SUSSEX COUNTY, Del.- Election season is coming up and Sussex County has some key races in the primaries.
Beginning in District 36, which mostly represents Milford and Ellendale, Representative Bryan Shupe faces an opponent for the first time in a primary with Patrick Smith of Ellendale.
Shupe says that people he has spoken to are focused on healthcare and land preservation.
"Expanding the opportunities for primary care doctors which we have worked on already but continuing that," Shupe said. "They talk about farmland preservation and making sure that our land down here stays pristine."
Smith says his big focus is on small businesses and getting workers to stay in Delaware.
"Improve our small businesses," Smith said. "You know, these are people who live in Ellendale and Slaughter Beach and these other towns and Broadkill and they need our help to try to make business for them easier."
Another Republican race will determine the other contender for the Sussex County District 5 seat. Incumbent John Rieley going up against Keller Hopkins of Georgetown.
This is the first election for the new District 5 boundaries which roughly covers the Georgetown and Millsboro areas.
Growth continues to be a major topic for the district. Rieley wants to focus on sustainable growth.
"We are concerned about the rapid uptick in growth over the last couple of years and that’s been the result of a number of reasons and it may slow down as interest rates rise and the economy slows a bit," Rieley said. "But nevertheless, there’s some catch up to do in infrastructure."
Hopkins wants to change how properties are zoned saying current density is a huge problem.
"The traffic on our backroads and the growth out on our soybean fields and the corn fields it's just out of control," Hopkins said. "Our growth needs to be around the population centers where you have services and the jobs."
Primary Election Day is Tuesday September 13 but early voting starts this coming Wednesday. Now, if you are not registered to vote you can do so at any time, even at the polls during early voting and on Election Day.
