Delaware Republican leaders are trying to shake off the initial shock that Christine O’Donnell and Glen Urquhart will carry the party banner in the races for U.S Senate and House this November, not Congressman Mike Castle and Michele Rollins. As they come to grips with that reality, the challenge becomes how to move the party forward to victories in the general election.
“There is damage there. I’m not sure it can be repaired anytime in the immediate future,” said Richard Heffron, Senior Vice President of Government Relations for the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce.
The challenge is greatest in the Senate race, where party officials led by Republican State Chairman Tom Ross campaigned vigorously against O’Donnell. Ross went so far as to call O’Donnell a “fraud” and claim that she “couldn’t be elected dog catcher.”
Ross and the state GOP would not comment primary night, promising a statement the next day. It never came. Finally, on Thursday, Ross released a statement saying he would not step down as party chairman. It spoke in general terms about closing party ranks, but did not mention O’Donnell by name.
“The Delaware Republican Party plans on doing what it does every election year – working hard for our candidates. We have reached out to the NRSC, NRCC, and RNC to ensure that our candidates have as much support as possible,” Ross said.
John Taylor, Executive Director of the Delaware Public Policy Institute, says the state GOP faced a difficult balancing act. “What does the party do? Just walk away? I mean the party said some pretty nasty things are about her,” said Taylor.
State Auditor Thomas Wagner, the only Republican currently holding statewide office and facing his own re-election campaign this fall, says the dynamic created by the O’Donnell win/Castle loss is indeed unique.
“It’s going to be interesting. Mike Castle has been the face of the Republican Party since Pete duPont,” Wagner observed. ”I think Christine O’Donnell has some fences to mend, and she won. She won a decent victory and everyone has to respect that from a political perspective, but it’s tough.”
The Republican’s candidate for state treasurer, Colin Bonini believes the fences can be mended, if Republicans can come together behind one message as the focus turns toward the general election campaign.
“Regardless of whether people were backing the established candidates or were backing Christine and Glen, [Republicans agree] that the current state of affairs in both the state government and especially at the national level is unacceptable,” said Bonini. “As long as we stick to the message that government is not the answer, bigger government is not the answer, I think we have a very good chance to win a lot of races in November.”
