Land use, affordable housing, infrastructure, oh my: Elections to watch in Sussex

It’s election season in Sussex County, where land-use issues, affordable housing, infrastructure and more are all on the table.

Sussex is the fastest-growing county in Delaware, evidenced by the new housing developments that seem to be around every corner. Concerns for the roads, the environment and property rights will bring voters to the polls for the primary Sept. 10 and the general election Nov. 5.

Here are the races in Sussex this year – and the ones to watch.

One to watch: House District 14 (Rehoboth)

Retiring House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, a Democrat, has held the Rehoboth-area House seat for over 20 years.

Three Democrats are running to replace him in the primary: Kathy McGuiness, Marty Rendon and Claire Snyder-Hall. The winner of the primary will face Republican Mike Simpler in the general election.

McGuiness, the embattled former state auditor, former Rehoboth Beach commissioner, pharmacist and small-business owner, still has many supporters in the Rehoboth area. They include Schwartzkopf, who has endorsed her.

She is a “lifelong resident” of the district, her website says. It doesn’t list policy stances, but recent Facebook posts say she will “fight to preserve and protect our beaches, lakes and watershed” and “protect reproductive freedoms.”

Rendon’s website says he wants to meet environmental challenges, address overdevelopment and traffic congestion, expand health care availability, preserve civil rights and advance equality and enhance opportunities for small businesses.

He spent “decades” working as a congressional aide in Washington and later directed congressional relations for UNICEF, his website says. He is a commissioner on the Delaware Human and Civil Rights Commission.

Rendon has been visiting Rehoboth since the 1970s and has owned property in the area since the '80s, according to his website.

Snyder-Hall is “a pro-choice Democrat who will work to protect reproductive freedom, strengthen the Democratic process in the First State, and advance doable bills aimed at improving Delaware’s quality of life in terms of health, education, housing, and the environment,” her website says.

Snyder-Hall directed the nonprofit Common Cause’s Delaware office for five years. According to her website, she’s served in several Democratic party leadership positions in Florida and Delaware. She has a doctorate in political science and, before moving to Rehoboth full time in 2011, taught political science at George Mason University.

Simpler is the president of the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company and a lifelong Cape resident, his website says.

If elected, he will advocate for economic relief, grant-in-aid funding for nonprofits, improvements to emergency services, protecting the environment, increased access to specialized healthcare and education opportunities, more public transportation and the rehabilitation of county infrastructure, his website says.

House District 20 (Milton)

Democrat incumbent Stell Parker-Selby turned this seat blue in 2022.

She and Brian Jenkins are running in the Democratic primary, and the winner will face Republican Nikki Miller in the general election.

House District 4 (Long Neck)

Incumbent Republican Sen. Jeff Hilovsky was the first senator of this district, which was created by re-districting in 2022. He'll face Democrat Gregg Lindner in the general election.

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House District 36 (Milford)

Incumbent Republican Rep. Bryan Shupe was first elected in 2018. This year, he'll face Patrick Smith in the Republican primary. The winner will face Democrat Rony Baltazar-Lopez in the general election.

House District 41 (Millsboro)

Incumbent Republican Rep. Rich Collins was first elected in 2014. He will face Democrat Tom Brett in the general election.

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One to watch: Senate District 6 (Lewes)

In this district, incumbent Democrat Sen. Russ Huxtable will face Republican challenger Kim Hoey Stevenson.

Huxtable was elected in 2022 after Republican Sen. Ernie Lopez retired from the position, beating longtime Republican Rep. Steve Smyk for the seat.

He spent "two decades with local nonprofits committed to helping Delaware families find affordable housing," his Senate Democrats bio says, and has served as a member of the Delaware Governor’s Council on Housing and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh’s Affordable Housing Advisory Council.

Huxtable has a long list of issues facing his district and how he hopes to address them on his website. He is running to "ensure that Delaware invests in sustainable, environmentally friendly infrastructure, and holds Sussex County accountable," his website says.

Hoey Stevenson is a former member of the Sussex County Planning and Zoning Commission and "a nationally recognized award winning writer and journalist," according to her website.

As senator, she will focus on "enhancing personal responsibility, expanding and embracing government efficiency, strengthening public safety, supporting our children and seniors and prioritizing the values of equality and equal opportunity," her website says.

Senate District 18 (Milford)

Longtime legislator Sen. Dave Wilson will face Robert “Bob” Reed in the Republican primary for this seat. There are no Democrat challengers.

A couple to watch: Sussex County Council

Three Sussex County Council seats are up for election, those of President Michael Vincent (R-District 1, Laurel), Cynthia Green (R-District 2, Bridgeville) and Mark Schaeffer (R-District 3, Lewes).

Vincent will face two challengers in the Republican primary, Matt Lloyd and Christie Shirey. There are no challenging Democrats.

Green will go up against another Republican, Steve McCarron, in a race to watch. There are no Democrat candidates.

Green was elected to the council in 2020 after serving as the county's register of wills for 10 years. "Maintaining conservative budgeting, preserving agriculture, and protecting individual property rights are among her top priorities," her county council bio says. Policy stances are not listed on her website, but a recent Facebook post says she stands for "family values, low taxes and individual freedoms."

McCarron's website says he is a small business owner, a volunteer firefighter of over 30 years, a past Bridgeville Town Council member and a past Woodbridge Board of Education member. He wants to address infrastructure and traffic, his website says.

In another race to watch, Schaeffer will face Democrat Jane Gruenebaum in the general election.

Schaeffer is a former mayor of both Little Creek and Smyrna, a former Delaware River and Bay Authority commissioner and was once a member of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, his council bio says. He is "an associate commercial broker and businessman" with an over 40-year background in construction.

Schaeffer's "top priorities," according to his website, include "responsible land management, public safety, economic growth, fiscal accountability and protecting property rights."

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Gruenebaum once served as president of the Sussex Preservation Coalition, according to her website. She taught political science at Columbia University "but preferred more hands-on work," serving "in leadership positions at several Washington, D.C. policy-oriented non-profits, including a stint as executive director of the National League of Women Voters," her website says.

Gruenebaum says she will "work to change codes as needed to protect our forests, wetlands and open spaces," as well as address traffic concerns, create affordable housing and support schools.

Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on southern Delaware and beyond. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @MarvelMcNaught.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Sussex: Elections to watch this year