2024 Wilmington mayoral election

in 2020 The Delaware Democratic Party dominates the politics of Delaware. The party holds a supermajority in both chambers of the State Legislature and holds all statewide seats. The final time Republicans won statewide in Delaware was in 2014 when the elections for Delaware Auditor of Accounts and Delaware State Treasurer were won by Tom Wagner and Ken Simpler respectively. In 2020, following a competitive primary incumbent Democratic Mike Purzycki won the democratic nomination with 42 percent of the vote. He defeated political rivals, former City Councilmen Justen Wright and Wilmington City Treasurer Velda Jones-Potter. He was uncontested in the general election winning re-election to a second term. == Candidates ==

• John Carney (Democrat), incumbent Governor (2017–2025) and former U.S. Representative from Delaware's at-large congressional district (2011–2017) • Velda Jones-Potter (Democrat), former Wilmington City Treasurer (2017–2021), former Delaware State Treasurer (2009–2011), and unsuccessful mayoral candidate in 2020 ==Democratic primary==

Purzycki had considered running in 2024. However, on October 3, 2023, Purzycki revealed that he would not be seeking a third term citing his age and a desire to spend time with his family. Incumbent Governor of Delaware John Carney, who was unable to seek re-election as governor due to term limits, decided to enter the race. Velda Jones-Potter, former treasurer of Wilmington and Delaware as a whole, also decided to enter the race. Jones-Potter had previously challenged Purzycki for the nomination in 2020. Results The primary election was held on September 10, 2024. Carney received 5,308 votes, winning with over 53 percent of the vote. He defeated Jones-Potter by 743 votes. ==General election==

Due to the Democratic party's dominance over both Wilmington and Delaware at large, the Republican State Committee of Delaware (GOP) did not run a candidate. The News Journal Anitra Johnson noted that, with the exception of a few competitive City Council seats, most candidates in Wilmington ran unopposed. The election was held on November 5, 2024, since no other candidates ran in the general election, Carney won the election unopposed. With his victory he became the first sitting United States governor to be elected to a mayoral office. After the results came in, Janyce Colmery, a member of the Delaware GOP told Chis Barrish of WHYY-TV that result was expected and that "Wilmington’s a big problem because that’s never going to change. I mean, they just brought in Carney as their mayor. Are you kidding me?” Carney resigned from his position as Governor on January 7, 2025 to be sworn as mayor.Bethany Hall-Long, the outgoing Lieutenant Governor, was sworn in as Governor to finish to final two weeks of Carney's term, before being succeeded by Matt Meyer, the winner of the 2024 Delaware gubernatorial election. == References ==