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Voters in New Castle County districts with contested local races focus on presidential race

Voters were undeterred by uncharacteristically long lines at polling places in New Castle County Tuesday. Many cited the importance of the presidential election.

State officials confirm long lines at polling places throughout the state due to high turnout. 

Some voters said they left the polling place at P.S. DuPont Middle School in northern Wilmington because of the line—and came back later. The wait there was still an hour long by early afternoon. 

 

18-year-old Luke Fantini voted for the first time at Brandywine High School— aftering waiting in line for 40 minutes. 

“This is an important election,” he said. “It’s a choice between a president that's going to further divide the country and a president that’s going to hopefully bring it back together. It’s a clear choice for me, a clear choice for a lot of people my age.”

Fantini admits he’s not as familiar with the down-ballot races, but voted a straight Democratic ticket. 

One contentious local race on the ballot there is the 5th Senate District seat— where long-time Republican incumbent Cathy Cloutier faces Democratic challenger Kyle Evans Gay. 

A voter named Mary supported Cloutier. 

“Because she has been amazing,” she said. “I’m actually the president of our community. And she has helped us in so many ways, so many times. She’s sent people out, she’s come to our meetings … Anytime we have a problem, she’s there to help.”

Mary also voted for Donald Trump. She says she doesn’t like his personality, but supports his economic policies and thinks he’s done the best he could to control the virus.   

 

But there was no line to speak of at DSU Wilmington on Kirkwood Highway. Dave Green voted there, and supported President Trump.

“Gotta get the world turned back around again to where it was before this COVID hit,” said Green. “We were doing good before the COVID hit, and we gotta get it turned back around again.”

Green supported Republican incumbent Anthony Delcollo in the contentious 7th District State Senate race, even though he wasn’t familiar with him. 

He also supported Democratic Gov. John Carney and Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, who he thinks have done a good job handling the coronavirus.

 

Sophia Schmidt is a Delaware native. She comes to Delaware Public Media from NPR’s Weekend Edition in Washington, DC, where she produced arts, politics, science and culture interviews. She previously wrote about education and environment for The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, MA. She graduated from Williams College, where she studied environmental policy and biology, and covered environmental events and local renewable energy for the college paper.
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