A new Delaware political poll, released less than a week before the primary election, offers a glimpse into the priorities of some voters, particularly in areas that will likely have the most competitive primaries.
Polling in Delaware is incredibly rare since the state is so small and it’s an expensive endeavor. This poll, which the ACLU of Delaware commissioned Public Policy Polling to conduct, is limited in its scope: It consists of 563 likely Democratic primary voters throughout New Castle County, who were asked questions about specific issues – primarily renter’s rights, abortion and police reform on Aug. 10 and 11.
The poll did not include any information about Gov. John Carney’s approval rating, or other issues in Delaware, including the legalization of recreational marijuana – which was one of the most heated issues debated in the General Assembly this past session.
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Among the findings, New Castle County voters viewed inflation as the most important issue, followed by the economy and crime and public safety.
The primary on Sept. 13, features several challenges for longtime lawmakers. Though ACLU officials say the organization is not endorsing candidates, it has launched targeted issue campaigns in three of the closest watched races.
The poll topics are connected to voter engagement campaigns the ACLU has launched in three House races: renter’s rights in District 1, abortion in District 2 and police accountability and transparency in District 13.
“The issues that we highlighted specifically in those districts were issues where there has been clear action from the incumbent or non-action in some cases, or they answered or did not answer our candidate survey,” said Morgan Kelly, communications director for the ACLU of Delaware.
Here’s a breakdown of the poll, and the areas the ACLU is targeting:
District 1 – Wilmington
In the poll, 69% of New Castle County voters believe the General Assembly should pass a bill that would give legal representation to renters facing eviction. Fifty percent of voters said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supports this issue.
In District 1, Rep. Nnamdi Chukwuocha in 2021 voted against legislation that would provide legal representation to renters facing eviction. The lawmaker’s opponent, Wilmington Councilwoman Shané Darby, supports this legislation.
Chukwuocha got blowback from some Wilmington residents this spring when he supported legislation that would have given the city of Wilmington authority to seize vacant property for community development. The bill was eventually pulled and never voted on.
Supporters said the bill would enable the City Council to better deal with vacant property in Wilmington, which can attract drug activity and squatters, ultimately affecting property values.
District 2 – Wilmington
The poll also asked voters about Medicaid coverage of abortion. Delaware is among the many states in which abortion services are only covered by Medicaid in instances of rape, incest or life endangerment. Other states have dedicated state Medicaid funds to cover abortion in any circumstances.
The poll found that 74% of voters supported the Delaware legislature passing a law to allow state Medicaid money to fund abortions, and 63% of voters said they would be more likely to vote for candidates who are in favor of this.
According to the ACLU, Rep. Stephanie T. Bolden, who represents District 2, did not respond to the organization’s candidate survey. Bolden did not vote for the two abortion bills that were voted on this past session. She was marked absent for both of those votes.
Bolden’s opponent, James Taylor, a state employee, supports Medicaid covering the cost of abortions, according to the ACLU candidate questionnaire.
District 13 – Elsmere
The poll also focused on criminal justice reform, particularly police accountability and transparency. This is an issue Delaware lawmakers have struggled with for years.
According to the poll, 64% of voters say they are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports making police disciplinary records public.
At the start of the session, lawmakers introduced a bill that would change aspects of the Law Enforcement Officer’s Bill of Rights, specifically by opening police disciplinary records. LEOBOR requires police disciplinary actions in Delaware be kept secret from public disclosure. In many cases, the public only learns of these incidents from civil lawsuits, where citizens sue police for causing physical injury or damages.
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The bill was praised by advocates, yet negotiations with lawmakers and law enforcement stalled. A new version of the bill was introduced in March, but it was seen as a weaker version by both advocates and police.
For District 13, Rep. John “Larry” Mitchell, the House majority whip who is also a former police officer, did not respond to the ACLU’s questionnaire related to justice system reform. His opponent DeShanna Neal did, and supports making police disciplinary records public as well as changes to probation.
