National Agenda

As part of Delaware Debates 2018, Delaware Public Media presents Candidate Conversations in collaboration with the University of Delaware's Center for Political Communication. Delaware Public Media is interviewing all candidates who have filed to run in the races for U.S. House and U.S. Senate, as well as the races for State Attorney General, State Auditor and State Treasurer. Candidates in each race will answer the same set of questions to allow Delaware voters to get to know them and compare them.

In the race for Delaware Attorney General, incumbent Democrat Matt Denn chose not to run for another term. That prompted four Democrats to throw their hats in the ring to replace him. Kathy Jennings, Chris Johnson, Tim Mullaney, and LaKresha Roberts will face off in a Democratic primary next month. There is currently no Republican on the ballot after Peggy Marshall Thomas dropped out of the race in mid-August, but state GOP officials say they are looking for someone to step in and run. They have until Sept. 4 to name a new candidate.

Tim Mullaney is making his first run for elected office. The former Dover police officer and U.S Marshal spend 8 years working in the state Dept. of Justice under then Atty General Beau Biden, including 3 years as Chief of Staff. He was also New Castle County Chief Administrative Officer during the final year of Tom Gordon’s last term in office.

As part of Delaware Debates 2018, Delaware Public Media presents Candidate Conversations in collaboration with the University of Delaware's Center for Political Communication. Delaware Public Media is interviewing all candidates who have filed to run in the races for U.S. House and U.S. Senate, as well as the races for State Attorney General, State Auditor and State Treasurer. Candidates in each race will answer the same set of questions to allow Delaware voters to get to know them and compare them.

In the race for State Auditor, four candidates are running to replace Republican Tom Wagner, who announced he is retiring after three decades in that office. Democrats Kathleen Davies, Kathy McGuiness and Dennis Williams will face off in a September primary to decide who will join Republican James Spadola on the November General Election ballot.

Kathy McGuiness is a Rehoboth Beach Commissioner. She previously ran for Lt. Governor in 2016, finishing third in a 6 way primary won by current Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long.

As part of Delaware Debates 2018, Delaware Public Media presents Candidate Conversations in collaboration with the University of Delaware's Center for Political Communication. Delaware Public Media is interviewing all candidates who have filed to run in the races for U.S. House and U.S. Senate, as well as the races for State Attorney General, State Auditor and State Treasurer. Candidates in each race will answer the same set of questions to allow Delaware voters to get to know them and compare them.

In the race for Delaware Attorney General, incumbent Democrat Matt Denn chose not to run for another term. That prompted four Democrats to throw their hats in the ring to replace him. Kathy Jennings, Chris Johnson, Tim Mullaney, and LaKresha Roberts will face off in a Democratic primary next month. There is currently no Republican on the ballot after Peggy Marshall Thomas dropped out of the race in mid-August, but state GOP officials say they are looking for someone to step in and run. They have until Sept. 4 to name a new candidate.

Chris Johnson is seeking elected office for the first time. He most recently served as Gov. John Carney's deputy legal counsel and counsel for the City of Wilmington’s Law Department. He's currently Vice Chair of the Wilmington Democratic Party and on the board of the Delaware Center for Justice.

As part of Delaware Debates 2018, Delaware Public Media presents Candidate Conversations in collaboration with the University of Delaware's Center for Political Communication. Delaware Public Media is interviewing all candidates who have filed to run in the races for U.S. House and U.S. Senate, as well as the races for State Attorney General, State Auditor and State Treasurer. Candidates in each race will answer the same set of questions to allow Delaware voters to get to know them and compare them.

In the race for Delaware Attorney General, incumbent Democrat Matt Denn chose not to run for another term. That prompted four Democrats to throw their hats in the ring to replace him. Kathy Jennings, Chris Johnson, Tim Mullaney, and LaKresha Roberts will face off in a Democratic primary next month. There is currently no Republican on the ballot after Peggy Marshall Thomas dropped out of the race in mid-August, but state GOP officials say they are looking for someone to step in and run. They have until Sept. 4 to name a new candidate.

Kathy Jennings is running for elected office for the first time. Jennings has more than 20 years of experience in the state Department of Justice, including stints as state prosecutor and Chief Deputy Attorney General. She prosecuted hundreds of cases, including serial killer Steve Pennell, who tortured and murdered five women in 1988. Most recently, she served as New Castle County Chief Administrative Officer under County Executive Matt Meyer before resigning to run for state Attorney General.

As part of Delaware Debates 2018, Delaware Public Media presents Candidate Conversations in collaboration with the University of Delaware's Center for Political Communication. Delaware Public Media is interviewing all candidates who have filed to run in the races for U.S. House and U.S. Senate, as well as the races for State Attorney General, State Auditor and State Treasurer. Candidates in each race will answer the same set of questions to allow Delaware voters to get to know them and compare them.

In the race for State Auditor, four candidates are running to replace Republican Tom Wagner, who announced he is retiring after three decades in that office. Democrats Kathleen Davies, Kathy McGuiness and Dennis Williams will face off in a September primary to decide who will join Republican James Spadola on the November General Election ballot.

Kathleen Davies is making her first bid for elected office. She worked as Chief Administrative Auditor in the State Auditor’s Office for over six years before being dismissed last December―a dismissal that Delaware's Dept. of Labor ruled in June was done without sufficient cause. Another hearing on that matter before Merit Employee Relations Board is scheduled in October.

JULY 20, 2018―The University of Delaware Center for Political Communication, in partnership with Delaware Public Media (www.delawarepublic.org), explores the national and local issues emerging with the upcoming midterm election. Host Tom Byrne speaks with University of Delaware political experts Nancy Karibjanian and Lindsay Hoffman about national and local issues. They discuss a recent Center for Political Communication poll on voter anxiety and anger, President Trump's performance during the recent NATO meeting and his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the latest Trump Supreme Court nomination and the increasing focus on Kerri Harris' primary challenge to Sen. Tom Carper. To learn more about the University of Delaware's National Agenda program, please visit www.udel.edu/nationalagenda.

JUNE 1, 2018―The University of Delaware Center for Political Communication, in partnership with Delaware Public Media(www.delawarepublic.org), explores the national and local issues emerging with the upcoming midterm election. Host Tom Byrne speaks with University of Delaware political experts Phil Jones and Lindsay Hoffman about national and local issues including recently published UD research on public opinion of transgender people, rights, and candidates. To learn more about the University of Delaware's National Agenda program, please visit www.udel.edu/nationalagenda.

APRIL 20, 2018―The University of Delaware's Center for Political Communication, in partnership with Delaware Public Media (www.delawarepublic.org), explores the national and local issues emerging with the upcoming midterm election. Host Tom Byrne speaks with CPC Associate Director and National Agenda Director Lindsay Hoffman and Associate Professor of Communication Dannagal Young about national and local issues including a recent national poll exploring opinions along party lines when athletes, celebrities, and late night talk show hosts tackle politically charged issues. To learn more about the University of Delaware's National Agenda program, please visit www.udel.edu/nationalagenda.

MARCH 9, 2018―The University of Delaware's Center for Political Communication, in partnership with Delaware Public Media (www.delawarepublic.org), explores the national and local issues emerging with the upcoming midterm election. Host Tom Byrne speaks with CPC Associate Director Lindsay Hoffman and David Redlawsk, chair of the University of Delaware's Department of Political Science and International Relations. To learn more about the University of Delaware's National Agenda program, please visit www.udel.edu/nationalagenda.

The University of Delaware’s National Agenda 2017 speaker series concluded on November 15 with a conversation about cultural divides with Los Angeles-based comedian and writer Chris Garcia. A son of Cuban refugees, Garcia said that his cultural heritage and his respect for his family shape his identity and connect him to his community. Garcia shared his family's story of surviving Fidel Castro's Communist regime and then settling in California. Chris cut his comedy teeth in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he was named “A Comic To Watch” by the Mercury News in San Jose, California, “One of the 7 Funniest People in San Francisco” by 7×7 Magazine, and a "Rising Comedic Star” by the SF Weekly.