Seaford Mayor David Genshaw and Councilman Matt MacCoy will keep their positions for another term after defeating challengers Pat A. Jones and Stacie Whitt Spicer in the municipal election Saturday.
Genshaw secured 412 votes compared to 189 for Jones, and MacCoy won with 400 votes over Spicer’s 199. The mayoral term is two years, and the council member’s term is three years.
This spring’s election brought in 717 total voters.
CANDIDATES:In Seaford, 2 women will challenge the mayor and a councilman in an April 16 election
The continued support of these incumbents is significant as Seaford has found itself in the political spotlight in the past year when the council approved an ordinance that would require the burial or cremation of fetal remains from abortions performed or from miscarriages that occur in the city.
The legislation came around the same time that the city’s first Planned Parenthood clinic was set to open. While supporters said it was simply about ensuring the “dignified disposal” of fetal remains, opponents argued that the ordinance increased stigma around abortion access and potentially raised financial and administrative costs for medical providers.
Anticipating a lawsuit from the state, Seaford City Council voted to “stay enforcement” of the ordinance in late December, but Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings acted on her promise anyway and sued the city in a history-making move in January.
LAWSUIT:Delaware attorney general sues Seaford over abortion ordinance in history-making move
While none of the candidates who responded to Delaware Online/The News Journal’s pre-election questionnaire raised this issue as a specific reason for running, both Jones and Spicer said they would not have voted for the ordinance.
They both also denounced the city’s choice to keep secret the name of a donor who promised to support any litigation costs that followed the ordinance’s approval.
BACKGROUND:Why Seaford won’t disclose who’s paying for its legal defense, and how that may influence politics
Some city council members and advocates for government transparency have been critical of the donor’s anonymity, especially since at least one council member said the knowledge of this donor helped cement his affirmative vote.
“Involvement of an anonymous donor to an elected body should alarm everyone,” Spicer wrote in response to the questionnaire.
“By taking dark money, this showcases to the townspeople that our city can be bought by the highest bidder,” she said. “From that, one could surmise that the voices of the citizens don’t matter.”
Meanwhile, Genshaw continued to defend the city’s choice to protect the donor’s identity since the money went through a nonprofit and not directly to Seaford.
“All financial support went to a local nonprofit and there have been many supporters that did not wish to see the City impacted financially by litigation,” he wrote. “Both sides of this discussion receive donations from anonymous supporters.”
Beyond this hot-button issue, all three candidates who responded to the questionnaire – MacCoy did not respond by deadline – raised economic development or viability as one of their top three issues. MacCoy has also been a strong proponent of bringing new businesses to Seaford, such as the recently arrived Amazon facility.
Emily Lytle covers Sussex County from the inland towns to the beaches. Got a story she should tell? Contact her at elytle@delmarvanow.com or 302-332-0370. Follow her on Twitter at @emily3lytle.
