EARLY LINE 2016

Updated: March 7, 2015

Early Line has not been as early as this one before.

The 2016 election in Delaware already has candidates stampeding for a spot on the statewide ballot, which will have four races on it for governor, congressional office, lieutenant governor and insurance commissioner.

Never mind that it is way early. Like what is this, a presidential primary?

The action is particularly intense on the Democratic side, and no wonder. It is a presidential year, when Democratic voters are more likely to turn out and elect their own to statewide office.

As a matter of fact, the only Republican not named Mike Castle to win a statewide office over the last 20 years of presidential-year voting was Donna Lee Williams, an insurance commissioner.

This happens in a deeply blue state where the Democrats outnumber the Republicans overwhelmingly in voter registration. This voter gap is currently at almost 125,000 more Democratic than Republican voters.

So here is the first version of Early Line 2016, because the way candidacies get going is people hear about them on the Grapevine.

Office Democrats Republicans Rundown
Governor

Beau Biden

Colin Bonini

Lacey Lafferty

 Beau gets the right of first refusal. If he opts out, there will be a Stop-Tom-Gordon movement stretching from Delaware to D.C. by Democrats wanting John Carney, the congressman, to block the New Castle County executive
U.S. House

John Carney

Chris Bullock

Bryan Townsend

Bryon Short

Sean Barney

Brenda Mayrack

Fred Cullis

Rose Izzo

Ian MacFadyen

Hans Reigle

 There is no disguising what this scrum of legislators, local officials, ex-candidates and out-and-out vanity candidates is about. If Beau rallies from his medical setback and runs, this unsightly free-for-all will mostly dwindle down PDQ to Carney
Lieutenant governor

Chris Bullock

Brad Eaby

Pete Schwartzkopf

   If Carney runs for re-election, count on Bullock to drop down to here. Who knows if others will follow, but for now, it is Bullock trying to come off the New Castle County Council, Eaby thinking about it from the Kent County Levy Court. Nor can Schwartzkopf, the speaker, be left out of the mix
Insurance commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart George Parrish Stewart is the living, breathing embodiment of the good things that happen to Democrats who run in presidential years

Incumbents in bold

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