By Joseph Edelen

REHOBOTH BEACH — Former Speaker of the House and retiring Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf has represented Delaware’s 14th representative district since 2002.

So, as the longtime Democratic lawmaker heads into retirement, the Sept. 10 primary election could decide the first new voice the district will have at Legislative Hall in decades.

That primary race consists of three Democrats: Delaware Human and Civil Rights Commissioner Marty Rendon, former Common Cause Delaware executive director Claire Snyder-Hall, and former state Auditor and Rehoboth Beach Commissioner Kathy McGuiness.

The three candidates will be on the ballot for the 14th district, which encompasses parts of Lewes, Rehoboth and Dewey Beaches, and the winner of the race will be pitted against Republican Mike Simpler in the Nov. 5 general election.

Here’s what each candidate told the Daily State News ahead of next week’s primary election.

What makes you best suited to represent the 14th?

Mr. Rendon, who served as a congressional aide in Washington D.C. and as UNICEF’s vice president for Public Policy and Advocacy, feels that his background on Capitol Hill and in Delaware has best suited him to represent the needs and wants of those in the 14th.

He told the Daily State News that, his work on topics like human civil rights, affordable housing, equal accommodations, landlord-tenant policies, police misconduct, voting access and LGBTQ+ and disability issues has suited him to represent the beach district’s constituency.

“I always say, it’s not about me; I’m going to that skill set to be the advocate for the issues I see here in the community and put that in front of the legislators. The only baggage I carry is the voters,” Mr. Rendon said.

“I want to be that conduit. There’s a lot of engaged people out here; they’re concerned about the environment, transportation, overdevelopment, senior issues, our education, human civil rights, and of course, small businesses.”

Ms. Snyder-Hall served as the leader of the pro-democracy organization Common Cause Delaware for five years, working in Legislative Hall to promote transparency and accountability in state government.

She listed a number of accomplishments in that capacity, such as curtailing the 2023 effort to provide Seaford corporations with a vote in the town’s municipal elections, advocating for vote-by-mail and along with other organizations, helping to sway U.S. Sen. Tom Carper’s stance on filibuster reform in Congress.

“The thing that really distinguishes me is precisely my experience as the head of Common Cause Delaware… because it’s through that work that I’ve developed a strong network of good relationships on the ground in Dover,” Ms. Snyder-Hall said. “I have the actual connections in Dover, and they’re pretty good ones.”

Ms. McGuiness is a licensed pharmacist who served as a Rehoboth Beach commissioner for a total of 16 years over two terms. She was elected the state’s first ever female state auditor in 2018 and served in that capacity until her resignation in 2022 amid a conviction for misdemeanor conflict of interest.

The longtime Rehoboth resident feels that her time in the town has positioned her to excel in constituent services, but also that her work as a commissioner – addressing issues like infrastructure and equality – is why voters should choose her on Sept. 10. Ms. McGuiness has also received the endorsement of former Speaker Rep. Schwartzkopf.

“I’m uniquely qualified because of my experience, boots on the ground, my experience, my passion and energy, having served 16 years as a commissioner,” she said. “It was about collaboration, convening; you don’t always agree with folks, you have to have that conversation and find a way to get results, and I have done that. The challenges that are affecting the 14th district right now, I have worked on similar and large projects (as a commissioner.)”

What issues are facing
your district?

All three candidates have made extensive outreach efforts as part of their respective campaigns.

Whether that is knocking doors or being out in the community, all three have heard similar things from constituents.

Mr. Rendon said that, the top issue he has heard is traffic and overdevelopment, and Ms. Snyder-Hall and Ms. McGuiness also noted that this topic is chief among concerns among constituents.

“People are very concerned about the kind of unrestrained building, the lack of infrastructure to meet the needs for all the new construction, the status of our roads,” Mr. Rendon said.

Another concern top of constituents’ minds is workforce and affordable housing, especially in a town that relies heavily on tourism, the candidates said.

“The need to protect the environment, particularly in the wake of uncontrolled development. We also have a severe shortage of workforce housing, and we need to make sure that our public schools get the funding they need because they’ve really expanded with so many people moving here. Those are some of the issues that I’m prioritizing, and they’re the ones that I’m talking with people about at the doors” Ms. Snyder-Hall said.

Amid other policy issues, each of the three Democrats noted that the lack of health care professionals, especially for the county and district’s aging population, is an issue that needs to be addressed, as well as the environment – more specifically, coastal resiliency – and continuing to work toward bettering Delaware’s education system as a whole.

“We have to look at quality of life, and then also our needs in the community, whether it’s workforce housing, and what opportunities are there, because you can’t bring folks here to work in the service industry if they can’t find a place to stay. There’s a delicate balance there,” Ms. McGuiness said.

The three Democrats vying for the 14th District’s seat in the state House of Representatives will be on the ballot Sept. 10, when Democrats and Republicans will cast their respective primary ballots ahead of the Nov. 5 general election.

Department of Elections