This Delaware 2024 political race just got even more competitive: The Press Room

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include the correct date of the 2024 state primary.

Welcome to The Press Room, a weekly roundup of the major stories and happenings in Delaware politics.

This week’s edition focuses on the 2024 lieutenant governor’s race, nominations made by Gov. John Carney and an update on Joe Biden's presidential HQ.

As always, send story tips, feedback, ideas or gossip to me at mnewman@delawareonline.com.

The list of competitive 2024 races grows even longer

The race to elect Delaware’s next lieutenant governor is now even more competitive.

State Sen. Kyle Evans Gay, a Democrat representing North Wilmington, launched her campaign last week for lieutenant governor. She was elected to the Legislature in 2020 when she flipped a Republican-held seat.

She will now face off against Rep. Sherry Dorsey Walker, a Wilmington Democrat, and Debbie Harrington, a retired U.S. Army colonel. If either is elected, they would become the first Black woman to hold the office.

Dorsey Walker previously ran for this seat in 2016, coming second to now Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long in the 2016 Democratic primary. Harrington, a Middletown resident, serves as vice chair of the state Democratic Party. She has unsuccessfully run for other elected offices.

Next year is expected to be one of the most competitive elections in recent state history. Three candidates are running to represent Delaware in the U.S. House of Representatives. U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester is currently running unopposed in the U.S. Senate race to replace U.S. Sen. Tom Carper.

The governor’s race is also expected to be competitive. Right now, New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer is the only candidate to publicly announce his campaign.

But a reminder: The primary for state elections is Sept. 10, 2024 – a year from now. In other words, buckle up.

State Senate to confirm governor’s appointees

The Delaware Senate will meet this week to appoint Gov. John Carney’s nominations for a Superior Court judge and the new Marijuana Appeals Commission.

Carney has appointed Kathleen Miller to be the next Superior Court judge, replacing Abigail LeGrow, who now serves on the Delaware Supreme Court. Miller is a partner at Smith, Katzenstein & Jenkins LLP. She has also previously served as the president of the Delaware State Bar Association and earned her law degree from Delaware Law School.

The governor also made two nominations to the Marijuana Appeals Commission, which was created as part of the recently passed legislation to create a recreational marijuana industry in Delaware. The commission will consider applications for the various related licenses that have been denied by the state’s marijuana commissioner.

Both of the nominations have deep ties to Carney. Hon. William Chapman, who will represent New Castle County, is a retired family court judge. Chapman was among those appointed by Carney to conduct an independent review of the prison riot at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center.

Michael Houghton, who will represent Sussex County, is a partner at Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell. His clients have included the Delaware River & Bay Authority and the Delaware Department of Insurance. Carney in 2017 named him chair of the influential Delaware Economic and Financial Advisory Council.

The governor’s office has yet to announce a Kent County appointee for the commission.

Biden headquarters sets up camp in Wilmington

Earlier this summer, Delaware Online/The News Journal reported that President Joe Biden will base his reelection campaign in Wilmington, making the city likely one of the smallest to ever host a presidential campaign.

The campaign said it plans to have a presence in downtown Wilmington, but did not provide specifics at the time. Axios reported last week that parts of the Delaware office are going through construction. It includes a studio to produce media content.

An influx of campaign aides is expected to move to Wilmington by the end of September, Axios reported. Many will live in downtown Wilmington.

DELAWARE POLITICS: Who is running for office in 2024? Our updated list of Delaware candidates, announcements

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware 2024 elections got more competitive with this announcement