2018 United States Senate election in Delaware

The 2018 United States Senate election in Delaware took place on November 6, 2018, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Delaware, concurrently with other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections.

2018 United States Senate election in Delaware
November 6, 2018
Turnout52.18%
 
Nominee Tom Carper Rob Arlett
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 217,385 137,127
Percentage 60.0% 37.8%
County Results

Carper:      60-70%      50–60%

Arlett:      50–60%
U.S. senator before election

Tom Carper
Democratic

 Elected U.S. Senator

Tom Carper
Democratic

Elections in Delaware

The primary for this U.S. Senate election was held on Thursday, September 6, 2018.[1] The Democratic Party nominated incumbent U.S. Senator Tom Carper and the Republican Party nominated Sussex County Councilman Rob Arlett.

Incumbent Democratic Senator Tom Carper was re-elected to a fourth term.

Background

Three-term Democratic Senator Tom Carper was reelected with 66% of the vote in 2012 against Republican Kevin Wade.

Carper, incumbent U.S. Senator, was challenged in the Democratic primary by Dover activist Kerri Evelyn Harris. Carper previously had a primary challenge in the 2012 election from businessman Keith Spanarelli. However, Carper defeated Spanarelli by around 70 points. Carper went on in the 2018 Democratic primary to defeat Harris by around 30 points. It was the most competitive Democratic U.S. Senate primary in Delaware in two decades.

The main declared candidates in the Republican primary were Sussex County councilman Rob Arlett and businessman Gene Truono, with a perennial candidacy from businessman Rocky De La Fuente, who also ran in seven other states.[2] Another candidate withdrew before the primary. Rob Arlett defeated Gene Truono in a landslide.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Eliminated in primary

Withdrew
  • Tykiem Booker, activist[5]

Declined

Endorsements
Tom Carper
U.S. Vice President
U.S. Senators
U.S. Representatives
State executive branch officials
  • Rita Landgraf, former Secretary of Delaware Health and Social Services
State legislators
Individuals
Organizations
Kerri Evelyn Harris
State legislators
County Councilpersons
City Councilpersons
Political candidates
Individuals
Organizations
Media
Declined to endorse
Declined to endorse either candidate
  • Tykiem Booker, former candidate
  • Chris Johnson, Democratic candidate for Attorney General
  • Keith Spanarelli, candidate for the seat in 2012
  • Laura Sturgeon, Democratic nominee for Delaware’s 7th Senate district

Debates

Delaware newspaper The News Journal hosted a 90-minute debate on August 27, 2018 for the Democratic primary between Tom Carper and Kerri Evelyn Harris at Cab Calloway School of the Arts.[28][51] Republican candidate businessman Gene Truono answered questions from panelists before Carper and Harris debated. Sussex County Councilman Rob Arlett was also invited, but declined and claimed he had a scheduling conflict.

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin
of error		 Tom
Carper		 Kerri Evelyn
Harris		 Undecided
Gravis Marketing July 24–29, 2018 354 ± 5.2% 51% 19% 30%

Results
Results by county
Democratic primary results[52]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tom Carper (incumbent) 53,633 64.59%
Democratic Kerri Harris 29,406 35.41%
Total votes 83,039 100%

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee
  • Rob Arlett, Sussex County Councilman and former Delaware State Chairman for the Trump campaign[53]

Eliminated in primary

Withdrew
  • Chuck Boyce, businessman[55][56] (endorsed Rob Arlett)

Declined
  • Ken Simpler, State Treasurer (running for re-election)[57]
  • Kevin Wade, businessman and candidate for Senate in 2012 and 2014 (endorsed Rob Arlett)

Endorsements
Rob Arlett
Former 2018 U.S. Senate election, Delaware candidates
  • Chuck Boyce, businessman
Political candidates
  • Tom Neuberger, former Republican candidate for Delaware Attorney General in 2018
  • Kevin Wade, former Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Delaware in 2012 and 2014[58]
Individuals
Gene Truono
State legislators
Republican Party officials
Political candidates
  • Lee Murphy, actor and Republican candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in Delaware
Individuals
  • Mitch Denham, Delaware Gun Rights
  • John Foltz, 11th District Chairman
  • David Gilefski, Western NCC Region Chairman
  • Shawn Michael Greener, radio host[66]
  • Dick Heller (District of Columbia v. Heller)
  • Mark Keith Robinson, NRA affiliate
  • Maj Toure, Black Guns Matter
Organizations
Declined to endorse
Declined to endorse either candidate

Debates

Councilman Rob Arlett and businessman Gene Truono had four debates in total. They were normally live streamed on Facebook and uploaded to YouTube. A fifth debate was planned, but Truono withdrew from the debate because he the organizers refused to give him control over what questions could not be asked. Instead organizers held a forum with all the other candidates for the U.S. Senate and other state offices. Five candidates attended that forum.

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin
of error		 Rob
Arlett		 Rocky
De La Fuente		 Gene
Truono		 Undecided
Gravis Marketing July 24–29, 2018 288 ± 5.8% 19% 7% 15% 60%

Results
Results by county
Republican primary results[52]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Rob Arlett 25,284 66.77%
Republican Gene Truono 10,587 27.96%
Republican Rocky De La Fuente 1,998 5.28%
Total votes 37,869 100%

Green primary

Candidates

Nominee
  • Demitri Theodoropoulos, small business owner[69]

Declined

Endorsements
Demitri Theodoropoulos
Individuals
Organizations
  • Green Party

Libertarian primary

Candidates

Nominee

Independents

Not to be confused with the Independent Party of Delaware, which currently has no candidate for the 2018 United States Senate election.

Candidates

Declared
  • Barry Eveland (write-in)[71]
  • Matthew Water Stout, write-in presidential candidate in 2016 (write-in)[71][72]
  • Todd Farina, ticket company owner (write-in)

General election

Endorsements

Bold text indicates endorsement was given before the primary.

Tom Carper
U.S. Vice President
U.S. Senators
U.S. Representatives
Governors
Other state executive branch officials
State legislators
Political candidates
Individuals
  • Matthew Albright, moderator of the Democratic primary debate[10]
  • Sandra Hall, 2016 Delaware Teacher of the Year
  • Douglas E. Krantz, rabbi[11]
  • Sonia Schorr Sloan, former Delaware President of the Board of Planned Parenthood
  • Jon Soltz, chairman of VoteVets[12]
  • Laura Thein, former Disabilities Caucus Chair of Young Democrats of America [78]
Organizations
Rob Arlett
Former 2018 U.S. Senate election, Delaware candidates
  • Chuck Boyce, businessman
Political candidates
  • Tom Neuberger, former Republican candidate for Delaware Attorney General in 2018
  • Kevin Wade, former Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Delaware in 2012 and 2014[58]
  • Andrew Webb, Republican write-in candidate for U.S. House in Delaware
Individuals
Organizations
Demitri Theodoropoulos
Individuals
Organizations
  • Green Party
Media
  • Hijacked Radio Podcast
  • The Politics of Courage[84]
Declined to endorse
Declined to endorse Tom Carper
  • Tykiem Booker, former candidate
  • Kerri Evelyn Harris, former candidate
  • Justice Democrats
  • Coby Owens, social justice activist, CEO of Youth Caucus of America, and 2016 delegate for Bernie Sanders
Declined to endorse Rob Arlett

Debates
with Kerri Evelyn Harris and Gene Truono

On August 20, 2018, the Greater Hockessin Area Development Association (GHADA) hosted a 2-hour debate at the Hockessin Memorial Hall between Democratic candidate Kerri Evelyn Harris and Republican candidate Gene Truono. Tom Carper and Rob Arlett were also invited to the debate, but did not attend. Carper was not present because of the U.S. Senate's extended session due to session ceasing early the Thursday prior because of the death of former Governor and U.S. Senator of Nevada, Paul Laxalt.[85] Arlett declined and claimed he had a scheduling conflict.[86]

with Tom Carper and Rob Arlett

The debate gained national attention after Republican candidate Rob Arlett brought up Democratic Senator Tom Carper’s past controversy of domestic abuse.

with Tom Carper, Rob Arlett, Nadine Frost, and Demitri Theodoropoulos

Predictions
Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[87] Solid D September 28, 2018
Inside Elections[88] Solid D November 14, 2017
Sabato's Crystal Ball[89] Safe D November 15, 2017
Daily Kos[90] Safe D April 9, 2018
Fox News[91] Likely D^ July 9, 2018
CNN[92] Solid D July 12, 2018
RealClearPolitics[93] Safe D June 2018
FiveThirtyEight[94] Solid D September 2018

^Highest rating given

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin
of error		 Tom
Carper (D)		 Rob
Arlett (R)		 Nadine
Frost (L)		 Demitri
Theodoropoulos (G)		 Undecided
University of Delaware September 11–17, 2018 728 LV – 61% 24% 3% 3% 9%
908 RV ± 3.7% 60% 22% 5% 2% 12%
Gravis Marketing July 24–29, 2018 884 ± 3.3% 47% 39% – – 14%

Results
Results by Precinct:
United States Senate election in Delaware, 2018[95]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Democratic Tom Carper (incumbent) 217,385 59.95% -6.47%
Republican Rob Arlett 137,127 37.81% +8.85%
Green Demitri Theodoropoulos 4,170 1.15% +0.35%
Libertarian Nadine Frost 3,910 1.09% N/A
Total votes 362,592 100% N/A
Democratic hold
gollark: Interesting fact: you foolish mortals cannot see this: https://ngstatus.osmarks.net/
gollark: I'm sure you'd like to think so.
gollark: It wasn't that snowful; it was merely somewhat painfully bright outside and also all was ensnowed somewhat.
gollark: Also, it has been HIGHLY snowful.
gollark: I don't believe in France anyway.

See also

References
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Official campaign websites
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