I will miss Ernie Lopez being my state senator. He was always available. He was always responsive. He did what he said he would do. Ernie seemed less dogmatic than other Republicans. The fact that I was a registered Democrat didn’t matter to him.
Steve Smyk and Russ Huxtable are now competing for Ernie’s seat. Steve has been my state assemblyman for years. Russ is new to politics.
The few times I reached out to Steve, he was not accessible. I couldn’t just pick up the phone and call him. I never got a response to the email I sent. I do get daily emails from Steve. They include COVID information and other updates. I regularly get invited to his weekly morning coffees, but I’ve never gone to one of those – they’re not the same as a personal conversation.
When Russ announced his candidacy, I called and invited him to come to my home. He did. He was accessible and he clearly understood our district and the issues we face. He actually had a plan. He wasn’t just repeating national Democratic Party talking points. I was the first to write a letter in support of him. I had prior experience with Jack Bucchioni and didn’t want him as my state senator. I was very happy to see Russ win the primary.
Unlike Russ, who is locally focused, Steve is in lockstep with the Republican Party’s national positions. This is a problem for me. Among other things, the Delaware Republican Party has had featured speakers that I found objectionable at their state meetings. Most notably, I was distressed when they invited Roger Stone to speak a few years back. Roger Stone was convicted of several felonies and only avoided prison because his sentence was commuted. I believe Oliver North just recently spoke at a Republican Party state function in Dewey Beach. Oliver also has a tainted criminal past. I believe Trey Goudy was recently invited to speak at a function in Milford. Trey had been a member of the House of Representatives and distinguished himself there by doggedly pursuing an actual witch hunt that went on for years and produced nothing at a great cost to taxpayers.
Whatever is going on with the Republican Party nationally is not and should not be a part of our local political campaigns. Inviting questionable and disgraced national Republican officials and operatives to advocate on a statewide and local level is something I find problematic. Apparently Steve doesn’t.
We are facing serious issues related to rapid growth and development in Sussex County. They will require local solutions that transcend national politics. Affordable housing, available healthcare, flooding, overdevelopment, waste management and insufficient infrastructure (roads) are some of the things we have to deal with. I believe Russ is focused on all of those. I believe he has more experience with affordable housing than just about anybody else in Delaware. I will be voting for Russ. I hope you will as well.
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