37th District Rep. Joe Booth (R-Georgetown) and Sussex County Assessment Division Director Eddy Parker (D-Bridgeville) have been selected as candidates for the Delaware State Senate District 19 seat, left vacant by the passing of Sen. Thurman Adams last week.
Booth was named earlier in the week, and Parker won his party's nomination at a July 1 meeting, beating out Adams' daughter Polly Mervine as well as former Sussex County Councilman Lynn Rogers.
Originally, a second meeting of Sussex Democrats was scheduled for July 7 to continue the nomination process, but party chair Pat Ewing said there was 100 percent agreement to go into caucus at the Wednesday night meeting.
Other Democratic candidates included Milton businessman Scott Wilkins, Bridgeville resient Willis Dewey and DelDOT employee Jim Westhoff.
"The timing, for me, was right," said Parker, who has previously served on the Woodbridge School Board in addition to nearly 30 years as a county employee.
"In my time at the county, I've worked with a number of legislators helping constituents with their problems," Parker said. "I'm 57 years old, and I'm in a position where I can retire from the county and be able to devote my full time and attention to this job."
Parker said he has taken some time off from the county assessment division to prepare for a whirlwind campaign season that is unlikely to last much more than a month.
"We have a lot work to do in a short period of time," Parker said. "But I'm confident that we can keep the seat with the Democratic Party."
For his part, Booth touted his seven years of experience as a legislator, in addition to service as Georgetown mayor and before that, as a town councilman.
"I just went through my third year on the Joint Finance Committee," Booth said. "I tell people this all the time: I don't think there's any way to learn more about state government than going line by line through the budget and having every state agency come before you and explain why they need money and what it's used for... particularly this year, with the state budget crisis."
Sussex County Department of Elections Deputy Administrative Director Jean Turner said Senate officials have 40 days, following Adams' passing (June 23), to issue a writ for a special election. Once the writ is received, the election must take place within 10 days, meaning sometime before Aug. 15.
If Booth were to win, a special election would in turn be held for his seat.
