Candidates debate healthcare, taxes and infrastructure
Twenty state, local and federal candidates were represented during the American Legion Post 28's candidate forum Oct. 3 laying out their platforms if elected in November.
On the federal side, Martha Carper spoke on behalf of her husband, Democratic Sen. Tom Carper, who could not attend because the U.S. Senate is in session. Speaking to about 50 people at the forum, she said her husband has dedicated his life to helping people in Delaware, and he has worked hard to protect veterans, bring down healthcare costs and fight the opioid epidemic.
Most of all, she said, he is standing up to Donald Trump.
“Whether he's fighting against Trump's plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act, or opposing the promised law and its cruel actions toward dreamers and asylum seekers at our border, Tom does not give up,” she said.
Martha Carper said no one else in the U.S. Senate has done more than Tom Carper to improve air quality, water quality and taking on climate change. If re-elected, she said, Carper would work on bringing universal healthcare to everyone and rebuilding the country's transportation infrastructure.
Challenging Carper is Republican candidate Rob Arlett, who is a strong supporter of the Trump administration.
“My opponent has already stated he is running for one reason, yet again, obstruction. Obstruction against our president, obstruction against 42 percent of the people who voted for him in the state. Do you want that, or do you want someone who is going to be a unifier to focus on solutions?” said Arlett.
He said he is a supporter of veterans and of term limits. Arlett said he could have kept his seat on Sussex County Council while he ran for U.S. Senate, but he gave it up because he believes so strongly in term limits.
“I do believe Washington is broken because too many people are in office for too long, and they've forgotten about you and me,” he said. “When you're a public servant, how do you become a multimillionaire? … I do believe two terms is enough and move on.”
For U.S. House of Representatives, the only candidate attending the forum was declared write-in candidate Andrew Webb who said he supports affordable healthcare, innovation and secure borders. As a Republican, he said, he provides an option to voters who may be disheartened by Republican nominee Scott Walker. “Remember me as a write-in candidate Nov. 6,” he said.
Walker did not attend the event, nor did Democratic incumbent for the House of Representatives Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, U.S. Senate candidates Nadine Frost, Libertarian, and Demitri G. Theodoropoulos, Green Party.
Auditor's race raises conflict of interest
Republican and Democratic candidates for the state auditor's race and the state attorney general's race attended the forum.
For state auditor, a position vacated by retiring Tom Wagner, Rehoboth Beach Commissioner Kathy McGuiness is the Democratic candidate and James Spadola is the Republican.
McGuiness said she brings her experience as commissioner to the table working with multimillion contracts, and if elected she would hold people accountable. Spadola said he started his career working in New York City finance before moving to the public sector investigating financial crime.
In the evening's only heated moment, Spadola said McGuiness accepted a campaign donation from elected state Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro, which sets up a conflict of interest in the event that the Department of Insurance would be audited. In filings with the Department of Elections, it shows Navarro donated $1,200 to Friends of Kathy McGuiness May 31.
McGuiness shook her head during his accusation and indicated Spadola has accepted similar donations by saying, “As my opponent has.”
Questioned a day after the forum, McGuiness did not say what questionable donations Spadola has accepted, and she referred further questioning to Spadola.
“The Auditor of Accounts Office has a broad range of responsibilities and a small component deals with the Insurance Department,” she said, adding it is “ludicrous and quite frankly, insulting” that a contribution would affect her ability to perform the entire job and tasks of the auditor.
A review of Spadola’s campaign donation report filed Oct. 9 showed that he received a donation of $900 from State Auditor Wagner, who is stepping down.
Spadola said he has not received any donation that would be a conflict of interest.
“I am not and will not accept donations from department heads that I may have to audit, as that is a total conflict of interest, and Delawareans deserve an independent auditor,” he said.
Veteran prosecutor vs. newcomer in attorney general race
With more than two decades of experience working as a state prosecutor, private practice attorney and in county government, Kathleen Jennings said she remembers when she and one other woman were the only two working in the Department of Justice criminal division.
“It was an all-male world, but I worked my way up,” the Democratic candidate said.
Jennings made a name for herself investigating and prosecuting notorious serial killer Steven Pennell, who tortured and murdered five women along the Route 40 corridor in Bear in the late 1980s.
“I am running because I want to make Delaware a safer place for all of us to live, to work, to raise our children and their grandchilden,” she said. “I want to make sure our criminal justice system is fair and equal to everyone.”
Jennings said people in the throes of drug addiction and mental health should receive treatment.
Republican candidate Bernard Pepukayi said he has substantive experience on all sides of the criminal justice system. At 18, he said, he was convicted of a drug crime, which would have put him on a path of delinquency if he had not listened to his attorney and finished school. He earned a GED, went to college and then law school. Passing the Delaware bar, he worked for the Attorney General's Office, Family court, New Castle County and the state Legislature.
“Our criminal justice system does not work. It over-incarcerates and under-rehabilitates. It is fiscally and morally defective. I want to reduce our incarceration rate and the amount of people in the criminal justice system as well as the cost of the system,” he said.
He said the focus should be on prevention of crime before it happens.
Contested legislative races
Republican incumbent Sen. Ernie Lopez faces former Sussex County Administrator Dave Baker in the 6th Senate District race.
Lopez touted bipartisanship as a measure of his success. “It makes me so proud to serve in a legislative body where we work together,” he said. “When I go to Dover, I don't care if you have a sign in your yard for me or not. It's a great honor to serve.”
He said he has always supported veterans groups, and other service groups such as firefighters, police officers and correction officers.
Challenging Lopez is Democrat Baker who said he would work to bring more money to Sussex County for road improvements.
“I don't feel we have gotten our fair share of funds from the state for road improvements,” he said. “I would work hard to increase those numbers.”
Baker said clean water, bringing more doctors to the area, providing affordable housing, and reducing flooding are other issues he would address. “The state needs to step up and fund a flood plan so we can mitigate flooding problems,” he said.
In the 41st Representative District, Republican incumbent Richard Collins is being challenged by Democrat Brad Connor.
Collins said there is a lot of talk about drug treatment these days, but more should be done on drug prevention so that young people stay away from drugs.
“What we're not hearing about is prevention. There is a state law that requires every school to give our kids drug eduction. They're not doing it,” he said.
He said he plans to address the lack of drug prevention in schools when the legislative session opens in January.
Connor spoke about his experience as mayor of Dagsboro when he brought $8 million in grant money for water and sewer during his service. He said poor water quality is not acceptable for a Republican or Democrat.
“We have poisoned water in Millsboro that no one is addressing,” he said. “We need clean water; we need roads that work.”
Single candidates share platform
Only single candidates showed up for contested races in Senate District 21, Representative Districts 14, 20, and 38, and for state treasurer.
Republican James DeMartino is challenging Speaker of the House Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf for the 14th House District.
A practicing attorney, DeMartino said affordable healthcare and keeping taxes and fees low are important.
“Locals who have been here are being squeezed as it is,” he said. “We're being taxed enough.”
In Representative District 20, Democrat John Bucchioni is challenging Republican incumbent Stephen Smyk, who did not attend the forum. Libertarian candidate Harry Smouse also did not attend the forum.
Bucchioni took his time to share a story about his father who was injured in World War II.
He said he supports veterans because of his personal experience. “You will have my back,” he said.
Democrat Robert Wheatley balked at the criticism of one-party rule mentioned by other candidates. Wheatley is running against Sen. Bryant Richardson, R-Seaford, for the 21st state Senate seat. Richardson did not attend the forum.
“People are tired of partisan finger-pointing and politicians who are simply interested in gaining power instead of representing the people who sent them there,” he said. “The problems we have aren't Democratic or Republican problems, they're just problems, and they are problems that need to be solved.”
Wheatley said he's been appointed to the Sussex County Planning Board for 24 years – reappointed four times by Democrats and three times by Republicans.
“That's because they know I really don't care who's a Democrat or a Republican. I care about doing the right thing for Sussex County,” he said.
Wheatley said high-speed internet is an important infrastructure need to bring businesses and jobs to Sussex County. “You cannot run a business without high-speed internet,” he said.
In the 38th District, Republican incumbent Ron Gray attended but his Democrat opponent Meghan M. Kelly was absent.
He said manufacturing jobs are needed on the west side of the county, and protecting natural resources in the area is also important.
“We want to continue to enjoy those natural resources,” he said.
On the state side, Colleen Davis, Democratic candidate for treasurer, was the only candidate in attendance. She will face Republican incumbent Ken Simpler and Green Party candidate David Chandler.
A financial consultant in the healthcare industry, Davis said in the last nine months she has saved $13 million for patients and families.
“That's money that goes back into their pockets. That's what I'd like to do as treasurer in the state of Delaware,” she said. “I'd like to make our tax dollars work for us – Main Street rather than Wall Street.”
Contested county council races
Republican Doug Hudson and Democrat Paulette Rappa are vying for the District 4 seat vacated by retiring George Cole.
Hudson touted his lifelong experience in Sussex County as a Delaware State Police trooper, member of the Planning and Zoning Commission, and youth coach.
“I bring transparency and common sense to the table,” he said. “I can hit the job running and don't need a lot of training.”
Rappa said money is needed to improve traffic, and a transportation fund is needed to improve roads.
“The county was penny-wise and pound-foolish,” she said. “For us to go back and buy the land to make sure roads are widened would cost a fortune.”
She said coordinated smart growth is needed to protect environmentally sensitive areas.
For the District 5 seat vacated by Rob Arlett who is running for U.S. Senate, Democrat Ellen Magee is running against Republican John Rieley, and the two agreed on many issues facing the county.
Magee said clean water and improving roads are important for Sussex County. “We must maintain and constantly improve our infrastructure including roads, public water, sewer and broadband,” she said.
Rieley also said clean water and improved infrastructure are needed.
“Clean water is critical for life,” he said. “And we need smart growth. We need to be wise where growth will occur.”
Editor’s note: The story was corrected to show that James Spadola received a donation from State Auditor Tom Wagner for $900.
