Ayotte's grassroots campaign pays off

Two of the three Sussex County Council district races have shifted into higher gear following the results of the Sept. 11 Republican primary.

In District 1, however, incumbent Council President Mike Vincent of Seaford won with 61 percent of the vote over challenger Scott Witzke of Laurel. He will retain his seat for a second four-year term with no other candidate filed to run against him in November.

In District 3, newcomer Don Ayotte of Georgetown won by fewer than 150 votes with 52 percent of the vote over Brent Wangen of the Long Neck area. Ayotte will face incumbent Democrat Joan Deaver of Rehoboth Beach in the general election.

In District 2, incumbent Council Vice President Sam Wilson of Georgetown won with 74 percent of the vote over John Christensen and will face Democrat Gary Wolfe and Libertarian Ronnie Fitzgerald in November.

Ayotte said he would take the day off to catch his breath, and then get back on the campaign trail. “We did a marathon, and we are getting the troops rallied again and gathering more volunteers,” he said. “We ran a bare-bones, grassroots campaign sticking to the issues. My message was from the heart and it won the people over.”

He is planning a victory celebration and fundraiser in the near future.

Ayotte has been campaigning for the seat for six months as a Tea Party conservative. “People needed to hear from me personally,” he said. “This will be a full-time job for me because I have so much more to give. I will not just make a difference but be the difference.”

He said he is willing to debate his Democrat opponent on issues such as property rights and the Sussex County's Sheriff's Office. “Joan Deaver can't hold her own on the issues and facts,” he said.