Raesly wins by a wide margin in Henlopen Acres election

Planning commission Chair Lee Raesly won easily in the Henlopen Acres election Aug. 30. However, the race for second was much closer, with nonresident Alex Jacobs, who is being sued by the town, receiving two more votes than incumbent Jeffrey Jacobs.

Raesly received 164 votes. He said he’s grateful for the strong support of the town’s residents.

“As a commissioner, I want to have a balanced, collaborative approach to town governance,” said Raesly, who’s helped create a new comprehensive development plan over the past few years. “My focus will be on working with the other commissioners to preserve the special character of our town and ensure we move forward in a positive way.”

Nonresident Alex Jacobs, who also ran last year and is being sued by the town over the installation of a pickleball court at his house that the town says is illegal, received 101 votes, which is more than double his 47-vote total last year.

Incumbent Jeffrey Jacobs, who had been a commissioner since he was appointed in 2020, received 99 votes. 

Neither of the Jacobses, who are not related, could be reached for comment.

A total of 204 people voted – 111 the day of the election and 93 by absentee ballot. There was a total of 257 registered voters, which means the participation rate was about 80%.

It was Town Manager Anna Fagan’s first time overseeing an election. She began her tenure with the town in October.

It was a little bit of a tense election season, but overall it went smoothly, said Fagan. She congratulated the winners and thanked the election volunteers who helped keep it simple.

With results as close as they were, it took almost an hour for the town’s board of elections to count the votes. The results were double- and triple-checked, said Board of Elections Chair David Kaplan.

Sitting Commissioner Richard Thompson did not run for re-election. He’s been a commissioner since 2018, when he was appointed to fill the seat of former Mayor David Lyons.

Raesly and Alex Jacobs will be sworn in for their three-year terms during the town’s organizational meeting Friday, Sept. 12. During that meeting, commissioners will also choose the next mayor. Former Mayor Joni Reich, whose seat was not up for re-election, stepped down in mid-July. Commissioner Tim Hidell has been serving as acting mayor since, and resident Lyndie Hertrich was sworn in shortly after Reich stepped down to serve out the final year of her three-year term. In addition to the mayoral seat, commissioners will have to choose a new treasurer, because Jeffrey Jacobs held that position.