in the private banking sector and on and off in the U.S. Senate Chamber.

Frankel’s platform rests on increasing public input for zoning matters, increasing support for the county’s fire and EMS services. He has also proposed a one-time property tax credit for seniors and starting an after-school tutoring program at the county’s libraries.

Val Gould, Democrat

Val Gould formerly worked as a teacher for over 20 years before working as a policy analyst for the Delaware Senate.

The major issues that Gould’s platform rests on is increasing access to affordable housing, implementing mixed-use zoning into the county’s land use plans, increasing access to sidewalks and accessible paths and bike lanes.

Gould has also promoted streamlining the permitting process in the county, ensuring park maintenance is conducted in a timely manner and implementing renewable strategies such as invasive species mitigation, planting more trees, promoting open space and retrofitting existing buildings for renewable energy sources.

Jason Hoover, Democrat

Jason Hoover is the founder and director of Save the Valley, a grassroots organization that advocated for preserving Delaware’s land into what became the First State National Historical Park. He also acts as the founder and chair of Rank the Vote Delaware, and is the owner of Trolley Web, a small tech business.

He has also previously worked for the New Castle County Open Space Advisory Board, is on the founding committee of Friends of Fairmount Park and is active in the Greenscape Committee.

Hoover’s campaign focuses include the preservation of New Castle County’s open space to be used as economic engines, the redevelopment of underutilized spaces and strengthening the public transit system in the county.

Monique Johns, Democrat

Monique Johns , a Claymont native, founded the Dream Leadership Institute, which aims to improve academic performance with life training and development skills.

Johns also founded A Helping Hand, a nonprofit that addresses community needs like housing assistance, employment training, food bank services and more. She also started Living Outside of the Walls, which advocates for the underserved in local communities.

As part of her campaign, Johns advocates for expanding technology access in local libraries, keeping parks safe and clean, ensuring that seniors can receive medical services and housing and recruiting more talent to police, fire and EMS departments.

Robert A. Williams, Democrat

Robert Williams , a county native, worked as a police officer for the City of Wilmington and as an emergency room trauma nurse with Christiana Care. He currently serves as the 911 Administrator with the Delaware Department of Homeland Security.

Williams previously served for seven years as a councilman for the 7th District of the Wilmington City Council.

Williams’ main focuses of his campaign are boosting the county’s public safety, including advocating for the protection of healthcare workers and improving the county’s infrastructure.

New Castle County Council District 7

New Castle County’s council members are tasked with writing and passing regulations that represent the constituents in each part of the county.

District 7 covers areas near New Castle. Its eastern borders stop around Swanwyck and Castle Hill and stretches down past Rambleton Acres and covers the Bear area.

To see if this district applies to you, check out District 7’s area map on Delaware’s Department of Elections website.

Council members are elected to four-year terms. District 7’s current council member is George Smiley, who is running for reelection and is being challenged by one other candidate.

Michael A. Brown, Democrat

Michael (Mike) Brown is another familiar face in New Castle County politics.

Brown has a background in law enforcement and previously served in the U.S. Army. He served three consecutive terms as a city councilman at large representing the city of Wilmington. In this role, he acted as a chairperson of multiple committees such as the Public Safety Committee, Finance Committee, the Public Works Committee and more.

He formerly acted as the vice president of the Newark branch of the NAACP.

Brown’s campaign rests on infrastructure development aimed toward expanding affordable housing initiatives and economic growth. He also wants to boost public safety and expand access to quality education for residents of the county.

George Smiley, Democrat

George Smiley currently is the council member for District 7 of New Castle County.

He is the former president and vice president of the Community Civic Association and former chair of the 16th House District Democratic Committee and is a retired member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

On the County Council, he acts as the co-chairman of the administration/finance committee and is the president of the Delaware Association of Counties.

Smiley said he believes the most urgent issue facing New Castle County is maintaining fiscal responsibility, and improving the county’s incentives so that developers can build affordable housing.

New Castle County Council District 12

New Castle County’s council members are tasked with writing and passing regulations that represent the constituents in each part of the county. Council members are elected to four-year terms.

District 12 covers Delaware City, St. Georges and St. Georges Heights and south to the west side of Odessa. Some areas to the west of Rt-13 are covered by this District as well. To see if this district applies to you, check out the area map from the Delaware Department of Elections website.

District 12’s current council member is Bill Bell, who is not running for reelection. There are two candidates in the running for this seat.

Kevin Caneco, Democrat

Kevin Caneco is currently a licensed attorney and a major in the Delaware National Guard.

Caneco has advocated for criminal justice reform in Dover and previously served as the chairman of the 9th Representative Democratic District Committee.

He has campaigned for protecting open spaces in New Castle County, employing responsible development practices, making small business options more affordable and providing adequate resources to the county’s police, fire and EMS personnel.

George M. Dudlek, Democrat

George Dudlek is a former Town Council member for Delaware City. He also worked as a library board member and the Delaware City Community Park District Commissioner.

Dudlek has pitched implementing strategies to encourage responsible growth such as implementing special use permits for buildings over 20,000 square feet; adding a paramedic unit at Boyds Corner while the Southern Public Safety Building is being constructed; attracting new recruits into the police force and advocating for better policies for small business growth in the area.

State House District 2

State representatives form the legislative branch of the Delaware state government along with the Delaware State Senate. Representatives work alongside the governor to create laws and establish a state budget. Representatives serve two-year terms and are not subject to term limits.District 2 covers the east side of Wilmington and areas near Elsmere. To check if this district applies to you, check out the official District 2 area map on the Delaware Department of Elections website.

District 2 is currently represented by Stephanie Bolden in the Delaware House of Representatives. She has held this position since 2010 and is being challenged by one other candidate.

Stephanie T. Bolden, Democrat

Stephanie Bolden has held District 2’s seat in the House of Representatives for nearly 15 years. She is the longest-serving elected African American woman in Delaware and the first woman to be elected president pro tempore.

Before her time as a state representative, Bolden was a member of the Wilmington City Council, where she has lived her entire life and is a retired teacher in the Christina School District.

Some of Bolden’s policies over the years have aimed at enhancing public education and charter schools, protecting seniors and youth, improving public health and safety and increasing gun control and safety measures. Bolden is also responsible for the implementation of the citywide Camera Watch Program.

James Taylor, Democrat

James Taylor is an active community member and lifelong resident in the city of Wilmington. He previously worked in the U.S. Senate with Sen. Chris Coons and is currently the vice chair of the Wilmington Democrats’ 4th Ward Committee.

Taylor’s campaign aims to expand access to quality preventive health services and provide residents relief from environmental inequities that they have faced by allowing residents who live in a floodplain to write off all expenses related to preparedness and recovery from natural disasters. He also wants to ensure that education and job training resources are accessible to community members.

He is an advocate for gun safety regulations, rent regulations and expanding emergency services from the Delaware Housing Assistance Program.

State House District 3

District 3 covers the west side of Wilmington from the Quaker Hill neighborhood on the eastern border to the Charter School of Wilmington on the western border. To find out if this district applies to you, check the District 3 area map on the Delaware Department of Elections website.

The current representative for this district is Sherry Dorsey Walker, who has held the position since 2018 and is not running for reelection. There are two candidates in the running for this office.

Branden Fletcher Dominguez, Democrat

Branden Fletcher Dominguez is a community organizer and housing advocate in Wilmington.

He has experience as the Secretary of the 5th District Neighborhood Planning Council, a member of Leadership for Education Equity and 5th Ward Democratic Associate member. Among other roles, he also formerly worked as a community engagement coordinator with West Side Grows Together.

Dominguez is an advocate for mixed-income housing and tax relief for low-income homeowners, as well as expanding basic tenant protections. He also supports gun control and safety regulations, a Green New Deal for Delaware and aims to implement a state-wide single-payer health care plan.

Josue O. Ortega, Democrat

Josue Ortega is a community liaison and projects coordinator with New Castle County.

Ortega has stated that he aims to improve the education system by providing regular training and development opportunities for teachers and more resources for students and school facilities.

On the public safety front, Ortega advocates for policies such as enhancing emergency response systems, modernizing 911 infrastructure and expanding substance abuse treatment programs. He also is an advocate for increasing affordable housing options and investing in mental health services.

State House District 10

District 10 covers the northernmost area of New Castle County, stretching from Concord Hills and Brandywine to the west to the Darley Woods area in Brandywine Hundred to the east. To find out if this district applies to you, check out the District 10 area map on the Delaware Department of Elections website.

The current representative for this district is Sean Matthews, who is not running for reelection. There are three candidates in the running for this seat.

Stephen Jankovic, Democrat

Stephen Jankovic is a chiropractor at Carrick Chiropractic Care in Wilmington.

He works with Unstoppable Joy Co., which supports breast cancer survivors and their families. He is also a member of the Lions Club, which provides local and global community services.

Jankovic has not spoken publicly about his platform for state representative.

Melanie Ross Levin, Democrat

Melanie Ross Levin is the director of Delaware’s State Office of Women’s Advancement and Advocacy and the director of engagement and mobilization at the National Women’s Law Center.

Levin also served as a legislative fellow in the Delaware General Assembly and has acted as a grassroots organizer for Planned Parenthood of Delaware.

Levin advocates for expanding state-funded health care programs and Medicaid to cover more individuals statewide and protecting reproductive rights in Delaware. She also plans to improve Delaware schools and hire more paraprofessionals, counselors and social workers to support students.

Levin also advocates for “smart development,” using mixed-use zoning and enhancing green building standards by placing incentives for renewable energy projects statewide.

Dennis E. Williams, Democrat

Dennis Williams previously served as the state representative for District 10 from 2009 until 2015. He is the chief financial officer with Dolphin Consulting Group and has an additional 25-plus years in the accounting and finance sectors.

Williams has stated that his focus for this election is constituent services, strengthening public schools, supporting working families, protecting the environment and protecting reproductive and voting rights.

State House District 15

This district is made up of parts of Porter, St. Georges, Bear and Red Lion and has been represented by Valerie Longhurst, a Democrat, since 2004. Longhurst is vying against newcomer Kamela T. Smith, also a Democrat.

Valerie Longhurst

Longhurst , who lives in Bear, is currently the speaker of the House in Dover, and she is the first woman to hold that position in Delaware's history and has been a representative from this district for nearly 20 years.

According to a statement to the  League of Women Voters Education Fund, her main priorities include increased access to mental health care for children.

She also advocates for "common-sense gun safety" on her website and states she is a leader in the state government for "women's equality in workplace, justice system and healthcare system."

Kamela T. Smith

This is Kamela T. Smith 's first campaign for public office. She lives in Red Lion and was a mental health professional for 20 years. She said in her field she encountered issues that she was tired of complaining about so she decided to run.

One of her biggest priorities is closing gaps in mental healthcare for adults in the state, including improvements in employment and residential programs for people with "serious and persistent" mental illnesses. She also wants to increase access to breakfast and lunches in schools, and increase transparency in government by supporting the creation of an inspector general.

"I would try to push that needle a little bit more, working with that and addressing the corruption and the accountability measures in our state for our taxpayers, and making sure that government services are operating the way that they should," Smith said.

State House District 21

State House District 21, around the Pike Creek area , could flip to Democrats this year. Republican Mike Ramone held the seat for years, but stepped away from the position to run for governor. Republican Brenda Manella is already in line for the ballot in November, but two Democrats are running to face her for the seat. The race is between a candidate who lost to Ramone by 41 votes in 2022 and his former staffer on that campaign.

Frank Burns

Frank Burns , living in Milford Crossroads, entered state politics in 2022 after a career in public health, remediation and other scientific fields. He runs two years after a razor-thin loss to Ramone. He said his scientific background gives him a unique perspective in government.

Burns said improving the education system is one of his top priorities should he make it to Dover. He said the state should do all of the funding replacing the referendum-based funding system of individual districts.

He also supports the formation of an inspector general to improve government transparency and accountability.

Michael A. Smith

Smith , living in Milltown, would be one of the youngest legislators in Dover, turning 28 a few days after the primary. He has been involved with local Democratic politics and runs a non profit that brings clean electrification, including electric vehicle charging stations and LED lightbulbs, to businesses and residences around Delaware. He does come with some experience despite his youth, serving as a legislative aide in Dover for a time.

"There's very few people under the age of 35 and I think adding a younger voice that can represent a district that has a large diversity of ages and families and races is an incredible achievement because we have had nationwide a taste for older politicians that seems to have worn off in the eyes of voters," Smith said. "I believe that having a newer generation leadership can provide a sense of understanding, a sense of perspective, a sense of representation that is currently missing, not only in Dover, but especially in Washington, D.C."

He said his focus includes energy alternatives and road safety. His experience as a legislative aide sets him apart from his opponent, he said.

"I think I'm the only candidate who has this sense of prioritization that matches those who live in the 21st district," Smith said.

State House District 27

This district includes the Glasgow area of New Castle County, south of Newark and north of Middletown.

This district has been represented by Democrat Eric Morrison since 2020. The winner of this Democratic primary will face off against Republican Kristina Griffing in November.

Eric Morrison

Eric Morrison has been in the Delaware House since 2020 and is a progressive Democrat living in Glasgow. He said despite being the incumbent, he still runs a grassroots campaign and hosts town halls.

Morrison said he has been working in the last session to guarantee one hour of paid sick and safety leave for every 30 hours of work for every Delaware worker. Seventeen other states, Washington, D.C., and over 180 countries have some required paid sick time on their books. His bill that would have required paid sick and safety leave in Delaware but didn't get through the House Appropriations Committee. Next year, he hopes to get it "across the finish line."

"The states are starting to really pick up on that, because we're not doing anything at a federal level," Morrison said.

This past session, he focused more on "good government." This includes laws increasing government transparency through reforming campaign finance laws and restricting nepotism, he said.

Margie Lopez Waite

Margie Lopez Waite is a member of the Delaware Hispanic Commission and is in her first campaign for public office. She lives in Glasgow.

She worked at Bank of America in multiple different management positions before pursuing education. Waite founded the state's first dual language charter school and has education reform as one of her priorities if elected. She said her experience operating a school gives her a good perspective on what she said was a "hot topic."

How public and charter schools are funded is one of the most important issues she hopes to tackle if elected. She said it is a "broken model" that was built without thinking about equity in the state. Properly applying funding that schools receive is also important, instead of "throwing money at the problem."

Waite said there is a correlation between the strength of the economy and the education system. Being able to attract and keep businesses in Delaware is a way to increase jobs in the future. She also said the environment in her district is important to her, and balancing growth while maintaining green spaces is critical to people in her district.

"We need to be mindful that we don't just continue to grow without thinking through how we want to protect our resources and our green spaces and protect our environment," Waite said.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Your election guide for county and Delaware House races in New Castle County