The number of candidates for Rehoboth Beach’s 2021 municipal election has dropped from five to four. Suzanne Goode announced June 14 she was withdrawing from the race.

“I have learned that other candidates are being aggressively pushed by sitting commissioners,” said Goode, in an email the day she withdrew. “The election isn't realistically winnable for someone like myself who lacks that support.”

Goode, who also ran for commissioner in 2019, filed her paperwork June 7.

“To devote more time to my publishing employer, and to avoid a time-consuming campaign, I am respectfully withdrawing from the commissioner race,” said Goode.

Even with Goode’s withdrawal, this year’s race features more candidates for a non-mayoral election  – four – than all but four years since 1990. According to information provided to the Cape Gazette last year by Donna Moore, who coordinates the city’s election, there were six candidates in 2019, five candidates in 1995, and four in 1991 and 2015.

The remaining candidates for this year’s two-seat race include incumbent Commissioner Richard Byrne, former Commissioner Toni Sharp, planning Commissioner Rachel Macha and first-time candidate Tim Bennett.

The slate of candidates will have to wait and see if this year’s election brings out the voters like last year, which featured a hotly contested race between now-Mayor Stan Mills and former Mayor Paul Kuhns.

The total number of votes in the 2020 election – 1,471 – was the highest in the last 30 years. The number of absentee ballots in last year’s election – 1,146 – was the highest ever. The next-highest number of absentee ballots cast was 436, in 2017.

Roughly 85 percent of registered voters participated last year – 1,471 of 1,731. That’s the second-highest total since 1990. In 2005, approximately 90 percent of registered voters – 1,191 of 1,346 – cast ballots.

Sitting Commissioner Pat Coluzzi is not running for re-election.

Voter information

Rehoboth Beach’s 2021 municipal election is scheduled to take place Saturday, Aug. 14. Absentee ballots will be available beginning Wednesday, June 30. Ballots will be sent to everyone who has an absentee ballot request form on file. The deadline for the city to mail ballots is Tuesday, Aug. 10. Ballots must be received by mail or in person before the polls close on the day of the election.

To be eligible to vote, a person must register on or before Thursday, July 15. Any qualified elector may request an absentee ballot to vote by filing a request for an absentee ballot form no later than noon, Friday, Aug. 13. For more information, contact Donna Moore at 302-227-6181, Ext. 108, or go to cityofrehoboth.com.