SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. - Justine Cuccia has filed as a Democratic candidate for Sussex County Council District 4 in the 2026 election, challenging the seat currently held by Douglas B. Hudson of Ocean View, who is serving his second consecutive term.
Cuccia, a lawyer and educator, said she brings more than 20 years of grassroots leadership to the race. She has co-organized three “No Kings” rallies in Bethany Beach, including the March 28 event that drew more than 1,600 participants and works alongside Indivisible Southern Delaware.
Cuccia said she has also worked as a substitute teacher in schools throughout Sussex County for several years. Cuccia previously served on the Community Board 1 for lower Manhattan, one of New York's 59 community boards, since 2010. She said she often discussed land use, zoning, and budget priorities on the advisory-like body.
She and her husband, Matthew, purchased a home in Bethany Beach in 2016, referring to herself as a "transplant".
Her campaign is centered on managing growth and addressing infrastructure challenges in Sussex County.
"If we don’t prioritize people who work here also being able to live here, then every small business in Sussex will be endangered by having to pay employees extra to commute hours each day, and those businesses will have no choice but pass those costs on to all of us," said Cuccia. "We need to guide land use to include more clinical facilities, because if we don’t, Sussex’s rising population will turn our communities into healthcare deserts."
Cuccia also said protecting property values and ensuring longtime locals, particularly older adults, are not priced out of their communities are key priorities.
"We need to protect existing property owners, so that restraints on development don’t limit appreciation on the most important investment of their lives," said Cuccia.
She also called for expanded access to health care, warning that rapid population growth without additional clinical facilities could strain services in the county.
When it comes to opposing current Council President Hudson, Cuccia said she offers a different perspective.
"I believe that what we have today is a result of what the incumbents have created," said Cuccia. "I'm not happy with what has been created, and I want to change the difference."
