2024 Primary Election Results

By Tyler Micik

More than 120,000 Delawareans voted in Delaware’s Primary Election this past Tuesday. The full list of results can be found here.
 
The stage is now set for the General Election on November 5th. The policymakers Delawareans elect and the decisions that follow will impact the business community and future of our state. Of note, NCC Executive Matt Meyer beat Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long by around 9,000 votes to secure the Democratic Primary for Governor. Rep. Mike Ramone won the Republican Primary handedly with nearly 73% of the vote.
 
In the Democratic Primary for Lt. Governor, Sen. Kyle Evans Gay defeated Rep. Sherry Dorsey Walker and Debbie Harrington. She will face former Rep. Ruth Briggs King in the General Election.
 
In the race for Delaware’s lone U.S. House Seat, Sen. Sarah McBride won the Democratic Primary with 66,764 votes or approx. 80% of the vote. John Whalen III won the Republican Primary.
 
Out of the incumbent State Representatives and Senators who had a primary opponent (Reps. Bolden, Parker Selby, Morrison, Bush, and Sen. Wilson) all of them held onto their seats except for Speaker of the House Val Longhurst who lost to newcomer Kamela Smith. Rep. Bryan Shupe narrowly defeated Patrick Smith by 12 votes.
 
There were several open seats in the House. The results of those primaries are:

• RD10 (Matthews' seat): Melanie Ross Levine defeated Dennis Williams and Stephen Jankovic in the Democratic Primary and will face Brent Burdge.
• RD14 (Schwartzkopf's seat): Claire Snyder-Hall defeated Marty Rendon and Kathleen McGuinness in the Democratic Primary and will face Mike Simpler.
• RD21 (Ramone’s seat): Frank Burns defeated Michael Smith by 30 votes in the Democratic Primary and will face Brenda Mennella. 

Joseu Ortega and Mara Gorman ran unopposed in the Democratic Primary and have no Republican opponent. Ortega will represent the 3rd District (Dorsey Walker’s seat) and Gorman will represent the 23rd District (Baumbach’s seat).
 
Other races:

• Gov. John Carney will serve as the next Mayor for the City of Wilmington. He defeated Velda Jones Potter and there is no Republican candidate.
• Marcus Henry will serve as the next New Castle County Executive as he defeated Karen Hartley-Nagle and there is no Republican opponent.*
  
• Trinidad Navarro defeated Kayode Abegunde to win the Democratic Party nomination for Insurance Commissioner and will face Ralph Taylor.

 
Many incumbents won their primary but have a General Election opponent in November. And it’s possible there could be two open Senate seats after the General which need to be filled by a special election if Senators McBride and Gay win their races.


*This post was updated on September 16 to relfect that Carter Hill withdrew from the race for New Castle County Executive.