MILLSBORO, Del. - Republican State Rep. Rich Collins, who has represented the District 41 for more than a decade, announced he will retire at the end of his term in 2026.
"I think it’s time to enjoy life while I can," Collins said Tuesday. He told CoastTV he is confident the seat will remain Republican and that he would have sought re-election if he thought otherwise.
Millsboro, Dagsboro, Frankford, Gumboro & Selbyville.
Two local business owners have already filed to run for Collins’ seat in House District 41, which covers Millsboro, Dagsboro, and Gumboro. Republican Doug Conaway, who runs Douglas Builders, and Democrat Ryan Stuckey, owner of a coffee shop in Dagsboro, are seeking the open seat.
Local resident Louis Tiberi said the next representative should continue Collins’ work. "Millsboro is a good place as it is. Whoever takes his place will continue his good work," he said.
Collins has held the District 41 seat since 2014. If Stuckey wins, Democrats would increase their total in the 41-member Delaware House to 28 seats, giving them a two-thirds supermajority a level of control no party has held in the House since at least 1992.
A 2/3 supermajority in the Delaware House (28 of 41 seats) allows a party to:
Override gubernatorial vetoes (House portion)
Pass constitutional amendments (House portion, requires two consecutive General Assemblies)
Expel members of the House
Implement major institutional or procedural changes
All thresholds are defined in the Delaware Constitution and General Assembly rules.