DE-Sen: Denn and Kaufman Out, Coons “Seriously Considering” Race, Carney Won’t Switch

Though the Delaware Senate race is not lost yet for Democrats, the main issue right now is finding a replacement candidate to fill the hole left by the guy who most considered likely to run (until recent weeks), Beau Biden.

Incumbent Sen. Ted Kaufman says he won’t seek a full term, and Lt. Gov. Matt Denn, a rising star in the local party, has decided to stay put (he’s been in that office for only a year).

The biggest fish left in the pond appears to be New Castle County Executive Chris Coons, who says he’s he’s seriously considering it:

One early name mentioned as a possible Democratic challenger to Castle is New Castle County Executive Chris Coons, who represents a majority of the state’s population. Coons told POLITICO Monday he is “seriously considering” a bid.

“I’ve received several calls from community leaders and friends encouraging me to run for the open seat for United States Senate,” he said. “I am seriously considering running for the open seat. I need some time to meet with my family and those close to me. I expect to make a decision in the next few days.”

Coons trailed Castle by 51-39 in the latest poll of this race, but he’d at least stand a fighting chance if he could mount a competent campaign. Remember, for all Castle’s strength, he is still a pretty old guy in the sunset of his electoral career — Coons, in his ’40s, will at least have that contrast in his favor.

UPDATE: Ex-Lt. Gov. John Carney, currently running for Castle’s open seat in the House, won’t switch races, either.

RaceTracker: DE-Sen

45 thoughts on “DE-Sen: Denn and Kaufman Out, Coons “Seriously Considering” Race, Carney Won’t Switch”

  1. I’d say his being already known (and also being closely linked to someone as “inside” as the VP himself) might have kept him from growing too much.

    So that’s the silver lining.

  4. Coons have a chance of winning? Anyone know if Coons is popular and well-known in New Castle county? Also curious if he has alot of support on the ground among independents and party faithfuls. And does Castle have any weaknesses besides his age? SOrry for the amount of question but I honestly know little to nothing about Delaware politics.    

  5. Lately, Delaware has been filling federal offices with former Governors.  Except for Tom Carper who is already a Senator, Mike Castle at 70 is the youngest former Governor.  The two other Democrats who are still alive are the unpopular Ruth Minner (75)and somebody named Sherman Tribbett who is in his upper 80s.

    Neither Beau nor Kaufman is running.  After Coons, what?  The Mayor of Wilmington?

  6. Mike Castle has all the markings of a “halo” candidate. He has literally never had to run a competitive race, or at least for over 20 years. I don’t know what his state legislature districts were like, but he was pretty much ushered into the Governor’s office as Pierre du Pont’s handpicked successor. Then, he made a putrid bargain with Tom Carper to become a Representative while Carper became Governor, and Carper pretty much prevented anyone from challenging him. The halo’s going to wear off in a tough race.

  8. I definitely think this is a winnable race even without Beau running. Coons looks like he has a good resume and already represents a good chunk of the state. Castle has not had a competitive race in a long time and at 70, one has to wonder if he has the fire in his belly. No doubt, the Democrat begins this race as the underdog.

    Part of me really wishes Beau would have run because he has a huge fundraising base, but I don’t think this decision means he’ll never be in the Senate. The rumors last year were that Sen. Carper might not run for a third term in 2012. That would be a great opportunity for him to go to Washington.

  11. An At-large congressional seat and Senatorial seat have the same constituents and serve similar functions. I can’t imagine there being any substantial number of voters who would think “Yeah, this guy’s a great Representative, but I don’t think I’d want him as my Senator”. Castle has cruised to re-election even in bad cycles (e.g. by a 23 point margin in 2008 even when Obama/Biden carried the state by a similar margin themselves). You might claim “Well, that was only because the Dems never put up serious candidates” but why should it be any different this time, now that their “star” candidate has declined? The only difference is that a Senate seat is more valuable than a House seat, giving prospective challengers a somewhat stronger incentive (and, I guess, Castle’s seeming reluctance to run may mean he won’t fight quite as hard). Still, I find it highly unlikely that those factors alone can reverse a 23 point deficit in a much more Republican leaning year (without Obama/Biden at the top of the ticket either, though I’m not sure that would really make a huge difference in this race).

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