Jeff Hilovsky - a retired optometrist - handily defeated Bradley Layfield in last month’s GOP primary with 61 percent of the votes
He says he believes there were multiple factors for that victory, “Number one is that my wife and I worked extremely hard; we had a small group that helped us some but basically it was my wife and I and we were relentless on campaigning, answering emails and on making sure that things were in order. And the message - I think that there was a difference in the message. My message was primarily public safety and his (Bradly Layfield) message was different. I think that resonates with the voters in our area, and I think the third thing is, he (Bradly Layfield) is a full-time principal and we know that the schools are struggling and so I think a lot of citizens felt that he needed to pay attention to his full-time job.”
The Democrat that Hilovsky faces in the General Election also works in education.
"I wanted to run because I see a lot of development happening around us in this district... This area has seen so much growth in the past year, past two years that it was almost impossible not to make this area its own district.”Keegan Worley, Democratic candidate and teacher at Caesar Rodney High School
Keegan Worley has spent the past four years teaching at Milford High School. This year, he’s teaching at Caesar Rodney High School.
The 27-year-old Worley is a newcomer to Delaware politics after moving to the state five years ago from Pennsylvania after graduating from college. He explains why he decided to toss his hat into the ring, “I wanted to run because I see a lot of development happening around us in this district. It’s largely the reason as to why they moved it from up north. This area has seen so much growth in the past year, past two years that it was almost impossible not to make this area its own district.”
Hilovsky agrees that there’s too much growth, “There has been an explosion that no one really foresaw. And I think that was a combination of economic factors that made our area very attractive; I mean the weather, the beaches, the outdoor stuff, the close proximity to larger cities where the retired folks are coming from - giving them a striking distance to get back to family, friends and whatever. So yeah, growth is a problem. And it seems to have been maybe not managed with foresight as much as we would like to think that it could have been.”
Independent Party of Delaware candidate and native Delawarean Amy Fresh also brought up growth in the 4th District area when she was asked what she would tackle first if elected, “When I talk to people on the street it’s growth. The first thing I ask them is if they have any concerns, if they have any issues, and the answer is always the growth. So that would be what I would tackle first - is that. Can we grow - we can grow right and we don't deny anyone the right to sell their land, but can we grow at a sustainable rate for the community.”
Fresh is also a newcomer to politics. She’s a small business owner; she owns a yoga studio and is a yoga therapist, as well as selling real estate.
"I’ve always been an independent. But I feel as if for the past few years, our two-party system is failing... And that’s what has compelled me to run."Amy Fresh, Independent Party of Delaware candidate and small business owner
She says she understands the daily struggle many people go through but adds because she’s a realtor, she’s a strong negotiator who can strive for balance, “Our two-party system. I’ve always been an independent. But I feel as if for the past few years, our two-party system is failing - is failing the people. It’s failing the people of Delaware and it’s failing the people in this district. And that’s what has compelled me to run. I have two businesses; I’m not a politician. But I believe in doing what is right. And I believe in doing what is right for the citizens of Delaware. So I’m seeing some things where I feel as if the two-party system is failing the citizens and that’s why I threw my hat into the ring.”
Republicans hold a slim registration edge over Democrats in the new 4th District - just over 1,000 votes - with about 5,200 voters unaffiliated with the two major parties.
That’s a major shift from the district's time in Wilmington when Democrats outnumbered Republicans and unaffiliated voters combined - and puts the district up for grabs.
Democrat Keegan Worley understands that and says it’s important as he campaigns to appeal to the independents.
He believes education is an issue that cuts across political affiliation, “As a high school teacher, I think that education is important. I think that now more than ever we need to provide support - both mentally and physically - to keep our kids safe in school. I think the mental health bills in the last General Assembly were fantastic for the elementary and middle school levels. And I think that we really need to continue that fight at the secondary high school level as well.”
Hilovsky also sees the importance of independent voters and is reaching out to them, “I walk up and knock on their doors and tell them who I am and what I’m about. And I ask them what their concerns are and then we have a conversation about solutions and how it is that a person of experience (myself) has led organizations in the past - both from a volunteer standpoint and from a public service standpoint in the military and in this State with the Delaware Board of Examiners and Optometry and also my other business experiences, plus being an eye doctor and a decision maker and a problem solver and how I can best serve their needs. We also discuss how I will be available (to them) because I’ll be full-time.”
“I walk up and knock on their doors and tell them who I am and what I’m about. And I ask them what their concerns are and then we have a conversation about solutions and how it is that a person of experience (myself) has led organizations in the past."Jeff Hilovsky, Republican candidate and retired optometrist
Fresh - the Independent Party of Delaware candidate - believes she’s well-positioned to reach independent voters. She says in talking to district residents, she finds many - like herself - have problems with the current two-party system, "There’s a lot of people that feel that the two-party system does not work. There are also people of the two parties that feel that the parties are failing the citizens. So speaking to Independents, I tell you what - as soon as I say I’m Independent - they pretty much say thank, thank, thank you for running; thank you for stepping up; thank you for doing something to bring the two parties together. I think they see the same issues as I see - so that’s appealing right….that’s a little bit of a rapport. With the Independents, they see the same issues as I speak to them about.”
The 4th House District has been in Democratic hands since 2006 while representing the Wilmington area. Its move south now gives Sussex County 10 House districts.
Delaware Public Media's Election Coverage is supported in part by a grant from Delaware Humanities, a state program of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
