A bipartisan coalition is encouraging Republican Tom Kovach to run as a write-in candidate in the race for New Castle County Council President against Democrat Karen Hartley-Nagle.
Hartley-Nagle is currently unopposed after winning the Democratic primary for the office earlier this month.
Kovach - who occasionally serves as a political analyst for Delaware Public Media - says he hasn’t decided yet whether or not he’ll accept the invitation, but notes that he has been approached by several elected officials from both parties who want him to run.
Kovach says the elected officials in New Castle County are worried about a lack of experience in the New Castle County Council following the general election. Hartley-Nagle has never held elected office. The same is true of both candidates for New Castle County Executive -Democrat Matt Meyer and Republican Mark Blake.
Kovach served as New Castle County president from January 2011 to January 2013 - winning a special election to fill the office after Paul Clark vacated it to replace Chris Coons as County Executive.
Prior to that, Kovach was a one term State representative for the Bellefonte, Branywine Hundred, Edgemoor District. He also ran for Delaware’s lone Congressional seat in 2012, losing to John Carney.
Kovach acknowledges that if he decides to run he’ll be charged with the Herculean task of running as a write-in candidate with only about 40 days left until the election. But he says there’s too much at stake for too many people not to consider it.
“National debates are distracting people from what matters in their day-to-day lives. And whoever wins this election is going to be facing some difficult issues in New Castle County,” Kovach said.
He added that if he becomes council president again he’ll be more than willing to work with whoever becomes the next county executive.
The deadline to file paperwork for a write-in candidacy is Friday at 4:30.