It wasn't exactly a quiet Tuesday night in Lower Delaware. If you were driving past the Revelation Craft Brewery in Georgetown or the Rehoboth Ale House on the Mile back in November, you probably saw the crowds. People were glued to their phones, refreshing the Department of Elections page until their thumbs got sore. The Sussex County Delaware election results didn't just tell us who won; they painted a pretty vivid picture of a county that’s changing faster than the beach traffic on a July weekend.
You've probably heard the shorthand version: Sussex is Red, New Castle is Blue, and Kent is anyone's guess. But that's a bit of a lazy take. Honestly, when you look at the raw data from the 2024 general election, things get a lot more nuanced. While Donald Trump carried Sussex County with roughly 54.9% of the vote compared to Kamala Harris's 43.9%, those numbers don't tell the whole story. The "red wall" in Southern Delaware has some interesting cracks in it, especially along the coast.
The Local Shakeup: When the Coast Went Blue
Most people talk about the big national names, but the real drama was local. The biggest shocker? That had to be the Sussex County Council District 3 race. Jane Gruenebaum, a Democrat, managed to unseat the Republican incumbent Mark Schaeffer. She pulled in 20,615 votes (54.7%) to his 17,057 (45.3%).
That's a massive deal.
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For a long time, the County Council was basically a GOP fortress. Seeing a Democrat win a seat representing areas like Lewes, Rehoboth, and Milton suggests that the "coastal surge" of new residents is bringing different political priorities with them. People are worried about overdevelopment and traffic. They aren't just voting on party lines anymore; they’re voting on who they think will keep Sussex from turning into a parking lot.
Voter turnout was also huge. Across Delaware, we saw about 67% of eligible voters cast a ballot. In Sussex, the energy was palpable. It wasn't just the presidential race driving people to the polls. We had heated contests for State Representative seats that came down to the wire.
- District 20 (Milton/Lewes): Stell Parker Selby (D) barely held on against Nikki Miller (R), winning with 50.7% of the vote. That’s a margin of just about 245 votes.
- District 14 (Rehoboth/Dewey): Claire Snyder-Hall (D) kept this seat blue, defeating Mike Simpler (R) with 54.6%.
- District 4 (Long Neck/Oak Orchard): Jeff Hilovsky (R) secured a solid win for the GOP here, taking 57.9% against Gregg Lindner.
Breaking Down the Statewide Impact
Even though the Sussex County Delaware election results favored Republicans for the top-of-the-ticket races, the rest of the state went the other way. This creates a weird dynamic for Sussex residents. We're often at odds with the folks in Dover.
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Take the Governor’s race. Sussex went for Mike Ramone (R) with about 55.7%, but statewide, Matt Meyer (D) cruised to victory. The same happened with the U.S. Senate race. Lisa Blunt Rochester made history as Delaware's first Black woman elected to the Senate, and while she lost Sussex to Eric Hansen, she won big enough up north to secure the seat.
It’s a bit of a "tale of two states" situation.
If you live in Seaford or Laurel, you might feel like your voice is getting drowned out by Wilmington. But then you look at the local State House results. In District 36 (Milford), Bryan Shupe (R) crushed it with 62.8%. In District 41 (Millsboro), Rich Collins (R) took home 64.4%. The western side of the county remains a deep, solid red.
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Why These Results Still Matter for 2026 and Beyond
So, what’s the takeaway? Basically, Sussex is bifurcating. You have the coastal areas (District 14, 20, and the new Council District 3) trending blue or at least "purple," while the inland and western areas are staying firmly conservative.
This isn't just about "liberal city people" moving in. It’s also about the issues. In the 2024 cycle, we saw a lot of talk about:
- Land Use: Who gets to build what, and where?
- Environmental Protection: Protecting the Inland Bays.
- Infrastructure: Fixing the roads before adding 500 more houses.
The 2024 results are basically a roadmap for the 2026 midterms. If Democrats want to expand their reach, they have to talk about more than just social issues; they have to talk about the Route 1 crawl. If Republicans want to win back the coast, they need to convince voters they can manage growth more responsibly than the "newcomers."
Actionable Insights for Sussex Voters
If you're looking at these Sussex County Delaware election results and wondering what's next, don't wait for the next big election to get involved.
- Watch the Council: Now that Jane Gruenebaum is on the County Council, the 4-1 Republican majority has shifted to 3-2. This changes the math on land-use votes. Keep an eye on the agendas for the Tuesday morning meetings in Georgetown.
- Check Your Registration: Delaware has closed primaries. If you want a say in who makes it to the general election in 2026, you need to be registered with a specific party. You can update this easily through the Delaware Department of Elections portal.
- Focus on School Boards: Often overlooked, but school board elections (usually in May) have a massive impact on your property taxes and local community.
Politics in Sussex County isn't a spectator sport anymore. Whether you’re a lifelong resident or a recent transplant from Jersey, these results show that every few hundred votes can literally change the direction of the county. Keep an eye on the local news—places like the Cape Gazette or the Delaware State News—to stay updated on how these newly elected officials are actually voting. The next cycle will be here before you know it.