Delaware Democrats represent diversity

The recent resignation of Rep. Ruth Briggs King, R-Georgetown, from the Delaware House of Representatives immediately reminded me of an essay that Rep. Bryan Shupe, R-Milford, sent to his mailing list and local media in October.

In it, Shupe complained that Delaware’s voters continue to elect Democrats and that Democratic supermajorities in the General Assembly could result in the “tyranny of the majority.”

But I believe this self-described “student of history” misunderstands both “tyranny” and the “majority.”

Tyranny, as it has existed in the United States, has come about when a party in power serves the interests of a particular demographic group exclusively – or almost exclusively. And that demographic group has been straight, white, Christian men.

There’s nothing inherently evil about that group. I happen to belong to it, but problems arise when the concentration of power in the hands of one demographic group tempts it to disregard or become hostile to the rights and interests of others.

And that seems to be the case with the Delaware GOP, whose representatives and senators now include no women, no people of color, no LGBTQIA+ individuals and almost no one who isn’t Christian.

For context, 51% of Delawareans are women. About 30% of Delawareans either belong to non-Christian religions or hold no religious affiliation. A total of 20% of Delawareans are Black, 10% are Hispanic, and – if Delaware reflects the nation – a little more than 5% are members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Those groups are represented by Democrats in the General Assembly because the Delaware Democratic Party comprises not a homogenous majority, but a diverse coalition of women and minority groups – as well as tens of thousands of straight, white, Christian men. 

It’s a big tent.

The two parties’ policies reflect their demographic makeup.

Delaware Republican lawmakers, including Shupe, have voted against women’s rights and LGBTQIA+ protections, and some have even opposed the teaching of Black history in schools. But Democrats passed all of those measures over Republican objections.

In fact, the only disenfranchised group I can think of that the Delaware GOP has defended is corporations. 

To extort Democrats into giving voting rights to corporations in Seaford, House Republicans walked off the job en masse in June, threatening to kill bills to provide tens of millions of dollars for city governments and nonprofits that serve human needs, including fire and ambulance services in their own communities.

If Democrats pick up just two seats in the House and one seat in the Senate, First State residents will be protected from such tantrums in the future.

That seems almost inevitable unless Republican lawmakers boldly turn their backs on political power brokers and appeal to Delawareans beyond the demographically narrow cohort of Republican primary voters.

But, unfortunately, I don’t think they can muster the courage, so they’ll continue to complain in vain.