Rieley victor of contentious Sussex council race

Sussex County District 5 Councilman John Rieley, who runs a family farm with his sons and wife near Millsboro, said the winning margin in the Sept. 13 Republican primary sends a strong message.

“People are tired of negativity and want candidates to stick to the issues,” he said the morning after the primary. “People saw through the over-the-top and in-your-face style used by my opponent.”

Unofficial results show Rieley with 62% of the vote and challenger Keller Hopkins of Georgetown with 38% of the vote. Hopkins, who owns longtime family business Hopkins Construction, has been an appointed member of the Sussex County Planning & Zoning Commission for the past six years; his term expires in 2023.

Rieley said he was caught off guard at first by the tone of the campaign. “People were shocked by the overwhelming aggressiveness and how much money was being spent,” he said, adding Hopkins made a $163,000 loan to his own campaign. “He had to spend $200,000, which for a county council race is unprecedented.”

Rieley said he raised around $35,000, which is more than he spent during the primary and general election when he first ran for council four years ago.

Rieley said one of the key issues that surfaced out of the primary was how he and his opponent viewed growth in the county. “For Keller, it was pedal to the metal, high-density development, particularly along Route 1 from Lewes to Milford,” he said. “I'm much more moderate. I realize there is going to be growth, but we don't need to open the floodgates and urbanize that section of the county.”

He said he received a lot of support from farmers and those who value the county's farming heritage. “Having a farmer's perspective on council resonates with people. People live here and come here because they value the agricultural culture and like the rural character of the county,” he said.

Rieley will face Democrat Billy Edwards of Georgetown in the Tuesday, Nov. 8 general election.

Rieley said he had a clue that he could face a contentious election in 2022 when he did not support a proposed agenda presented to him by two fellow council members. He was told he would pay for that decision. “This is not the way we do things in Sussex County,” he said.

Hopkins set the tone of the campaign during an Aug. 18 debate with Rieley.

“We have to get our arms around sprawl,” Hopkins said. “We've been building in corn fields and soybean fields for 20 years. If you’re satisfied with that, I'm not your man. If you want change, then I'm your man.”

“County council makes the laws and we have to enforce the rules on the commission,” Hopkins said. “We need those rules changed, and that's why I’m running for county council.”

Hopkins did not respond to requests for comments on the primary results.