Republican James DeMartino proves his residency
Two weeks later than anticipated, Republican James DeMartino is officially a candidate in the 14th Representative District race.
“It’s a relief,” he said June 30 of his June 28 filling.
DeMartino announced his intentions to run against Speaker of the House Rep. Pete Schwarztkopf, D-Rehoboth, in March. Four months later, June 10, he attempted to make his candidacy official at the Sussex County Board of Elections in Georgetown. Sussex County Director of Elections Kenneth McDowell questioned DeMartino’s ability to meet the state’s residency requirement, and he was denied.
State law says a candidate for representative must have lived in Delaware for three years and been a resident of the district for one.
To prove he met the residency requirement, DeMartino, a former Marine and attorney who most recently lived in Washington, D.C., presented the elections department with an employment offer and pay stub from Rehoboth’s Tommy Bahama with October 2013 dates, and two copies of U.S. Postal Service-delivered envelopes with yellow forwarding address labels to his residence in Lewes with November 2013 dates.
McDowell said DeMartino’s pay stub didn’t prove anything. He said DeMartino’s Delaware driver’s license and his voter registration, the two most commonly used methods for proof of residency, are dated March 2014.
DeMartino argued that if the paperwork he submitted was sufficient to get his driver’s license and register to vote, then it should be good enough to prove his residency.
Fortunately for DeMartino, the filing deadline for the Tuesday, Nov. 8, statewide election is noon, Tuesday, July 12, which meant he had a month to prove he met the residency requirement.
DeMartino said when his residency was questioned he contacted State Election Commissioner Elaine Manlove to figure what other documentation would prove his case. He ended up providing a redacted version of his 2013 state tax returns, which shows a residency date of Nov. 1.
“Can’t dispute that,” he said.
Looking forward, DeMartino said his next steps will be to review issues facing the district, formalize his campaign message and meet constituents.
The 14th Representative District encompasses the head of Rehoboth Bay, stretching from the point in Cape Henlopen State Park south to the Indian River Inlet on one side of the bay and south to Angola Landing on the other. The district’s western edge is defined by Savannah and Robinsonville roads, and includes all or part of Rehohoth, Lewes, Dewey and Angola.
Schwartzkopf has represented the district since 2002 and has served as speaker of the House since 2012. He’s is the only Democrat in Dover from Sussex County, and for the first time since taking office, he’ll have to run in a primary against Democratic challenger Don Peterson, who filed in March.
DeMartino said he expects to face off against Schwartzkopf in the general election. He said he’s looking to participating in good debate and said competition is good for everyone.
