Officials estimated that the turnout was double what Delaware sees in a special election.

Buoyed By Anti-Trump Activism, Democrat Wins Delaware Special Election

An army of volunteers, many from out of state, flooded the state Senate district for Stephanie Hansen.


LETOWN, Del. ― This is what democracy looks like.

It’s been a chant that has animated marches and protests around the country since the day after Donald Trump was inaugurated president, but it’s been more aspirational than descriptive. On Saturday, in a state Senate district in Delaware that stretches from Middletown to Newark, the voices in the streets turned into votes in the ballot box. 

In the most expensive special election in Delaware history ― a contest to decide which party controls the state Senate ― Democrat Stephanie Hansen was on track to annihilate her Republican rival on the back of extraordinary turnout.

The last time her opponent, John Marino, ran in this district, in 2014, he lost by just 2 points. Hansen’s 58-42 percent victory over Marino on Saturday ensured that Democrats will maintain control of the state Senate. It also notched a big Donald Trump-era win for a new generation of Democratic activists shocked into action by the November election.

“We turned back that win from Washington and made sure it won’t hit Delaware,” Hansen said in her victory speech Saturday night.

While Hansen’s campaign was focused on local issues, she saw a huge swell of support after nationwide Women’s March protests on Jan. 21. Protesters, many of them out in the streets for the first time, have been turning their energy toward local and state politics. The first major election since the uprising was Delaware’s. 

Hansen’s campaign received huge support. More than 1,000 volunteers worked during the course of the campaign, and about 500 ― many from nearby states ― showed up Saturday for Election Day. Hansen received more than 14,000 contributions of less than $100 from small donors spread all over the country.

“That’s more volunteers than I’ve had in nine elections,” exclaimed state Sen. Dave Sokola (D), of Hansen’s Election Day workers.

“It’s overwhelming to see all these people,” said Kelly Wright, a resident of Hansen’s district. “It’s making me emotional to see that people come take a bus two-plus hours away.”

The turnout of volunteers made a huge difference as Hansen crushed her Republican opponent with unusually high turnout for a special election.

“Let’s take this movement national,” former Vice President Joe Biden. a Delaware resident, exhorted to Hansen victory partiers Saturday night via phone.

Chuck Jackson, a Democratic district chair, said: “It’s really great the amount of people we’re seeing out. There is so much at stake.”

The state Senate had been split 10-10 since the 10th District seat was vacated in November by Bethany Hall-Long, who won election as lieutenant governor. Hansen’s win maintains Democrats’ 44-year hold on the chamber.

Hansen’s election was no sure thing. The district leans Democratic, but Republican Marino had performed well in previous elections. Hall-Long defeated Marino by 1 percentage point in 2014. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won the district 54-41 over Trump. Democrats notoriously struggle in special elections.