Rehoboth Beach’s mayoral election will pit three sitting members of the city’s commission and a first-time candidate against each other, in the busiest race the city has seen in decades. Meanwhile, the husband of one of those mayoral candidates is making a run of his own for a commission seat.
Commissioner Susan Stewart, elected to the commission last August, was the first to announce her candidacy for mayor, in early May. A few days after Stewart’s announcement, current mayor Stan Mills told the public at a May 4 meeting that he would not seek re-election. Stewart had the field to herself for a month until the last day to file, when two of her commission colleagues, Suzanne Goode and Craig Thier, also filed to run for mayor. Joining them in filing in the final hours is William J. “Jake” Raak, a first-time candidate for office.
Goode has been a persistent budget hawk during her time on the commission, advocating for drastic budget cuts and opposing pay raises for city staff. She has also opposed a proposal to tie the total revenue the city can raise in property taxes to the value of taxable property in the city, rather than a flat amount. Her time on the commission has been marked in part by clashes with Stewart, Mills, City Manager Taylour Tedder, City Solicitor Lisa Boren Ogden, and other city staff. Tensions came to a head in March at a meeting on the city’s budget, when Stewart accused Goode of a long list of offenses, including using offensive language towards and about city staff and her commission colleagues.
“Policy decisions and differences are one thing,” she said. “Repeated harassment - we saw some of it here today.”
Goode and Stewart also exchanged words in commission meetings this year over a set of proposed changes to the city’s charter. At a meeting in February, Stewart introduced a motion that would prohibit spouses and domestic partners of current members of the mayor and commission from running for seats on the body. Goode alleged that the proposal was targeted specifically at her and her husband, who ran for commission in 2025, but lost heavily.
Commissioner Craig Thier, has been a less contentious presence on the commission, often diving deeply into the details of policy proposals. He also chairs the city’s Environmental Advisory Committee. He began his term last September.
Joining the three commissioners on the ballot is William J. “Jake” Raak. This is his first run for elective office.
Rehoboth Beach also has two commission seats on the ballot, with three candidates vying for those positions. Commissioners Patrick Gossett and Mark Saunders are running for re-election, while Jeffrey Goode is making another run for the commission.
The next step for all the candidates is June 18, when commissioners will meet to evaluate whether they are legally qualified for office.
Election Day in Rehoboth Beach is Saturday, August 8 from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm at the city’s convention center.
