Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) is running for Delaware’s open Senate seat to succeed Sen. Tom Carper, who’s not seeking reelection next year, CNN reports.
Tom Carper Will Not Seek Re-Election
Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) says he will not seek reelection to a 5th term, the AP reports.
Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) is seen as likely to run for the seat in 2024.
Tom Carper to Announce Whether He’ll Run Again
Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), 76, is expected to announce at 11 a.m. whether he’ll run for a fifth term, WBOC reports.
Carper Fends Off Primary Challenge
Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE) warded off a primary challenge from political newcomer Kerri Evelyn Harris, throwing cold water on progressives’ hopes for another upset victory over a longtime incumbent, the New York Times reports.
“The most successful statewide politician in Delaware history, Mr. Carper won renomination for a fourth Senate term and what will likely be his 14th consecutive general election victory.“
Carper Faces Primary Test In Delaware
“Two huge upsets by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley over older white men in high-profile Democratic primaries have put the spotlight squarely on Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), who faces his own primary test on Thursday against Kerri Evelyn Harris (D),” The Hill reports.
Politico: “Carper has been in statewide elected office for four decades — longer than his challenger, Kerri Evelyn Harris, has been alive. And though Delaware has transformed from a political battleground to a reliably blue state in that time, Carper’s long moderate record has made him vulnerable to criticism from the left ahead of Thursday’s primary.”
Ocasio-Cortez Deploys Campaign Staff to Delaware
“Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the 28-year old former waitress who shocked Democratic Party politics by defeating Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) in a primary last month, is deploying members of her growing campaign staff to help another liberal upstart seeking to unseat a longtime Democratic incumbent,” CBS News reports.
“Ocasio-Cortez this week decided to send at least three paid campaign staffers to Delaware to help Kerri Evelyn Harris, an Air Force veteran and community activist who is challenging three-term Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE) in a Sept. 6 primary.”