#antiestablishment wave

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WILMINGTON, Del. | Carper wins, antiestablishment wave ebbs in Delaware

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WILMINGTON, Del. | Carper wins, antiestablishment wave ebbs in Delaware

WILMINGTON, Del.  — Longtime U.S Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware easily fended off a Democratic primary challenge Thursday from a political newcomer who was part of an antiestablishment wave that hoped to move the party farther to the left.

Carper, 71, bested challenger Kerri Evelyn Harris, who had hoped to ride a growing antiestablishment wave within the party to victory, only to see it ebb against one of the most successful politicians in modern Delaware history.

“We need to reunite as a party,” Carper said after a primary win that kept his four-decade unbeaten campaign record intact. “We need to keep in mind that we are not one another’s enemies.”

Carper’s victory set up a November race against Rob Arlett, President Donald Trump’s former state campaign chair. Arlett, a Sussex County Councilman, defeated former PayPal executive Gene Truono in the Republican Senate primary.

Carper, who is vying for a fourth term in the Senate, touted his experience and his ability to work with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, despite being a vocal Trump critic. He served five terms in the U.S. House and two terms as governor before being elected to the Senate in 2000.

Harris had hoped for a victory like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who beat a 10-term incumbent in a New York congressional primary in June; Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who won Florida’s Democratic gubernatorial primary; and Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley, who beat an incumbent in a Massachusetts primary this week.

“We’re going to just keep pushing against the machine,” Harris said. “Our voices are louder than ever, and we are not going to sit silent whenever we see any injustices.”

Carper, 71, won by nearly 30 percent over Harris, who was part of a wave of young activists emboldened by the 2016 presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

Harris, a black, gay Air Force veteran, ran on a platform including government-paid health care for all, a $15 an hour minimum wage and abolition of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. She tried to paint Carper as an out-of-touch, career politician beholden to corporations and their political action committees.

But Carper had a huge advantage over Harris, both in name recognition and fundraising. He raised more than $1.3 million this year, compared to a little more than $120,000 reported by Harris as of mid-August. He outspent her by a similar margin.

Arlett, the 51-year-old owner of a real estate business in southern Delaware, also likely faces an uphill battle against Carper in this heavily Democratic state. In 2012, Carper beat his general election opponent by 37 points.

During the Senate campaign, Arlett touted his support of Trump’s “America First” agenda and his socially conservative positions, including opposition to abortion and gay marriage. He also reminded GOP voters that Truono is openly gay and in a same-sex marriage.

Arlett has said he would work in Washington to remove burdensome regulations on businesses, improve border security and fight for free and fair trade.

He also has called for repeal of the Affordable Care Act and the defunding of so-called “sanctuary cities.”

Republican voters on Thursday also chose businessman Scott Walker as their nominee for Delaware’s lone U.S. House seat. He will challenge first-term Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester.

By RANDALL CHASE , Associated Press

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DOVER, Del. | Newcomer seeks to defeat senior senator in Delaware primary

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DOVER, Del. | Newcomer seeks to defeat senior senator in Delaware primary

DOVER, Del.  — An upstart challenger riding an antiestablishment wave within the Democratic Party is hoping to unseat Delaware’s senior senator in the state’s primary election Thursday.

Sen. Tom Carper, 71, has never lost a race in more than four decades in politics, but political newcomer and community activist Kerri Evelyn Harris, 38, is hoping a coalition of young and liberal activists will break that streak.

Harris is among a wave of young activist Democrats, emboldened by the 2016 presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, trying to push the party farther left. Black, gay and female, her previous experience includes loading giant cargo planes, repairing cars and frying chicken in convenience stores, along with coaching young people to work for social change.

These candidates have sent shock waves through the party establishment, starting in June with a New York congressional primary victory by 28-year-old newcomer Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez over a 10-term incumbent. Recent victories by Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum in Florida’s Democratic gubernatorial primary and Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley in a closely watched congressional primary in Massachusetts have further energized the movement.

Carper, who famously says he always campaigns as if he’s 20 points behind, is taking no chances against Harris, an Air Force veteran trying to stage one of the most shocking upsets in modern Delaware political history.

Carper has enjoyed a huge fundraising advantage against Harris this year, having raised more than $1.3 million as of mid-August, compared with a little more than $120,000 by Harris. He has far outspent her as well.

Harris noted that more than 40 states are represented in the donations and assistance her campaign has received.

“People of the entire United States realize that this campaign has implications that can be resounding for the rest of the nation,” Harris said. “It’s an effort to move the Democratic party closer to the people.”

Harris’s message resonated with Dieter Littles, 60, of Magnolia, and his wife, Heidi, both of whom voted for her.

“I feel like we need new blood and new ideas and new faces,” said Heidi, who pointed to Harris’ call for universal health care and a $15 minimum wage.

The couple acknowledged, however, that Harris hasn’t spelled out how she would pay for her proposals, which also include eliminating all student debt.

“We need to have a progressive tax,” said Littles, suggesting that corporations should pay more taxes. “It doesn’t have to be ridiculous,” he said.

Despite being a frequent and vocal critic of President Donald Trump, Carper has developed a reputation over the years as a centrist able to work with both Republicans and Democrats in Congress.

“Delaware’s always gotten rewarded for working to the middle, finding consensus. … I don’t think that’s changed,” he said.

That middle is largely occupied by people who aren’t registered with either leading party, but independents have no voice in Delaware’s closed primaries, in which only Democrats and Republicans can vote for their respective nominees. Polls were to remain open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Election Commissioner Elaine Manlove said numbers from the polls by midday were on the “low side” for a primary.

In the Republican primary former PayPal executive Gene Truono is running against Sussex County Councilman Rob Arlett. Both GOP candidates touted their conservative credentials during the campaign.

“They both believe in about the same things, so what do you do?” said Donnie Carpenter, 65, of Dover, who wound up voting for Arlett.

Republican voters also will decide between actor and retired railroad industry worker Lee Murphy and businessman Scott Walker as their nominee for Delaware’s lone U.S. House seat, currently held by first-term Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester.

Other statewide primaries to be decided Thursday include a four-way Democratic primary for attorney general and a three-way Democratic primary for state auditor. Seventeen legislative primaries also will be decided on the local level.

By RANDALL CHASE , Associated Press

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DOVER, Del | Carper-Harris matchup highlights Delaware primary elections

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DOVER, Del | Carper-Harris matchup highlights Delaware primary elections

DOVER, Del. — A battle between Delaware’s senior senator and an upstart challenger riding an antiestablishment wave within the Democratic Party highlights the state’s primary elections Thursday.

Sen. Tom Carper, 71, has never lost a race in more than four decades in politics.

Carper’s primary challenger is political newcomer and community activist Kerri Evelyn Harris, 38.

Carper, who famously says he always campaigns as if he’s 20 points behind, is taking no chances against Harris, an Air Force veteran trying to stage one of the most shocking upsets in modern Delaware political history.

Carper has enjoyed a huge fundraising advantage against Harris this year, having raised more than $1.3 million as of mid-August, compared to a little more than $120,000 by Harris. He has far outspent her as well.

Despite being a frequent and vocal critic of President Donald Trump, Carper has developed a reputation over the years as a centrist able to work with both Republicans and Democrats in Congress.

“Delaware’s always gotten rewarded for working to the middle, finding consensus. … I don’t think that’s changed,” he said.

That middle is largely occupied by people who aren’t registered with either leading party, but independents have no voice in Delaware’s closed primaries, in which only Democrats and Republicans can vote for their respective nominees. Polls were to remain open from 7 a.m.

until 8 p.m.

Harris is among a wave of young activist Democrats, emboldened by the 2016 presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, trying to push the party farther left. Black, gay and female, her previous experience includes loading giant cargo planes, repairing cars and frying chicken in convenience stores, along with coaching young people to work for social change.

These candidates have sent shock waves through the party establishment, starting in June with a New York congressional primary victory by 28-year-old newcomer Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez over a 10-term incumbent. Recent victories by Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum in Florida’s Democratic gubernatorial primary and Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley in a closely watched congressional primary in Massachusetts have further energized the movement.

“People of the entire United States realize that this campaign has implications that can be resounding for the rest of the nation,” Harris said, noting that more than 40 states are represented in the donations and assistance her campaign has received. “It’s an effort to move the Democratic party closer to the people.”

Delaware Republicans, meanwhile, are holding their own Senate primary, pitting former PayPal executive Gene Truono against Sussex County Councilman Rob Arlett. Republican voters also will decide between actor and retired railroad industry worker Lee Murphy and businessman Scott Walker as their nominee for Delaware’s lone U.S. House seat, currently held by first-term Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester.

Other statewide primaries to be decided Thursday include a four-way Democratic primary for attorney general and a three-way Democratic primary for state auditor. Seventeen legislative primaries also will be decided on the local level.

By RANDALL CHASE, Associated Press