LEWES, Del. - Members of the Lewes Fire Department have elected a new president, Gregory Bennett, who will begin the role Jan 1. Aiden Gause was elected vice president.
During the department's annual election, held Dec. 1 this year, Bennett won against current Fire President Wally Evans with double the votes. Multiple members tell CoastTV they believe Evans' loss was due to how he handled controversy within the department surrounding former Fire Chief Bill Buckaloo.
CoastTV spoke with Bennett Wednesday, who said he was pleasantly surprised he won the election.
"I thought, let the membership decide. If they feel that a change in leadership is needed, they'll support me," said Bennett. "If they feel that we can run it back another year with the current leadership, then they wouldn't support me."
Bennett said he made the decision to run after examining the state of the fire department.
"Obviously, we had a rough year in 2025, and I just felt that maybe a new set of eyes looking at things may bring a different perspective to the department," said Bennett.
Bennett said he wants to take a hard look at the future of the department.
"I think a lot of people weren't happy with the direction we went this year," said Bennett.
Bennett said he wants to expand on the work the department is doing with the City of Lewes and continue that relationship.
Much of the Buckaloo controversy surrounded the fire department's bylaws and members who were upset, claiming Buckaloo didn't get a progressive punishment after saying the N-word in public in July.
Members previously told CoastTV that Evans was to blame for Buckaloo ultimately remaining a member in the department.
Bennett said he plans to reexamine those bylaws.
"I'm looking forward to a great year. I'm looking forward to working with the other board members and the department as a whole. I'm very grateful that the members saw fit to put their trust in me and lead this organization."
CoastTV spoke with Evans on Wednesday, but he would not say what he believes led to the election results.
"Obviously, I wish him the best," said Evans, referring to Bennett. Evans will still serve as a member at the department.
"What we have now is a very strong leadership team," one fire department member told CoastTV. "Now, we have an opportunity to bring the organization forward. We we're stagnant."
The member believes transparency will be the biggest difference with new leadership.
"They're not going to hide things and sweep things under the carpet. They're going to be straightforward and upfront with everybody, and that's what we need," the member said.
Another member told CoastTV that he believes how Evans handled the Buckaloo situation is solely why he was not re-elected as president.
Robert Stephens ran unopposed and was re-elected fire chief.