Dewey Beach Campaign Season Heats Up!
It is still not too late to run for commissioner or register to vote in Dewey Beach! The deadline for both candidate filing and voter registration is this Thursday at 5 p.m. The election is Saturday, September 21. Here is the election calendar with more info.
Joyce Pool said on Saturday that so far, only four candidates have filed to run for the three soon-to-be-open commissioner seats. Assuming there are no new candidates filing by Thursday, Commissioners Paul Bauer and Dale Cooke along with Mayor TJ Redefer will be challenged by newcomer Philip Rowe.
Former Mayor Diane Hanson hosted a private meet-and-greet for Rowe yesterday afternoon. Rowe says some of the most critical problems facing Dewey Beach include infrastructure especially as it relates to sea-level rise, the recent police department review and the town’s finances. That’s him in the white shirt.
Rowe’s parents met on the beach in Dewey and his family has owned the property on Cullen Street since 1959. He and his wife, Leslie, live there year-round. “I think I offer a vision for the future that includes sound financial practices, accountability, viability to the community and alternate sources of revenue and improved revenue from the sources we have,” he said. He hopes people bullet-vote for him since he is running against three incumbents.
He faces some tough competition. Here is Mayor TJ Redefer with Commissioners Paul Bauer and Dale Cooke after their election win two years ago.
Comm. Cooke is running independently of any other candidate while Mayor Redefer and Comm. Bauer are running as a team. “I think all of us would like the incumbents to win,” Mayor Redefer said. “I sure do,” he added.
Here are the candidate bios/fliers:
Stay tuned for more Dewey Beach campaign news in the coming weeks.
The Dewey Beach Civic League is hosting the annual candidate forum on Saturday, August 31, at 5 p.m. at the Dewey Beach Lions Club.
