Campaign to replace Rep. Parker Selby heats up between two educators

Why Should Delaware Care?
In June, Rep. Stell Parker Selby resigned from her legislative seat following a prolonged absence that came after suffering a stroke. Now, Democrats and Republicans are vying to replace her in the district of more than 20,000 Milton and Lewes-area residents. The race could be an opportunity for Republicans to flip the seat and cut into Democrats majority in the statehouse.

On paper, Nikki Miller and Alonna Berry are fairly similar candidates in the race to replace former-Rep. Stell Parker Selby (D-Milton).   

Both have over a decade of experience in the education field, and both identified school reform and infrastructure development as primary campaign priorities. And neither has held elected office before. 

In a compressed campaign schedule that has seen each candidate forced to woo votes in just a matter of a few weeks during Delaware’s summertime months, both also lacked specific details about their policy agendas in separate interviews with Spotlight Delaware.

When asked about a wind farm project proposed off the Delmarva coast – among the biggest controversies in southern Delaware at the moment – Berry said the state needs a “diversified approach to making sure that our climate and our air and our environment are sound.”

When pressed whether she supports the controversial project, Berry took a long pause before saying, “I would be in support of it if the legislation and the policy pieces are well-written and make sense.”

When Miller was pressed on her inexperience as a politician, she asserted that she has “more leadership experience than almost every single person sitting in public office right now.” 

“People know when I’m in a room. I listen when I need to listen, but when it is time to advocate, I will do it.” she said.

The District 20 special election will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 5, exactly six weeks after Parker Selby announced her resignation from the legislature. 

Miller, a Republican, and Berry, a Democrat – both Milton residents – have had about three weeks to campaign since their respective parties selected them as candidates.

Educators ready to lead

Miller spent five years as principal of the Cape Henlopen High School before transitioning in 2022 to her current role as Supervisor of Instruction at the Seaford School District.

Berry spent the past eight years founding and launching the Bryan Allen Stevenson School of Excellence, a charter school that opened last fall in Georgetown. Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she also began working in then-Gov. John Carney’s office on education and family services. 

In recent years, she has also held positions at the Delaware Center for Justice. 

Emily Hershman, who served as communications director for Carney’s governor’s office, said Berry has an ability to take action during crises, such as when Sussex County poultry plants suffered a major COVID-19 outbreak.

“I don’t think there is anyone better suited to just jump in than Alonna. I have seen her jump in really tense, hard times,” Hershman said. 

For Miller, people who have worked with her in a school setting say her strength lies in her ability to reach solutions with people who may disagree. 

Brian Gadzinski worked as a special education teacher while Miller was the principal at Cape Henlopen. He recalled a situation in which he and Miller disagreed on how to approach an issue at the school, but were able to compromise and reach an agreement – a skill he said would serve her well as a Republican in the Democrat-controlled state legislature.

“She heard everyone. It wasn’t just her way or no way – it was let’s sit down and talk about it,” Gadzinski said. “Even when we didn’t agree on certain situations, we still talked things out.”

Candidates say consistency is key

Miller described her time spent as principal at Cape Henlopen as one that provided her with more leadership experience than many current elected officials have – and than her opponent. Cape Henlopen High School serves about 1,900 students and 250 staff members.

When asked how she would transition from being an educator to holding political office, Miller said she always smiles when confronted with that question. 

“Education, especially in the public sector, is very political when you become an administrator,” she said. 

For Berry, she said her combination of experiences with the Bryan Stevenson School and working in Carney’s office give her a broader knowledge than Miller of what it takes to achieve things in the state government. 

“I’ve been in Dover. I understand what it takes to get things done,” Berry said. “I know how the system operates. I know how our state budget works.” 

An issue of widespread concern to residents of the 20th representative district is the future of an Atlantic Ocean wind farm project. Last month, lawmakers passed a bill that on Jan. 31 would clear the way for it to progress by overriding a Sussex County Council decision to deny a permit for the wind project.

While Berry said she supports the proposal, Miller criticized it as not having been adequately researched. She also said the project has become a statewide issue when it should be left up to local leaders. 

“The Democrats that are [in the legislature], they are making decisions for the entire state, and Sussex County is not getting the voice that it deserves,” she said. 

Miller ran as the Republican candidate against incumbent Parker Selby in the November general election, losing to Parker Selby by just under 250 votes.

Given former Rep. Parker Selby’s absence for the entirety of the 2025 Legislative Session, both candidates expressed the need for the Milton-area representative able to show up consistently and advocate on behalf of the district’s residents. 

Since her loss, Miller said she has continued listening to the concerns of District 20 residents. This is proof, Miller added, that she would always show up for her constituents, if elected. 

Berry said she understands how District 20 voters have felt since January without a voting representative in the state legislature, and that she can be a consistent voice for her constituents.

The Delaware State Chamber of Commerce is holding an invite-only candidate forum with Miller and Berry on July 25 in Lewes, in collaboration with the Georgetown, Milford and Lewes chambers of commerce. The state chamber has held such forums in recent years for statewide races, but holding a forum for a district-wide race is a rarity.

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Maggie Reynolds is a Report for America corps member and Spotlight Delaware reporter who covers rural communities in Delaware. Your donation to match our Report for America grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://spotlightdelaware.org/support/.