MILTON, Del.- As voters prepare to head to the polls for Delaware’s 20th House District special election, an exchange between the two candidates has brought personal circumstances and past voting records into the spotlight.
Republican candidate Dr. Nikki Miller recently released campaign materials pointing to her participation in local elections, including this year’s Cape Henlopen school board vote and the 2024 referendums.
The flyer criticizes her opponent, Democrat Alonna Berry, claiming Berry did not vote in recent school board elections or any referendums.
Berry, a former senior advisor in the Carney administration, responded in a public statement explaining why she missed this year’s vote, saying she was in the hospital with complications following childbirth.
“I care deeply,” Berry wrote. “Like so many women across our state, I was balancing the incredible joy of welcoming a child with the very real dangers and uncertainties that can come with childbirth-especially for Black women.”
Berry said her experience underscores her support for expanding early voting and protecting reproductive health care.
The seat was vacated earlier this summer by former Democratic Representative Stell Parker Selby. Voters in the 20th District, which includes parts of Milton and Lewes, will choose her replacement on Monday, Aug. 5.
Early voting begins Thursday, July 24 and runs through Saturday, Aug. 3.