2020 Election Watch: Delaware Primaries
This is it: The final primary day of 2020!! Today, six RFS candidates are on the ballot in Delaware, with the hopes of moving to Election Day on November 3. Throughout the year, our candidates have kept their foot on the gas helping create structure amidst the chaos of 2020.
Campaigning in any environment is tough, but in the past eight months it has felt almost insurmountable. Yet, hundreds of first-time hopefuls marched on: finding new methods to canvas through Zoom, creating new opportunities to support neighbors who have been hit the hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic; working with protestors and demonstrators fighting against racial inequality on the ground.
2020 has not let up and neither have our candidates. As we enter into the home stretch, we want to honor every single person that took a chance and ran for office this year. The voices of progressive leaders have been integral in 2020 and their work has served as a beacon for other young leaders who decide to run for office in the future. Thank you for all of your work in this time of crisis.
Take the time to get to know our last primary candidates running in today’s elections. And (as always) if you are planning to go to the polls today, make sure you follow social distancing protocols and stay safe.
Primary Candidates
Sarah McBride
Delaware State Senate, District 1
Sarah McBride is running to be Delaware’s next Senator from the First State Senate District, where she was raised. She has been involved in progressive and community advocacy for most of her life, including working for former Governor Jack Markell, Attorney General Beau Biden, and in the Obama White House.
Sarah currently serves as a spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ advocacy organization. She’s spent her life fighting for dignity, equality, and a level playing field for everyone — and now she’s taking that fight to legislative hall.
Madinah Wilson-Anton
Delaware State House of Representatives, District 26
Madinah Wilson-Anton is a life-long Delaware resident and policy analyst who is running for state representative. She is running because the system is broken and we need to fix it. When she worked as a legislative aide in Delaware’s state legislature, Madinah saw how many of Delaware’s problems were going completely unaddressed. As a young, black woman in rapidly diversifying district, Madinah believes that she has the knowledge and will to help make the changes needed while truly representing her community. If elected, she would also be the first practicing Muslim elected to Delaware’s state legislature.
Coby Owens
Wilmington City Council, District 1
Coby is an activist who is committed to building a ‘Wilmington for All.’ He is dedicated to advocating for social, economic, and racial justice. As a Community Organizer, Coby will be the leader that 1st District needs on the City Council. He understands the struggles of families living in poverty and knows what hardworking families are experiencing daily.
Within his community, Coby serves as an At-Large member to the Delaware Democratic State Executive Committee, Chair of the Wilmington Young Democrats, a member of the Delaware NAACP Executive Committee, and Multiplying Good Board of Selector.
Shané Darby
Wilmington City Council, District 2
Shané was born and raised in the 2nd district, to an immigrant Jamaican mother and step-father. From a very tender age, she has been outspoken and passionate about inequities in the world ranging from race, politics, animals, and the environment and always explored options to finding solutions to improving people’s lives.
After graduating with a master’s degree from Temple University, Shané made a conscious decision to move back here and become a homeowner in the same neighborhood she grew up in. She wants her children to grow up and go to school in the 2nd district. She also wants her children to know that it is their responsibility to fight and challenge systems to make change in their community.
Marie Pinkney
Delaware State Senate, District 13
Marie is a Master Level Social Worker. Following graduate school at Delaware State University, she began working at a treatment center for adolescents with mental health and substance abuse problems. She forged connections with the youth in a manner that truly fostered their ability to solve problems, set and achieve goals, improve communication skills, and learn new methods for identifying and managing emotions. She is currently a Trauma Social Worker/Case Manager in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit where she provides advocacy, discharge planning services and emotional support for patients and families.
Marie was also a foster parent to a teen mother and her young son for many years. Throughout her career she has seen firsthand how racial inequities, socioeconomic status, criminal history, and level of education negatively impact the lives of underserved populations. She has dedicated her career to advocating alongside families battling those factors which weigh heavily on their ability to receive quality healthcare, access to resources, educational support, and even legislation that is inclusive and supportive of them. Marie remains focused on advocating against a failing system that continues to fail those it is supposed to protect.
Kyle Gay
Delaware State Senate, District 5
Kyle Evans Gay is a mom, an attorney, and a community advocate who is running for Delaware State Senate to support families and seniors by investing in education, controlling healthcare costs, and protecting our environment.
After graduating from Brown University, she attended Boston University School of Law. She first worked as a prosecutor, and then clerked before entering private practice, where she now represents clients in Delaware’s business courts. Kyle has dedicated countless hours to Delaware nonprofits and has served on Delaware’s Public Integrity Commission. She represents children in foster care pro bono.
