A democrat, Nisha Lodhavia filed her candidacy for Delaware’s senate district 15 on Monday.
The seat covers Cheswold, Felton, Kenton, Marydel, all of western Kent County, and part of Viola. It has been one of the Delaware republican party's mainstays for the last twenty years. Dave Lawson has represented the district since 2010, but announced last week that he isn’t seeking reelection.
Another candidate, Emily Thompson, filed last week as a republican to run for the seat. Thompson is a program administrator in the state's Division of Public Health.
Senate District 15 has a population of more than 47,000 people, with nearly 40,000 registered voters. Approximately 28% of them are registered democrats. Democrats are outnumbered by both non-registered voters – about 36% of the voting population, and registered republican voters – about 35% of the district's total.
Lodhavia serves as a non gubernatorial member of UD's trustees, meaning she holds one of the board-elected positions. She said her campaign will focus on affordability.
"Partisan politics has really distracted us from progress," she said. People across the political spectrum share goals related to costs of food, healthcare, education, and workforce development. Areas of focus for district 15 include small business and farmer supports, she said.
Lawson faced Democratic challenges in 2010, 2012, and in 2020, with his widest margin of victory coming in 2020. He ran unopposed in 2022.
Lodhavia knows it will be a tight race.
“I'm here for the hard work. I don't mind door knocking," she said. "For me, the reason I'm running is not because it's about politics or pushing an ideology."
Delaware's 2026 General Election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
