REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - Former Delaware State Auditor Kathy McGuiness appears poised to run for the Rehoboth Beach State House seat soon to be vacated by Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf.
According to Delaware's campaign finance website, the "Friends of Kathy McGuiness" committee was certified by the Delaware Department of Elections on April 11. Documents show McGuiness' intent is to run for the 14th District as a Democrat.
McGuiness' intention sets the state for at least a three-way primary, with Common Cause Delaware Director Claire Snyder-Hall and Human Rights Commissioner Marty Rendon also running as Democrats. According to Delaware Department of Elections records, there's currently no Republican candidate.
It's a big week for McGuiness, who learned this week that prosecutors would not re-try her after a judge reversed one of the misdemeanor counts against her. McGuiness had been convicted of criminal charges in 2022, in charges related to her hiring her daughter.
McGuiness was acquitted of a felony theft charge and felony witness intimidation. A third guilty verdict based on state purchasing rules was tossed by the trial judge months after the verdicts.
Rep. Pete Schwartzkopf has held the District 14 Seat for over 20 years. He was the highest ranking- and, until recently, the only- Democrat from Sussex County in the Delaware House. When announcing his retirement in July 2023, Schwartzkopf told CoastTV he believes the next primary will be big and that many people are interested in taking over his district seat, which covers Lewes, Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach.
CoastTV has reached out to McGuiness for comment.