Special election set for seat vacated by Parker Selby

After months of speculation over a Milton- and Lewes-area representative seat that was empty the entire session, Republicans and Democrats have made their choices to run in a special election Aug. 5.

Democrat Alonna Berry and Republican Nikki Miller were chosen by their respective parties to run for the special election to fill the District 20 seat vacated June 24 by Rep. Stell Parker Selby, D-Milton. Parker Selby was absent from legislative duties, leaving many constituents seeking help from other legislators.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of the term for the 20th District, which will expire on Election Day in November 2026. 

Miller had already filed to run in the 2026 election after losing to Parker Selby in 2024 by 245 votes.

Miller, a Milton resident, officially announced July 2 for the special election at the Sussex County GOP headquarters in Georgetown.

Miller said traffic issues and safety solutions are key priorities of her campaign. 

“People are just flying. Two-lane roads are becoming highways, and Route 1 is becoming an interstate,” she said. 

She said she also intends to be readily available to constituents and their concerns. “I have a 24-hour professional rule. I’m going to get back to you in 24 hours, even if I don’t have the answer,” she said. “Sometimes it is that I don’t have the answer, but I will get you the answer.”

Miller noted a responsive representative has been absent in the 20th District, an issue many constituents felt as they reached out to other representatives for answers.

An educator with experience in public leadership, Miller was principal of Cape Henlopen High School and now works as the supervisor of instruction for Seaford School District. She also is an adjunct professor for Wilmington University.

She said her experience as a classroom teacher up to the school district level has given her a bird’s-eye perspective of Delaware’s public school system.

Miller said she has built upon the team that helped her finish just 245 votes behind in the 2024 race against Parker Selby, recently hiring a volunteer coordinator and an absentee voting coordinator.

“We’re ready. We were waiting for this and we’re ready to go,” she said.

The Sussex County GOP sent out a call for candidates June 24 inviting anyone interested in running for the special election to submit a resume and letter of intent by June 30. Daniel Willis, chairman of the Sussex County Republican Party, said one other person applied and was interviewed. “We wanted this to be a transparent process,” he said.

Miller said she invites residents of the 20th District to join a campaign focused on progress over politics, and real solutions for real problems. For more information, go to nikkimillerforde.com or follow her @nikkimillerforde on social media.

On July 3, Sussex County Democrats selected Alonna Berry following a forum at the Lewes Public Library in which five candidates answered a series of questions. 

Sussex County Democratic Committee Chair Jeff Balk said no one received 51% after a first round of voting, but after the second round, Berry was unanimously chosen. 

About 150 people attended the event, including Speaker of the House Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown, D-New Castle; House Majority Leader Rep. Kerri Evelyn Harris, D-Dover; and other upstate and local legislators. Balk said Parker Selby had told them she would not be running for re-election in 2026, so the party had started getting a list of potential candidates.

Berry, a Milton resident,  said she has family roots in Milton, and with a 2 ½-year-old and a 2-month-old, she said she is running to make the community better for her children.

“I can step into this seat and hit the ground running,” she said.

Berry said she currently is the executive director of the Delaware Center for Justice, a nonprofit that provides legal assistance to low-income individuals and families, juvenile offenders, victims of crime, and seniors in need. Berry is the founder of the Bryan Allen Stevenson School of Excellence, a charter school in Georgetown, and has held leadership roles in state government, serving as a senior policy advisor for health, equity and education in the Carney administration.

If elected to the Delaware Legislature, Berry said her priorities include expanding high-quality early childhood education; increasing access to affordable housing; investing in clean energy and coastal resilience; and advancing fair and compassionate criminal justice reform.

“My top priority is preparing for federal budget cuts across the state, and working across the aisle to make sure our communities are protected,” she said after she was chosen to run in the special election. “I’m ready and excited to run, and look forward to representing District 20.”

For more information, go to rd20deldems.com.

Early voting starts July 24

Early voting for the RD20 special election will begin Thursday, July 24, at Mariner Middle School. Voting will be held 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday, July 24, through Saturday, July 26; Monday, July 28; and Tuesday, July, 29. Hours will be 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Wednesday, July 30 through Sunday, Aug. 3.

Other dates:

July 26 is the voter registration deadline for new voters in RD20 to register to vote in the special election. More information is available at ivote.de.gov.

July 31 is the last day to request an absentee ballot mailed by the Department of Elections. All ballots will be mailed to voters by Aug. 1.

Aug. 5 is the last day to return absentee ballots to the Department of Elections Sussex County Office by 8 p.m.