On September 15, the most powerful man in Smyrna politics lost his job, and almost nobody in Smyrna heard about it.
Bill Carson had represented this town in the Delaware House of Representatives for nineteen years. He was first elected in 2007. He was 75 years old, a fixture, the kind of incumbent people assume will be there until he decides not to be. Then came the Democratic primary — the quiet election, the one in September that most voters skip because they think the real one is in November — and a 27-year-old community organizer from Smyrna named Tyeisha “Tye” Grier beat him, 53 to 47. Grier is a United States Army veteran, a combat medic, and one of the people who helped build the Central Delaware NAACP into what it is. And because no Republican filed for the seat, her name is the only one on the November 3 ballot for House District 28. Smyrna’s next state representative was chosen six weeks ago, in a race most of Smyrna never knew happened.
A reader wrote to us this week and said it plain: nobody is covering the local election. She was more right than she knew. So here it is — every race a Smyrna voter will actually see on the ballot, what it decides, and when and where to vote. Clip it, screenshot it, send it to your neighbor.
The one real fight in the state senate is ours. Senate District 14 — Smyrna, Clayton, Leipsic, and the surrounding country — is held by Kyra Hoffner, a Democrat from Leipsic, and she is being challenged by Mark Pugh, a Republican who also lives in Leipsic. Two candidates from the same small town, running for the same seat, and the race has been fought mostly over the things that hit your mailbox and your wallet: property taxes, the cost of living, and how fast this corner of Kent County is growing. That’s a genuine choice, and it’s the biggest contested decision most of us get to make on this ballot.
Next door, Senate District 15 is wide open — longtime Senator Dave Lawson is retiring, and Democrat Jennifer Lodhavia and Republican Kim Thompson are running to replace him. Districts 16 and 17 are not on this year’s ballot at all; those senators are on a different cycle and won’t face voters until 2028. If you were wondering why you haven’t heard a word about them, that’s why.
In the state house, after District 28, it gets quiet. District 29’s William Bush is unopposed. District 11, which reaches into the northern edge of the county, is a real contest between Democrat Josue Parker and Republican incumbent Jeff Spiegelman. And if you live in Smyrna proper, one thing you will NOT find on the November ballot is your mayor. Tabbi Gott and the town council aren’t on it — Smyrna picks its own in a separate town election, the last Tuesday of April. November belongs to the county, the state, and Washington.
At the county level, there’s exactly one race every single Kent County voter gets a say in, and it matters more than most people realize: Levy Court Commissioner At-Large, Democrat Terry Pepper against Republican Frank Coleman. The Levy Court is Kent County’s government — it sets the county property tax and decides how this county grows. The district seats up this year — Districts 2, 4, and 6 — are all unopposed. Two more county races: Recorder of Deeds is contested, Democrat Ramona Bracy challenging Republican incumbent Eugenia Thornton. Sheriff Norman Barlow is unopposed.
Statewide, Delaware has five races this year. For the United States Senate, incumbent Chris Coons, a Democrat, faces Republican Eric Katz. For the U.S. House, incumbent Sarah McBride faces Republican John Arminio. Attorney General Kathy Jennings is challenged by Republican Steven Graham. The Treasurer’s office is open — Democrat Kimberly Lauzen against Republican Michael Ramone. And for Auditor, incumbent Lydia York faces Republican Janice Callaway and independent Tom Cassidy. The governor is not on this ballot; that race comes in 2028.
Now the part that actually gets your vote counted. Early voting starts tomorrow — Thursday, October 22 — and runs through November 1. For the first stretch, October 22 through 24 and October 26 and 27, the hours are 7 in the morning to 7 at night. From October 28 through November 1, it’s 11 to 7. There is no early voting on Sunday, October 25. You can vote early at any site in your own county — but know this before you drive: Kent County has four early voting sites, and none of them are in Smyrna. The closest are in Dover, at Wyoming United Methodist Church and the Elks Lodge; the others are in Frederica and Harrington. Smyrna voters who live on the New Castle County side vote early in their county too, and their closest site is the Appoquinimink State Service Center in Middletown. Election Day itself is Tuesday, November 3, polls open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., at your assigned polling place.
Two hard truths to close with. If you are not registered, this year’s deadline passed on October 10 — there is no same-day registration in Delaware, and we are sorry to be the ones to tell you; register now and you’ll be set for the April town election and everything after. And if you need to vote absentee, Delaware requires a qualifying reason, the last day to request one by mail is Friday, October 30, and your ballot has to be back in the elections office’s hands by 8 p.m. on Election Day — postmarks don’t count. To see exactly what your personal ballot looks like and confirm your polling place, go to ivote.de.gov. It takes two minutes.
Nineteen years of representation changed hands in Smyrna on a Tuesday in September, in an election most of the town sat out because nobody told them it mattered. It mattered. Everything on this page matters — the senate fight, the county tax, the open seats and the uncontested ones, because an uncontested race is still a choice somebody made for you by default. Early voting opens tomorrow. Don’t let this November be another election that happened while nobody was watching.
Brought to you by Team Murphy Media
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