Matt Meyer

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEW CASTLE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE

Bethany Hall-Long

legis.delaware.gov

Collin O'Mara

National Wildlife Federation

• 
• 
• 

By Joseph Edelen

DOVER — Ahead of this fall’s gubernatorial vote, New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer raised over $500,000 more than Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long during 2023, the Department of Elections’ campaign finance reports show.

Starting the year with $1 million, Mr. Meyer then raised $675,357, according to the data, and, after loaning himself an additional $200,000 and spending $175,000, the executive of Delaware’s most populous county had $1.7 million on hand at the end of 2023.

Fellow Democrat Lt. Gov. Hall-Long received $171,207 in contributions in 2023, while personally contributing $4,400 to the campaign, loaning it $1,455 and transferring nearly $655,000 from her lieutenant governor campaign committee.

Additionally, in the already competitive Democratic primary to succeed term-limited Gov. John Carney, former Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control secretary and current CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, Collin O’Mara, who has not officially entered the race but has expressed interest, also raised a significant amount.

The former cabinet member to Gov. Jack Markell raised $123,381 last December, according to the report. And, like the two candidates who have already entered the race, Mr. O’Mara also lent his campaign money — a significantly larger sum of $750,000.

Compared to Mr. Meyer’s $1.7 million on hand at the end of 2023, Lt. Gov. Hall-Long ended the year with $688,248, while Mr. O’Mara sat with more than $870,200, including each candidate’s personal loans.

Even since the onset of a reported pause in the lieutenant governor’s fundraising Sept. 28 through Oct. 26 — during which an audit showed discrepancies in campaign finance reports dating seven years back — she raised more than $125,000.

Following the launch of her campaign and subsequent financial concerns, Lt. Gov. Hall-Long overhauled her campaign staff, and according to the 2023 report, Newark-based Summit CPA Group performed the audit to the tune of $17,500.

The audit discovered that she and her family improperly listed personal loans as expenditures for campaign-related expenses dating to 2016, totaling $308,134, of which $206,985 has been repaid by Lt. Gov. Hall-Long.

Meanwhile, Mr. Meyer’s campaign stated that its year-end fundraising total “positions us as front-runners for the Democratic nomination.”

“The substantial funds raised demonstrate the enthusiasm and broad support that’s driving this campaign and will be utilized to amplify our outreach efforts, engage with voters and continue building a movement for change,” said campaign spokesperson Michael Atkins.

For Mr. O’Mara, who said he will make a decision about running in the coming weeks, his campaign noted that, after he has traveled through the state, “it’s clear that Delawareans aren’t happy with the state of the race for governor.”

“Delawareans want a real choice, big ideas, and a bold vision that meets this moment. The support we’ve received from nearly two-hundred small-dollar donors across Delaware has been incredibly encouraging,” Mr. O’Mara said in a statement. “Every day, it becomes increasingly clear that Delaware needs a new generation of leadership.”

As the race for governor heats up, a recent Public Policy Polling study, commissioned by Lt. Gov. Hall-Long’s campaign, showed that, of the 643 likely Democratic primary participants surveyed, 30% favored the lieutenant governor, 23% supported Mr. Meyer and the remaining 47% was undecided.

The poll, conducted Jan. 10 and 11 with a 3.9% margin of error, also displayed that, after voters were shown profiles of the two Democratic candidates, 38% supported Lt. Gov. Hall-Long, compared to Mr. Meyer’s 22%, with the remaining 40% unsure.

Though the poll did not include Mr. O’Mara, the lieutenant governor’s new campaign manager Donnie Johnson said he was encouraged by the results.

“This early poll is a testament to her unwavering commitment and years of dedicated public service to Delaware. As the campaign progresses, we are confident that more voters will recognize Bethany’s unique qualifications and her vision to make Delaware the best place to live, work and raise a family,” he said.

The lone Republican candidate to enter the 2024 gubernatorial race is retired New York City and Rehoboth Beach police officer Jerrold Price of Lewes.

The candidate has not been endorsed by the state’s Republican Party and, according to campaign finance reports, did not receive any contributions last year, though he loaned his campaign $5,000.

Staff writer Joseph Edelen
can be reached at jedelen@iniusa.org.
Follow @JoeEdelenDSN on X.