Posted: Aug. 26, 2014

PRIMARIES TO WATCH 

By Celia Cohen
Grapevine Political Writer

Delaware looks like it has a case of primary fatigue.

For the past three election years, state politics swelled with primaries galore, really serious primaries, that rocked the electorate and commanded attention.

The Democrats had Markell-Carney in 2008, a modern political miracle of a primary because the party survived it without rupturing and went on to elect a governor and belatedly a congressman.

The Republicans had Castle-O'Donnell in 2010 and immediately went into a collapse that its most famous figure in history could have predicted. A party divided against itself cannot stand.

The 2012 election spawned spirited primaries for Wilmington mayor and New Castle County executive, as well as for the legislature, all but inevitable in a redistricting year.

Enough was apparently enough. The party intramurals for 2014, to be held on Tuesday, Sept. 9, have been tame by comparison.

This does not count the spectacle Chip Flowers has made of himself. It just goes to show that primary seasons can repeat themselves, first as history, then as farce.

Here are some primary races to watch:

OFFICE PRIMARY ELECTION CANDIDATES GENERAL ELECTION OPPONENTS RUNDOWN

U.S. Senate

Republican

Carl Smink

Kevin Wade

Chris Coons

Democrat

Who cares? Wade is a retread, Smink is obscure, and Coons, the sitting senator, has $3 million in the bank

Treasurer

Democrat

Sean Barney

Chip Flowers

To be determined This primary is set to self-destruct on Aug. 28 at 4 p.m. . . . or is it?

Treasurer

Republican

Ken Simpler

Sher Valenzuela

Sean Barney, presumably

Democrat

Simpler is running on his resume. Valenzuela is running for the Tea Party vote, which has shown it can deliver a primary but not an election. She polled a mere 37 percent for lieutenant governor in 2012

Auditor

Democrat

Ken Matlusky

Brenda Mayrack

Tom Wagner

Republican

This primary is nothing but a dry run for Mayrack, who gives the Democrats their best chance for ousting Wagner after 25 years

Senate 3rd

Democrat

Wilmington

Sherry Dorsey Walker

Bob Marshall

None Dorsey Walker, a first-term city councilwoman, is all that stands between Marshall and 40 years in the Senate, if he gets a new term ending in 2018

Senate 11th

Democrat

Brookside-Christiana

Dave Tackett

Bryan Townsend

None Halfway through a New Castle County Council term, Tackett has a free ride to try to usurp Townsend

House 10th

Democrat

Brandywine Hundred

Sean Matthews

Dennis Williams

Judy Travis

Republican

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, does this primary make Williams the most endangered incumbent of them all?

House 15th

Democrat

Bear-Delaware City

James Burton

Valerie Longhurst

Matt Lenzini

Republican

This is more of a race than a majority leader like Longhurst should have

House 22nd

Republican

Hockessin-Pike Creek Valley

Joe Miro

Mike Smith

John Mackenzie

Democrat

This is a battle royal that could have ramifications, if Mackenzie can capitalize on the Republican discord and steal one of the few Republican districts

House 31st

Democrat

Dover

Sean Lynn

Ralph Taylor

Sam Chick

Republican

In a district that is 2-1 Democratic, the Democratic nomination is worth having. This is a hard-fought race to replace Darryl Scott, a three-term Democrat who bowed out

House 33rd

Republican

Milford-Frederica-Magnolia

Jack Peterman

Charles Postles

Kevin Robbins

Democrat

The question is, have health problems slowed Peterman enough to defeat him or win him a sympathy vote? If he gets through the primary, he has a rematch with Robbins, who held him to 53 percent in 2012

House 34th

Republican

Camden-Wyoming-Woodside

Don Blakey

Lyndon Yearick

Ted Yacucci

Democrat

For a party saying it is trying to diversify, it does not help that the only African-American Republican in the legislature has a primary

Incumbents in bold

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