WILMINGTON—Delaware Republicans, in need of a morale boost following a divisive and discouraging 2010 campaign season, got it Thursday in the special election for New Castle County Council president. Tom Kovach, who is making a political career of winning special elections, handily defeated sitting 9th District County Councilman Tim Sheldon for council leadership job.
- Tom Kovach addresses his supporters after winning the special election for NCCo Council president
Kovach is the first Republican to win a countywide election in New Castle County since 1998, when Republicans won races for register of wills and recorder of deeds. The win is Kovach’s second in a special election. He also won a December 2008 special election for the state’s 6th District state House seat. He then lost that seat to Democrat Debra Heffernan in November.
Speaking at a small celebration after the results came in, Kovach reflected on the hurry-up campaign necessitated by the special election. “Talking to the voters about the issues, many independents and many Democrats had the same frustrations and concerns about getting the county back on the right fiscal track that I did. When I finally got the attention of the voters after the holidays, we had a very positive response.”
For Sheldon it was a tough ending to a chilly election day. He called his loss a “big surprise.”
Kovach received 16,721 votes to Sheldon’s 12,179, a 57 to 41 percent split for the Republican. The size of Kovach’s win was especially impressive considering that 50 percent of registered voters in New Castle County are Democrats, while just 26 percent are registered Republicans.
“It was an uphill battle,” Kovach said. “We knew it was going to be a tough fight going up against a sitting county councilman. The Democratic numbers would say that we couldn’t pull off a win even in a special special election.”
With a total voter turnout of just 7 percent, both sides agreed getting their voters out was critical—and Republicans won that contest.
“We just didn’t get the vote out, plain and simple,” said Sheldon.
“I was all over the county because I had to be,” said Kovach. “I think that set the stage for the final two-week push when people were done with the holidays.”
Kovach also believes that his campaign message of bringing “checks and balances” to the Democrat-dominated County Council hit home with voters. “We have a county government that has been disproportionate in its representation of the people—one party control,” he said.
Tom Kovach on working with Tim Sheldon and Democrats on NCCo Council
[flv:http://www.delawarefirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/kovach_win.flv 680 383]
Sheldon agreed that the “checks and balances” message worked for Kovach. “I couldn’t get away from that one issue. It was a big issue,” said Sheldon.
Sheldon says the onus is now Kovach to deliver on his promise to bring change to County Council. “[Democrats] still have a majority, and majority rules. He’s going to have to reach across the aisle and get the votes, and I think I would have been stronger at that [as council president]. We’ll see what ideas work.”
Tim Sheldon on working with new NCCo Council president Tom Kovach
[flv:http://www.delawarefirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/sheldon_loss.flv 680 383]
Kovach says he intends to work with Democrats, including Sheldon, to find common ground on issues. “I look forward to that opportunity to work with him and the rest of council to make positive changes for the county.”
- Tom Kovach celebrates being elected NCCo Council president with former Congressman Mike Castle.
State Republican Party Chairman Tom Ross sees Kovach’s win as a much-needed boost for Delaware Republicans.
“It puts a lot of wind in our sails. Nothing is better for morale, for fundraising, or for bringing new people in than victory.”
But Ross admits what worked for Kovach in this race may not translate to other races in the future. “You learn a little from every election, but every election is different. It’s nuanced.”
In taking his share of blame for Sheldon’s loss, state Democratic Party Chairman John Daniello also sought to learn some lessons from the race. Daniello told Sheldon supporters gathered at Delaware Association of Police banquet hall that Sheldon was the better candidate but that despite a strong registration edge, the party let Kovach and Republicans “take the issues away from us.” Daniello believes Democrats allowed the campaign to become about ethics issues surrounding County Executive Paul Clark and Sheldon’s union background rather than about Sheldon’s experience on County Council.
“On behalf of the party, I apologized to Tim,” said Daniello. “I vow that I will try to build from this so it will never happen like this again.”
Tom Kovach on his success in special elections
[flv:http://www.delawarefirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/kovach_win2.flv 680 383]
