Kent County primary election preview: State reps, a county commissioner and a row office

Primary elections in Kent County from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, include a Republican primary for a county row office and Democratic primaries in two state representative districts and a Levy Court district.

Early voting will be Aug. 28-31 and Sept. 3 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sept. 4-8 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In the Delaware primary, only registered Democrats can vote in the Democratic races and only registered Republicans can vote in the Republican races.

For information on what district you live in, polling places, or absentee voting, see the Delaware Department of Elections website.

State Representative District 29, Democratic primary

Incumbent state Rep. William Bush is facing a challenge in the Democratic primary from Monica Shockley Porter in the 29th Representative District. The winner will face Republican candidate Anthony Egipciaco Jr. in November.

Bush, of Camden-Wyoming, is running for a fourth term after first being elected in 2018. A private attorney, he runs a small business. He was the policy adviser for the Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security. He formerly served on the Caesar Rodney Board of Education, the Delaware Technical Community College Board of Trustees, the Greater Dover Boys & Girls Club Board and the Modern Maturity Center Board.

Shockley Porter, of Clayton, is a public relations professional managing in the education, health care, and nonprofit fields. She is a James H. Gilliam Sr. Fellow in the Wilmington Metropolitan Urban League, the Kent County committee chair of the National Urban League and a member of The Links and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority.

Both candidates said health care is the most challenging issue residents face.

Bush said he’s worked in the Legislature to bring more health care workers to Kent County by increasing loan forgiveness for doctors and nurses and expanding the physician training program. He’s backed efforts to require insurance to cover screenings for breast, prostate and ovarian cancers to catch those diseases earlier. He also pledged to work to bring down the price of prescription drugs while opening access to safe and affordable generic alternatives.Shockley Porter said after working in the health care field, she’s witnessed the struggles that families face in finding and affording services. She supports the creation of a Medicaid buy-in option. She pledges to work to increase the availability of inpatient and outpatient options for substance abuse treatment, expanding treatment options that address the root causes of addiction, and offering comprehensive mental health services.

State Representative District 34, Democratic primary

A Democratic primary is being held in the 34th Representative District to determine the candidate who will face Republican incumbent Rep. Lyndon Yearick who has served in the House since 2014.

The Democratic candidates are Adewunmi “Ade” Kuforiji of Dover and Tracey M. Miller of Wyoming.

Kuforiji, a 31-year state employee, has worked in financial management and reporting for the Department of Health and Social Services, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Department of Education and now as chief financial officer and business manager for the Capital School District.

He said the most important issues are education, health care and a fiscally responsible government. In education, he will work to make resources more available and more impactful to prepare children to be future leaders. In health care, he will support efforts to ensure health care for infants, children and seniors. In finances, he said a fiscally responsible budget is needed and so he will support measures that lead to greater generation of revenue and more efficient use of resources.

Miller is the director of development for Forward Journey Adult Day Services, a nonprofit. She is a member of the Metropolitan Planning Organization Public Action Committee, a city counselor chair of the Ways and Means Committee, the chair of the Capital Finance Committee and a member of the Kent County Board of Assessment.

Her top issues are equity in education, health care and affordable workforce housing. One of her priorities is to revamp the antiquated unit-based education system and to improve schools, support educators and advocate for teacher retention and recruitment. In health care, she will work for affordable and comprehensive health care options for all. More affordable workforce housing is needed, she said, to support the local workers who are the backbone of our community.

Kent County Levy Court District 5, Democratic primary

In Kent County, the Levy Court is the governing body typically called a county council.

Incumbent County Commissioner George "Jody" Sweeney is facing a challenge in the Democratic primary from Susan Lanyon in District 5. There is no Republican candidate for District 5 on the general election ballot as of Aug. 23.

Lanyon, of Camden, worked for more than 20 years as an executive for nonprofit organizations and for five years as a public library staff member. Her involvement with community organizations includes the Rotary Club of Wilmington, Bellevue Community Center board of directors, Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Delaware Library Association.

Her top priorities are the current budget deficit and affordable housing. She advocates maintaining the growth zone and making sure adequate infrastructure is in place to accommodate expansion by collaborating with the state, particularly the Department of Transportation. She said a realistic strategy to attract and train a skilled workforce is critical, as is expanding access to broadband service for residents and businesses. To help with the affordable housing crisis, she advocates changing regulations on setbacks and lot sizes.

Sweeney, of Wyoming, has served as county commissioner for 16 years. He worked for the Delaware Department of Transportation and the Department of Technology and Information, Wesley College and the Smyrna School District, and is now retired. He’s a member of the Dover-Kent Metropolitan Planning Organization that guides transportation planning in the county.

His priorities include public safety, parks and recreational opportunities, government transparency and managing county spending to keep property taxes low. He also wants to improve coordination of developments with the Department of Transportation, address problems with the quality of home construction and non-responsive developers and builders, and increase the school impact fee paid by developers and builders. He advocates reinstating the county’s adequate public facilities ordinances to help manage growth.

Kent County register of wills, Republican primary

Two candidates are running in the Republican primary for Kent County register of wills: Colin Bonini of Camden and Susanne Whitney of Magnolia.

Both candidates said they want to increase awareness about the purpose of the Register of Wills Office and the services provided.

Bonini is a former state senator from 1994 to 2022 who ran for governor in 2016 and 2020. He said his experience in both the private sector and as a state senator will be a great resource for the people of Kent County.

Whitney is a paralegal and office manager at an attorney’s office. She’s also president of the nonprofit “A Walk In Their Shoes,” with the goal of enhancing the relationship between law enforcement and the community.

She said her experience working in a law office will help in running an effective and efficient Register of Wills Office.

The primary winner will face Democrat D.J. Cox in November. The incumbent, Democrat Harold Brode, isn’t running for reelection.

Reach reporter Ben Mace at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware primary election: Preview of 5 races in Kent County