Election Guide 2016

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Click to get 2016 Election results for Sussex County and statewide races!

Sun setting on 2016 election

Chris Flood
Nov 08
The countdown to the conclusion of the 2016 election is officially on and, with polls closing in Delaware at 8 p.m., folks are ready for the marathon day to end. As the setting sun dipped below the trees to the west, Laurene Perdy said she had been at Beacon Middle School...

Record number of early ballots returned in Sussex

Chris Flood
Nov 08
The window to vote absentee in Delaware for the 2016 General Election closed at noon, Nov. 7. An hour before the window shut, Sussex County Department of Elections Director Ken McDowell said he already knew the old record for absentee ballots returned – 7,100 – had been...

Election Day weather brings good vibes

Chris Flood
Nov 08
On the kind of fall day people move to the Cape Region for – and with less than eight hours to go until polls close tonight at 8 p.m. – candidates and supporters are in good spirits. Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Carney was at Cape Henlopen High School shortly...

Election day polls are open in the Cape Region

Chris Flood
Nov 08
The 2016 General Election is finally here, and if the line of voters waiting at Cape Henlopen High School was any indication, it will be a busy day in the Cape Region. Bob and Mary Howe of Lewes were the first in line. They said they got there at 6 a.m. “We’ve both go to...

In the 41st Rep. District, it’s Collins v. Connor

Chris Flood
Nov 07
The race for the 41st Representative District includes Republican incumbent Richard Collins and Democratic challenger Brad Connor. Collins has represented the district, which includes Millsboro, Dagsboro, Frankford and Selbyville, since 2014. • Rich Collins • Party:...

In the 37th Rep. District, it’s Briggs King vs. Rappa

Chris Flood
Nov 07
The race for the 37th Representative District seat features the only race between two candidates who have run against each other before – Republican incumbent Ruth Briggs King and Democratic challenger Paulette Rappa. Briggs has represented the district since 2009. The...

Rep. District 20 candidates going the distance

Chris Flood
Nov 04
It’s the final moments of 2016’s arduous campaign cycle, and 20th Representative candidates were hard at work separating themselves from one another during a Nov. 2 forum at Milton Library. Republican incumbent Steve Smyk, Democratic challenger Barbara Vaughan and...

District 3 candidates differ on development issues

Ron MacArthur
Oct 31
The two candidates vying to represent Sussex County Council District 3 shared their views with a standing-room only crowd Oct. 25 at the Lewes library. Republican I.G. Burton and Democrat Leslie Ledogar both touted their experience as reasons for running for the seat being...

Three vie for Rep. District 20 seat

Chris Flood
Oct 31
There are three candidates running for office in the 20th Representative District – Independent Party of Delaware challenger Don Ayotte, Republican incumbent Steve Smyk and Democratic challenger Barbara Vaughan. Smyk has represented the district since 2012. The district...

Burton faces Ledogar in County Council District 3

Chris Flood
Oct 28
The race for the Sussex County County Council features two candidates – Republican I.G. Burton III and Democrat Leslie Ledogar. Current seat holder, Councilwoman Joan Deaver, decided to step down after serving two four-year terms. The district encompasses all or parts of...

Gazette’s election poll results are in: Go vote

Chris Flood
Oct 28
Results of the Cape Gazette’s two-week, 17-question online survey regarding the races and issues of the upcoming election can be seen in the paper’s 2016 Election Guide featured in the Friday, Oct. 28 edition of the paper. A free PDF is also available on CapeGazette.com’s...

Schwartzkopf faces DeMartino in General Election

Chris Flood
Oct 28
There are two candidates for the 14th Representative District race – Republican challenger James DeMartino and Democratic incumbent Pete Schwartzkopf, who has represented the district since 2002 and serves as speaker of the house. The district includes parts of the Lewes...

U.S. Congressional candidates respond

Chris Flood
Oct 26
Four candidates are running for Delaware’s only U.S. Representative seat – Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester, Libertarian Scotty Gesty, Green Party candidate Mark Perri, and Republican Hans Reigle. The seat is held by Democrat John Carney, who is running for governor. If...

Four vying for governor’s seat

Chris Flood
Oct 24
There are four candidates running for governor – Democrat John Carney, Republican Colin Bonini, Libertarian Sean Goward and Green Party candidate Andrew Groff. Gov. Jack Markell, a Democrat, has served two terms and cannot run for re-election. The Cape Gazette’s 2016...

Wilson, Wolfe battle in 35th Representative District

Chris Flood
Oct 19
There are two candidates running for the 35th Representative District seat – Republican incumbent David Wilson and Democratic challenger Gary M. Wolfe. Wilson has represented the district since 2008. The district covers the northwest corner of Sussex County, encompassing...

In Senate District 20, it’s Hocker versus Mitchell

Chris Flood
Oct 18
There are two candidates running for the 20th Senatorial District seat – Republican incumbent Gerald Hocker and Democratic challenger Perry Mitchell. Hocker has represented the district since 2012. The district is in the southeast corner of Sussex County, encompassing all...

Jones, Koskey face off in clerk of the peace race

Chris Flood
Oct 16
The clerk of the peace race features Republican Norman “Jay” Jones against Democrat Charlie Koskey. Jones is the mayor of Ellendale. Koskey is a former Georgetown councilman. Among the responsibilities the office has are issuing marriage licenses, officiating Memorable...

Cragg, Navarro vie for insurance commissioner

Chris Flood
Oct 15
The race for insurance commissioner features two men from New Castle County who have never held a statewide office – Democrat Trinidad Navarro and Republican Jeff Cragg. Navarro defeated Democratic incumbent Karen Weldin Stewart in the September primary. In 2012, Cragg lost...

Gunn, Hall-Long seek lieutenant governor seat

Chris Flood
Oct 14
There are two candidates facing off in the race to fill the vacant lieutenant governor seat – Republican La Mar Gunn and Democrat Bethany Hall-Long. Gunn, NAACP Central Delaware chapter president, is looking to become the first African-American from the Republican Party...

Candidates face off at Milton Theatre

Chris Flood
Oct 11
With the Nov. 8 election just weeks away, 14th Rep. District Republican challenger James DeMartino didn’t want to miss what might be his only opportunity to publicly question the commitment to the district of Democratic incumbent Speaker of the House Pete Schwartzkopf...

In Delaware, no ID required on Election Day

Chris Flood
Oct 07
When compared with some other states, Delaware’s voter identification laws are pretty good, a voting-rights advocate says. “I think the laws are working, and there haven’t been any problems,” said Common Cause Delaware Chair Claire Snyder-Hall. In Delaware, for the upcoming...

Largest voter turnout in history expected for Sussex

Chris Flood
Sep 30
With just weeks to go until the Nov. 8 general election, Kenneth McDowell, Sussex County Department of Elections director, said he and his staff were busy preparing for what he is predicting will be the largest voter turnout in county history. As of Sept. 27, there were 154...

Local Democrats rally behind Clinton

Maddy Lauria
Aug 10
While thousands of Democrats gathered in Philadelphia for the Democratic National Convention last week, about 175 locals gathered at Irish Eyes Pub & Restaurant in Lewes to watch history in the making. As the crowd waited for Hillary Clinton to speak on the final night...

Conventions offer glimpse of American patriotism, ideas

Chris Flood
Aug 05
Stripped to their core, national conventions are matters of business. They’re gatherings of representatives from across the country who have been designated to serve the voters of their state. Rules and platforms are adopted, nominations are formalized and party-rousing...

Personal observations, interesting facts from DNC convention

Chris Flood
Aug 05
Walking around the convention, a person couldn’t help but wonder about what went into making the event possible or make personal observations that weren’t being reported. In anticipation of those questions, the following statistics and information were provided in the media...

Sussex delegates: Conventions exceeded all expectations

Chris Flood
Aug 05
Party affiliation and presidential candidate support aside, the one thing Sussex County convention delegates agree on is that the Republican and Democratic conventions surpassed expectations. “It was a real coming to Jesus moment,” said Donna Whiteside, Lewes resident and...

Scenes from the Democratic National Convention

Chris Flood
Jul 25
The 2016 Democratic National Convention kicked off Monday, July 25, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Thousands of Democrats are gathering to support the party and their candidates during the convention, which lasts through Thursday night, July 28, when U.S...

Trump, Clinton win handily in Delaware

Chris Flood
Apr 29
A Gravis Marketing poll released six days before Delaware’s presidential primary April 26 predicted Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton would win easily in the First State with 55 and 45 percent of the vote. In the end, it wasn’t even that close. While the...

Candidates rally in Delaware

Chris Flood
Apr 22
By the time Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton wrapped up her Wilmington campaign rally April 25, three presidential candidates had visited Delaware in less than four days. Delaware State Archivist Stephen Marz said the candidates campaigning in Delaware...

Election Guide

Click to download a free PDF of the 2016 Election Guide that was inserted into the Friday, October 28 edition of the Cape Gazette.