In less than three months, Lydia York, a candidate seeking to oust Kathy McGuiness in the Sept. 13 primary, has raised nearly double that of the embattled state auditor, according to the most recent campaign filings.
York, who has the endorsement of the Delaware Democratic Party, has raised $47,220 since she began fundraising in late May. A number of Democratic lawmakers are publicly backing the lawyer and accountant.
McGuiness has raised $24,190 since January. She began her reelection campaign with a war chest of about $61,000. This summer, McGuiness became first statewide elected official to be charged with and found guilty of crimes while in office.
The auditor’s race will likely be one of the more closely watched primary races, since McGuiness is the only statewide official facing a primary challenger. It could also result in a potentially bizarre scenario for voters: There’s a chance McGuiness could be removed from office before the election.
More:What happens if auditor Kathy McGuiness is removed from office then wins the election?
Though most Democratic leaders in Delaware believe McGuiness is not fit for office because of her guilty verdict, they are not in agreement on how she should be removed. The Senate tried to play its only move to begin the process to remove her only to be stopped by House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf, a longtime political ally and friend of McGuiness.
Schwartzkopf, according to campaign filings, donated $1,200 to McGuiness campaign in April 2022, which was after she was indicted but before a jury found her guilty of public corruption misdemeanors.
The speaker was also one of many House lawmakers who signed a July letter to Gov. John Carney asking him to remove McGuiness from office once she is sentenced.
Carney has said he must wait for her sentencing before taking possible action, pointing to a legal opinion about his constitutional powers. But it’s unclear when that will be.
Judge William C. Carpenter Jr. is expected to rule on a motion filed by McGuiness seeking a new trial, one of several motions her lawyer filed since the trial. If those motions are rejected, he will then set a date for sentencing McGuiness. It is expected she will receive probation.
With little political polling in Delaware, campaign fundraising can often offer a glimpse into the strength of the campaigns, and the support candidates are receiving.
More:Delaware lawmakers want state auditor out of office. They just don’t agree on how to do it
York has raised the most money of any primary candidate, including other incumbents. She has about $10,000 in loans, with just over $30,000 cash on hand. More than a dozen Democratic lawmakers have donated to her campaign, including House Majority Leader Valerie Longhurst.
For McGuiness, this fundraising haul pales in comparison to her 2018 campaign. Yet she has about $71,000 on hand, which is more than double of her opponent. York has outspent McGuiness by about $13,000.
McGuiness raised $140,000 by this time in 2018. She had one of the most robust fundraising arms of any Democrat running in the 2018 primary.
At the time, she was one of three Democrats looking to win the seat of longtime Republican Tom Wagner, who had retired. Many prominent Delaware Democrats supported and campaigned for her.
But now, besides the House speaker, no major Democrats appear to have donated to her campaign.
Contact Meredith Newman at mnewman@delawareonline.com.
