Carney, Coons, Rochester re-elected; presidency too close to call

Gov. John Carney was re-elected in his race against Republican Julianne Murray on Tuesday, according to the AP. | DBT FILE PHOTO

DOVER – Gov. John Carney, U.S. Sen. Chris Coons and U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester all easily prevailed in their re-election races Tuesday, while the presidency narrowed to a list of a half dozen or so battleground states that will determine whether Delaware native Joe Biden is elected.

With all precincts in the state reporting, all three incumbent Democrats carried around 60% of the votes in their races, according to the Delaware Department of Elections.

Carney, whose final year of his first four-year term was upended by the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, faced a referendum of sorts on his handling of the crisis. Voters overwhelmingly supported the incumbent over a challenge from Republican Julianne Murray, a Sussex County lawyer whose husband sued the governor over his pandemic-spurred restrictions.

Sen. Chris Coons

Coons earned a second six-year term after defeating Republican Lauren Witzke, a first-time candidate who was prone to controversial statements throughout the campaign leading to admonishment from her own party leaders.

“Thank you to everyone who came out and participated in today’s election. This campaign wouldn’t have been possible without you! I look forward to continuing to serve and fight for you in D.C., whether you’re a Republican, an Independent or a Democrat,” Coons wrote on Twitter shortly after being named the winner of his race.

Rochester earned a third two-year term after defeating Republican Lee Murphy, an Amtrak manager turned professional actor.

Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester

“Today, I’ve been blessed to, once again, be granted the confidence of my fellow citizens as I’m elected as their representative in Congress. We’ve accomplished a great deal together already – but there’s so much left to do. I’ve always said that, ‘When Lisa goes to Washington, we all go to Washington.’ So, in the wake of yet another political season, let us work to find common ground, common solution, and common purpose. Let us move forward in the spirit of unity. Let us commit to fighting for each other rather than against each other. Because if we do, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish together,” she wrote in a press release announcing the win. 

All eyes in Delaware remain fixed on whether native son and former Vice President Biden can win the presidency in his race against incumbent President Donald Trump, becoming the first Delawarean to win the White House. As of Wednesday morning, nationwide attention had turned to states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania to see whether the Biden campaign’s “blue wall” strategy would prevail or if Trump would hold off the late rally.

Other states like Arizona, Nevada, Georgia and North Carolina will play important parts in who is elected the next president, although results in the presidential race aren’t expected for a few days as mail-in ballots continue to be counted and the possibility of recounts and court challenges hang over the process.

By Jacob Owens

jowens@delawarebusinesstimes.com