Two Democrats - incumbent State Senator Ray Seigfried and Shay Frisby - are vying for the Senate seat which runs from Claymont to Talleyville, and includes parts of Brandywine Hundred and the Ardens.
Sigfried took office in February 2025 after winning a special election over Republican Brett Burdge to replace former State Senator Kyle Evans Gay after she was elected as Lt. Governor.
Seigfried was no stranger to Legislative Hall, previously serving in the House representing District 7 for one term. He says he was always interested in politics prior to becoming a State Representative in 2018 - working in healthcare as an administrative assistant with ChristianaCare, and serving on the board of the Hope Commission to help fight recidivism.
"My background is professionally in healthcare, but I'm also chair of the Corrections committee, which deals with prison. And my experience on the Hope Commission and Cure Violence has really given me that knowledge base and experience in terms of what goes on," said Seigfried. "So it's helpful there, and you have to be knowledgeable in basic concepts of management, leadership."
He adds that experience, knowledge and standing firm on your principles are traits needed to be successful in Dover, and he feels he has exhibited those traits in Legislative Hall.
His opponent, Shay Frisby, also touts a diverse background that she believes will help her in Dover.
She currently works in state government in the Delaware Division of Social Services’ Constituent Relations Unit - where she says she deals mostly with helping people trying to navigate Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP and other services.
She is also active in the Senate District 5 community. Frisby’s resume including serving on the local representative district committee, local civic associations and Lions Club while serving as a block captain and board member of the Claymont Renaissance Development Corporation
She says she wants to be State Senator to take that next step in helping her community.
"I'm running to be a representative and strong voice," said Frisby. "In the community that I am serving to be at the table where decisions are made on behalf of people who don't feel like they have a voice. Seniors, people in school families just about anyone at this point."
As they campaign ahead of the September 15th primary, both candidates are focused on listening to district voters to understand what issues motivate them.
Sigfried says there are three specific issues that voters tell him are top of mind.
"Number one that is the cost of healthcare. The cost of property tax, Delmarva and energy. These things are all on the front end burner," he said.
Frisby says she’s heard similar concerns from voters, but adds there are some other topics that worry 5th District voters.
"Families that are concerned about childcare costs or costs related to their students' education. There's some issues with education, the education system in Delaware. We have folks that are concerned about, like our seniors are concerned about senior programs or anything that seniors can be connected to, like resources, even benefits like Medicare, those are some concerns," she said. "We've had some concerns around environmental health, social determinants of health impacts in our community."
Frisby says her priorities - should she be elected - would be delivering universal child healthcare and working wages for families - while addressing rising costs. She points specifically to electric bills as Delmarva Power seeks another rate increase.
And Frisby says she believes she has the formula to deliver for the 5th Senate District once she gets to Dover.
"Some of my immediate goals would be to continue to listen and be visible in the community, working strongly together with legislators that have like-minded, and like legislation that may have already been proposed that I can also learn more about and possibly be part of to bring more resources and benefits and things like that into the community, said Frisby"
Seigfried says if voters send him back to Leg Hall, he has unfinished business from his first year and a half as a state senator.
"We passed the first leg of the right of a woman to really control her body, and I think that's going to be something that we're going to take step two to codify in our state Constitution," said Siegfried. "I am of the opinion that we need more legislation for property tax reform. We're not quite done there. I think we have to balance out residential and nonresidential better than we have."
He also wants to continue his efforts to push the State Employee Benefits Commission to be more aggressive and assertive in negotiating to lower pharmaceutical costs, while further addressing potential data center development and the impact they could have on energy costs in the state.
And he promised to remain focused on district-level concerns, such as stormwater issues and road paving.
Seigfried is the incumbent in this race, but rejects being labeled an insider, noting he hasn’t served a full Senate term in Dover as state senator, and spent only one term in the House.
His pitch to voters is to trust his combined resume – his time in Dover, along with his background in healthcare and in the community.
"My experience and my knowledge on healthcare is highly unique. I happen to believe that I am the one and only senator as well as state representative that understands healthcare the way I do," said Siegfried. "I've already proven that I've cut through a lot of issues in healthcare. Healthcare is a major, major issue. States have an impact on healthcare, and I think that's something very important."
Frisby is making her first try for a spot in the General Assembly,
Realizing she doesn’t have a record to run on, she emphasizes meeting voters as a way to introduce herself, not just by discussing her platform, but connecting it to her work in the community
I'm also a member of our Claymont Coalition for Environmental Justice. The reason I continue to be that and continue to put myself in spaces where I am active in the community," said Frisby. "I've been doing these things for 32 years since I lived in the community. So that I can be able to be knowledgeable around some of the issues, the core issues that affect and impact our community, and so that I can disseminate information in spaces where people may not necessarily come out to a general meeting."\
But two Democrats running aren’t the only ones trying to sway the district’s voters, a third Democrat has inserted himself into this race.
Gov. Matt Meyer recently endorsed Frisby - one of two legislative races where Meyer put his weight behind a challenger trying to unseat an incumbent Democrat. He says Frisby is committed to taking on the state’s toughest battles regardless of the odds.
Frisby in a statement says she is deeply honored to have Meyer’s endorsement, and that his endorsement signals she’s the most capable person to deliver results for the community.
But Seigfried told Delaware Public Media he believes there’s an ulterior motive behind Meyer’s decision.
The real reason he did not endorse me is pure and simple retaliation, right? That he is angered at me for my work in healthcare, mostly because I exposed his bureaucratic inertia team and their unwillingness to fight back for better prescription prices," said Siegfried.
This race between two Democrats is poised to show not only who can garner the trust of the 5th Senate District, but perhaps deliver a referendum on the power of an endorsement from Gov. Meyer in a highly competitive race.
The winner of this race will face Republican Brent Burdge and the Independent Party of Delaware’s Carolyn Frank in November’s General election.
