SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. - Two republican candidates are fighting to represent District 2 in Sussex County.
District 2 consists of Greenwood, Bridgeville, Ellendale, Milford and Milton.
Councilwoman Cindy Green is seeking reelection after serving one term. Green was a committee person on the Republican Party for 10 years before serving as the Register of Wills for 10 years.
In total, Green has served within the Sussex County GOP for 24 years. She is the second republican woman to serve on the county council and is currently the only woman on the council that is made up of five members.
Her opponent, Steve McCarron served on the Woodbridge School Board. During his time there he served as President of the board. McCarron was a volunteer firefighter for 30 years and has worked in the agriculture industry for 20 years, specifically the poultry and vegetable industries.
Both candidates stressed the importance of agriculture in the county and in the second district and pledged to make sure they care for that industry.
"I've seen both sides. You know, I've seen the challenges and the demands of the poultry industry, but then also worked firsthand with the men and women that make up the farming community," said McCarron. "We need to make sure we have a viable infrastructure for the farming community to continue to thrive."
"We want to make sure that the farmers can farm here and that they can continue to be sustainable," Green explained.
She also expressed concerns for road safety and overdevelopment.
"But we want to make sure that when the development comes this way, that we're better prepared and we have safety as a number one issue. Can the roads handle that much traffic? Is there a shoulder? Then we can identify there's not a shoulder, that the roads aren't wide enough," said Green. "Then we have to look at that and say that's not safe enough to build all these developments into our cornfields."
The candidates also find common ground with the issue of tax increases.
"I'm not going to vote for a tax increase. We have sufficient funds in our budget that if there is something that was to come up that we would need more funding, we would be able to find the funding," said Councilwoman Green.
"Nobody knows what the future will hold and nobody knows what the future demands will be. At this time, I don't see a need for tax increases," McCarron explained.
Their differences come in to play with the issue of campaign funding. McCarron has expressed concerns about his opponents campaign finances.
"It's concerning when one group or one political action committee (PAC) invests so much in one candidate in one portion of the county especially when it's a PAC run by developers and that is a huge issue in Sussex County," McCarron told CoastTV.
He went on to say he does not condemn any industry or individual, but his unease comes from one group having a "large influence in one candidate's race."
When asked about the funding for his campaign, McCarron said "the bulk of the campaign has been financed by myself." He said donors that have contributed to his campaign have been listed in the campaign finance report.
The PAC in question, Preserve Sussex. Incumbent Cindy Green assured CoastTV that this practice isn't anything out of the ordinary.
"Campaigns are all financed from outside sources, all campaigns. It doesn't matter what position you're running for," said Green.
The PAC put out fliers on Green's behalf, something she says most campaigns do. She says her campaign has come under unwarranted scrutiny and suggests she is "probably the lowest financed campaign in the Republican Party."
"As long as everything's legal, it's how you finance your campaigns. It's all legal, whether I do it or they do it. It is campaign finance and it's regulated and we all turn our reports in."
Delaware's Primary election is Tuesday, Sept. 10. Early voting is available from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and ends on Sunday, Sept. 8. Voting on Tuesday, Sept. 10 is available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
To find your polling place, click here.
To view either candidates campaign finance reports, click here.
Under filing period name, you can select 2024 30 day 2024 Primary Election 9/10/24 or 2024 8 Day 2024 Primary Election 9/10/24.
To view Steve McCarron's campaign finance reports, you will search 'Friends for Steve McCarron' in the committee name search bar.
To view Cindy Green's campaign finance reports, you will search 'Cindy Green County Council' in the committee name search bar.
