Why Should Delaware Care?
The Working Families Party, a progressive political movement built around expanding populist ideals that has steadily grown its presence in Delaware in recent election cycles, further expanded its reach during Tuesday’s Democratic primaries.
While well-known incumbents easily prevailed in Democratic races at the top of Tuesday’s primary ticket, the big story of the night were the wins by statehouse progressives who knocked out five incumbents and captured an open seat.
U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings and first-time candidate for state treasurer, Ted Lauzen, each easily won their respective elections Tuesday night. They all face Republican challengers in November but will be heavy favorites in Delaware, which hasn’t elected a Republican statewide in 22 years.
But in the Delaware statehouse, it was a big night for the progressive Working Families Party, an organization that has been challenging — and ousting — Democratic incumbents for the last few election cycles. The WFP won eight of the 13 races in which it endorsed candidates on Tuesday, marking its most successful cycle yet.
The wins included five new House members, one incumbent House member, one new State Senator, and a new council member in New Castle County. Their diversity — seven people of color and seven women — were also a striking addition to the Democratic field.
Perhaps the most surprising win of all of the progressive candidates was Tyeisha “Tye” Grier, who defeated Rep. Bill “Lumpy” Carson, a nearly 20-year incumbent who represents the Smyrna-area 28th House District.
And without a Republican challenger, Grier, an Army veteran and longtime progressive activist, heads straight to Legislative Hall in January after her win Tuesday night. She did not immediately return Spotlight Delaware’s request for comment.
Grier ran a grassroots campaign largely focused on affordability, pledging to work on housing prices, electricity costs and accessible childcare, while raising less than $2,000 in campaign funds.
Comparatively, Carson’s campaign spent or was aided by more than $100,000 in campaign funding, according to Spotlight Delaware’s campaign finance database.
The race was indicative of broader efforts in Democratic primaries across the state, but particularly in and around Wilmington, that saw more than $1 million spent by law firms, developers and prominent business owners to try to support reelection bids by incumbents or chosen candidates.
In many of those races, the efforts failed to sway voters away from WFP-backed challengers, particularly in an election year where the progressive movement is making gains nationally.
In House District 6, where three Democrats were vying to succeed retiring longtime Rep. Debra Heffernan, it was progressive Rachel “Rae” Krantz who easily ran away with the race. Heffernan and corporate-backed political action committees had supported her opponent Ed Mulvihill, a local liquor store owner.
“We saw unprecedented amounts of PAC spending in these Delaware races, and I think for the most part, people said, ‘I just want to make my own decision here,’” Krantz told Spotlight Delaware on Tuesday night. “I think there’s also been a big frustration at the federal level with that lack of fight in the more moderate, corporate establishment, whatever you want to call them, Democrats. I think we’re seeing a real thirst for new energy and people who are ready to fight for them.”
For Karl Stomberg, the state political director for WFP, the night was a reminder of the political organization’s grassroots strategy.
“We always say, ‘They have the money, we have the people,’ especially in these areas that are more working-class, more diverse,” he told Spotlight Delaware on Tuesday night.
For those waking up Wednesday morning and wondering what an increased WFP presence in Dover may mean next year – assuming those who face general election challenges prevail as expected – Stomberg said their message was clear: “We want to make Delaware better, and we want to make it better for as many people as possible.”
“So, if your idea of making the state better is letting billionaires run wild over our legal system, or concentrating power at the top, or to kill free school meals, or kill police reform because you think that’s in the best interest of a certain group of people that you represent, then yeah, you’re going to be upset with the changes we’re trying to make,” he said. “Most of our elected officials have lived here their whole lives, and some for many generations. We want to have a state where everybody can live, thrive, and survive without having to worry about the cost of utilities, the cost of housing, the cost of groceries, and there’s a lot that we can do that we have not been doing.”
The full list of WFP-backed wins includes:
- Shay Frisby over Sen. Ray Seigfried in the Claymont and Brandywine Hundred-area 5th Senate District
- Michelle Booker over Rep. Stephanie Bolden in the 2nd House District, covering Wilmington’s East Side
- Brandon Fletcher Dominguez over Rep. Josue Ortega in the 3rd House District, covering Wilmington’s Hilltop neighborhoods.
- Rae Krantz in the three-candidate open primary to succeed retiring Rep. Debra Heffernan in the Bellefonte-area 6th House District
- Incumbent Rep. Sherae’a “Rae” Moore holding onto her Middletown-area 8th House District seat
- Pamela Salaam over Rep. Frank Cooke in the 16th House District, stretching from Wilmington to New Castle
- Grier over Carson in the Smyrna-area 28th House District
- Kira Alejandro in an open primary to replace Janet Kilpatrick, who did not seek reelection, on New Castle County Council.
Incumbents prevail in other races
Perhaps the biggest loss for a WFP-involved race was in Wilmington’s Senate District 1, where Sen. Dan Cruce fended off a challenge by Adriana Bohm, a professor and activist, by less than 200 votes.
Rep. Nnamdi Chukwuocha also defeated City Councilwoman Shané Darby in Wilmington’s House District 1, while Rep. Kim Williams, the co-chair of the state’s powerful Joint Finance Committee, easily outlasted challenger Will Imbrie-Moore.
In non-WFP-involved contests, Krista Griffith’s win over Dr. Rob Bahnsen was among the most high-profile. More than $300,000 was spent between the two campaigns, with much of it relitigating the controversial Senate Bill 21, a corporate law passed last year.
House Majority Leader Kerri Evelyn Harris defeated challenger LaChelle Paul in the Dover-area House District 32, while progressive Rep. Eric Morrison turned away a challenge by union laborer Chris Muntz in the Glasgow-area House District 27.
Three state senators – Spiros Mantzavinos, Jack Walsh, and Kyra Hoffner – easily dispatched their opponents, all capturing at least 65% of their district votes. A fourth, Nicole Poore, had a closer race against a WFP-backed challenger, Keonna Watson, but ultimately prevailed with 53% of the vote.
In Sussex County, Rep. Alonna Berry held onto her Milton-area House seat against a challenger who questioned both her electability and recent affordable housing policy.
Ruby Keeler Schaeffer centered her campaign around Senate Bill 23, an affordable housing law that has sparked outsized scrutiny across Sussex County compared to its northern counterparts.
But that single-issue campaign was not enough to carry Schaeffer to victory.
Berry did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night, but she thanked her constituents in an emailed statement.
“Hope always wins,” she said. “Togetherness always wins. Let’s keep investing in hope, pushing for the promise of a better tomorrow and showing up as neighbors helping neighbors.”
Despite her primary win, Berry still faces a competitive general election challenge from Republican Gene Dvornick. Berry’s Milton-area district is arguably one of the most purple in the state, flipping to become Democratically controlled in 2022 and only narrowly staying in Democratic hands with Berry’s first win in 2025.
Khan-Flowers, Redlawsk win open seat races
Ayanna Khan-Flowers, the founder of the Delaware Black Chamber of Commerce, won a three-way race for the Democratic nomination in House District 9, covering the Middletown-Odessa-Townsend area. That seat, held by retiring Republican Rep. Kevin Hensley, is a major flip target for Democrats in November as they seek a two-thirds supermajority.
In Newark’s House District 23, university professor David Redlawsk won a four-way race to succeed Rep. Mara Gorman who is running for State Senate. Redlawsk will head to Dover in January with no Republican opponent on the line.
County races elect new faces
One new county council member was elected in New Castle County, where the only contested primary races at the county-level were held.
As of 11 p.m. Tuesday, Jason Hoover held a slight edge over Helena Creamer in District 4, which has no Republican opposition. The winner will join the 13-member council in November.
Councilwoman Valerie George was reelected in District 5 after defeating WFP-backed Syam Kosigi, but his fellow progressive Kira Alejandro bested Kyle Grantham, a former county communications professional who was endorsed by the retiring incumbent Janet Kilpatrick.
Alejandro will face Republican Melissa Brayman in the November general election.
Finally, County Councilman David Tackett beat incumbent Mike Kozikowski for New Castle County Recorder of Deeds, a little-discussed row office job. His election will create a special election in the 11th District near Newark, as there is no Republican challenger for the job.
That race was marked by scandal in recent weeks as Tackett alleged Kozikowski offered him a job to stay out of the race.
