11/3/2010
Councilman Bob Weiner wins re-election! - News Journal

Incumbents Robert Weiner and Janet Kilpatrick, Republicans from Districts 2 and 3 respectively, also won re-election.

"I'm appreciative of the support, the overwhelming support from the residents of Brandywine Hundred and Greenville," Weiner said. "I think the results support the fact that our community is concerned about irresponsible development, openness and responsive government." Weiner got 59.4 percent of vote, compared to Democratic opponent Michael Annone's 40.6 percent.

Delaware Democrats hold seats in New Castle, Kent counties

Republicans sweep five Sussex races

Residents of New Castle  County will be represented by a mostly Democratic County Council, with Republicans winning only two of six contested seats in Tuesday's election.

The council also will get a new president, with Democrat  Paul Clark moving up to serve as county executive following a win by current Executive Chris Coons in the race for the U.S. Senate. Clark has been on council since 2004.
Democrats also held on to most of their seats in Kent County Levy Court, while voters in Sussex County selected Republican  candidates to fill all five seats that were up for grabs.
New Castle County
Scot Sauer, a Republican who ran to represent District 1 on County Council after incumbent Democrat Joe Reda proposed a $400 licensing fee for small businesses, lost that race with about 32 percent of the votes cast compared to Reda's 68 percent.
In Council District 6, incumbent Democrat Bill Powers took about 63 percent of the vote to defeat Andrea Daley, who criticized him for helping to ease traffic-congestion regulations to encourage residential development in the district. She earned 36.7 votes in the county.
Incumbents Robert Weiner and Janet Kilpatrick, Republicans from Districts 2 and 3 respectively, also won re-election.
"I'm appreciative of the support, the overwhelming support from the residents of Brandywine Hundred and Greenville," Weiner said. "I think the results support the fact that our community is concerned about irresponsible development, openness and responsive government." Weiner got 59.4 percent of vote, compared to Democratic opponent Michael Annone's 40.6 percent.
Democrats Penrose Hollins and Elisa Diller, who ran unopposed, will represent Districts 4 and 5, respectively.
Democrat Trinidad Navarro handily defeated challengers Bill Hart, a Republican, and Joseph O'Leary, an Independent, in the race for New Castle  County sheriff. Navarro won with nearly 70 percent of the vote.
Democrat Ciro Poppiti III won the race for New Castle County register of wills with 63.5 percent of the vote over Republican Kathy Sherwin. In October, Poppiti took a neutral stand on whether the position should be an administrative job at the county level instead of an elected row office.
Michael Kozilkowski, who ran unopposed, will serve as recorder of deeds.


Kent County
Democrat Terry Pepper, who earned 52.2 percent of the vote Tuesday, will return to Levy Court, serving as commissioner at large. He faced a challenge from Republican W.G. Edmanson, also a former Levy Court commissioner, who got 43.3 percent of the vote.
In District 2, which covers most of Dover , incumbent Democrat Brad Eaby earned 49.4 percent of votes cast, squeaking past former Dover mayor and Republican Stephen Speed, who was 46 votes short of victory. Incumbent Republican Eric Buckson was re-elected to represent District 4, defeating Democratic challenger Donald Culver. Buckson earned 65.3 percent of the votes in his district.
"The bottom line is look at what I've done, and that's what I'll continue to do," he said Tuesday, referring to his fiscally conservative stance toward spending.
Republican Glen Howell earned 54.8 percent of votes to oust incumbent Democrat Harold Brode in District 6. Brode picked up 45.2 percent of the vote.
In the race for Kent County sheriff, Democrat Norman Wood, an 18-year veteran of the Smyrna Police Department, ousted incumbent James Higdon, a Republican who has served for 16 years. Higdon implemented several cost-saving measures, including not using a county vehicle or gas card for 10 years. Because of a DUI charge that was filed over the summer, Higdon now must blow into an ignition interlock device to test his blood alcohol level before starting his car.
"All the supporters and voters, people have been complaining, they voted; their voices were heard," Wood said. During the campaign, Wood said he planned to strengthen community relationships with the sheriff's office, and upgrade technology used by deputies. Wood won with 52 percent of the vote in the county, over Higdon's 41.4 percent.
Incumbent Democrat Betty Lou McKenna will continue to serve as recorder of deeds after earning 49.2 percent of votes and beating Republican Michael Lindquist by 3.4 percentage points.

Sussex County
Democrat Gregory Fuller, who was appointed register of wills in 2008, was unsuccessful in his bid to become the county's first African-American elected official when he lost to Republican Cynthia Green, who won with 57.4 percent of the vote.
John Brady, Delaware's first openly gay public officeholder, ran as a Democrat and as a Working Families Party candidate in the race for recorder of deeds. He lost to Republican Scott Dailey by just over 1 percentage point in a race that came down to the final two precincts counted.
County Council President and District 5 Rep. Vance Phillips, an incumbent Republican, was successful in his bid for re-election after facing criticism that he spent too much time campaigning for failed U.S. House candidate Glen Urquhart. Phillips won with 60.4 percent of the vote over Democrat Dennis Cordrey, who earned 39.6 percent of the vote.
George Cole, a Republican incumbent, also defended his seat as District 4 County Council Representative, winning 60.7 percent of the vote. Cole's parents represented the district before him and Cole's win means the family has successfully defended its 20-year hold on that seat.
Republican Jeffrey Christopher earned 53.8 percent of the vote to defeat Democrat Eric Swanson to serve as Sussex County sheriff.

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