Promoción del patriotismo, la integridad y los valores conservadores
December 2023
December 25, 2023
Good morning, ladies and Merry Christmas,
I guess you’re wondering why I’m sending this on Christmas morning. Well, it’s early and I have a couple of hours before the chaos begins!
Please do your very best to attend the DFRW Leadership Training on January 20th at the DFRW building, 116 E Water St., Dover. This an important event for all not only for the knowledge/information to be gained but also for the opportunity to interact with members of our sister clubs.
I’ve attached the flyer and agenda here.
Marilyn
DFRW Training Flyer
Agenda 1/20/2024
December 22, 2023
Christmas Greetings SCRWC Members and Associates,
I am very happy to report that Valerie Jones Giltner was successful in her bid to win the Special Election for the Representative seat in the 37th District yesterday! What a great Christmas gift for Delaware Republicans! Valerie proved to be an excellent candidate during the break-neck speed of this 30-day campaign.
Her efforts to win this election were exemplary. In addition to Valerie’s hard work, we can’t say enough about her campaign team. The activities were orchestrated by our Associate, Lewis W. Briggs, II, Valerie’s Campaign Manager. I hesitate to try to list all the volunteers from up and down the state who threw their time and money behind Valerie to support her campaign as I am certain I will leave some out. Suffice it to say that State Senators, Representatives, GOP officers, volunteers and our members went all out for Valerie. I’m certain that Ruth Briggs King’s endorsement was pivotal.
We must put forth these same efforts for our candidates in 2024. Rest up now and get ready to pull out all the stops in 2024!
Christmas blessings to all.
Marilyn
December 18, 2023
Greetings SCRWC members and associates,
On behalf of the SCRWC Board Of Directors, I want to wish each of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope you are able to spend quality time with your friends and family. May each of you find the peace and joy that is the hallmark of the season.
As discussed at the meeting on Wednesday of last week, we have gotten clarification on when the new NFRW administration is requesting that we submit our volunteer hours. There is no change to the schedule. We are requested to submit our volunteer hours semiannually as before, The due date for the July 1, 2023 - December 31, 2023 hours is January 15, 2024.
Please remember that in addition to voting members’ hours, associates’ hours are to be included in our totals.
Please see the link below for information related to those hours that are included as well as forms to be used to collect and report your hours.
https://www.scrwc.net/bylaws-and-forms
Thank you again to everyone who volunteered to make phone calls to voters in RD 37. Please make sure you include these calls and the time spent making them with your submission.
God bless each of you,
Marilyn Booker, President
Sussex County Republican Women’s Club
December 15, 2023
Greetings SCRWC Members and Associates,
Thanks to all who attended our December meeting, Bake Sale and Silent Auction on Wednesday. We heard from Valerie Jones Giltner, who is our candidate for the 37th Representative District seat vacated by Ruth Briggs King due to a change in residency, and Eric Hansen, U.S. Senate Candidate.
We also saw our member and sister, Kim Hoey Stevenson, who is running for Senate District 6. Kim stopped by for a brief period to say hello after a very successful campaign launch this past Sunday afternoon.
Those in attendance at our meeting heard about the importance of making sure we work to get Valerie elected in the Special Election taking place December 21st. Turnout will determine the winner of this election. If we can get our base out to vote, we will be successful. To that end and knowing that Special Elections typically have very poor turn-out, we need to get busy making sure that our base knows about the election and votes either early or on Election Day, December 21st.
Here’s the schedule and location for early voting:
Department of Elections Sussex County, Georgetown Warehouse, 542 South Bedford St. Georgetown, DE 19947.
12/8: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM 12/11: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
12/12: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM 12/13: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
12/14: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM 12/15: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
12/16: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM 12/17: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
12/18: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM 12/19: 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Many thanks to the following members who volunteered to make phone calls for Valerie. You truly represent the spirit of our club and Republican Women’s Clubs in Delaware.
Pam Procaccini
Deb Czajkowski
Jackie Perry
Cathy & Hylton Page (each)
Linda Rehm
Priscilla Clark
Betty Bridgeman
Carolyn Grob
Erin Weiner
If you are able to assist, please contact Diana Robertson. She will happily send you a list of 37th RD voters and a suggested script. This is not a difficult task and it will make a huge difference. Many who you contact will thank you as not everyone is even aware there is a Special Election. Diana’s contact information is: (302) 270-1714 or email her at info@scrwc.net.
Let’s make this the merriest of Christmas with a big WIN for Valerie, the residents of the 37th RD, Sussex County, and Delaware. We must eliminate single-party rule in Delaware and bring balance back to our General Assembly.
Thanks in advance for your efforts.
Marilyn Booker, President
Sussex County Republican Women’s Club
December 3, 2023
Greetings SCRWC members and associates,
I am pleased to inform you that our member, Kim Hoey Stevenson, is running for Delaware Senate in Senate District 6.
You may recall that this is the seat previously held by Ernie Lopez. Kim is an outstanding candidate and I know with our assistance she can defeat Russ Huxtable who has been a disaster in Dover.
The formal announcement will take place upstairs at the Fins location on Rehoboth Avenue at 2 PM on Sunday, December 10th. Please show your support for our sister and attend this very important event. I would like to see a very large turnout from our membership. There will likely be press there and we want to let the Democrats know that Kim is in it to win it! The more people present, the louder that message will be.
Kim will need our time and treasure. Please consider making a donation to Kim’s campaign, I will forward more information as I receive it.
Thanks in advance,
Marilyn Booker, President
Sussex County Republican Women’s Club
November 2023
November 28, 2023
Good afternoon, SCRWC members and associates,
As you know, Ruth Briggs King, SCRWC member and the only Republican woman in the Delaware General Assembly, has resigned due to a change in her residence. I am pleased to tell you that we have an excellent candidate who is running to represent the 37th Representative District.
The Republican endorsed candidate is Valerie Jones Gilnter, a retired Registered Nurse who was born in Georgetown and continues to reside there. She is an experienced negotiator, with excellent interpersonal skills. I had the opportunity to meet her last evening and while she is warm and engaging, I had no doubt that she will be able to hold up her end of any discussion and be a force in Dover. She holds our values and is very good on her feet answering questions.
Special Elections are extremely difficult in that they typically have low turn-out - lower than School Board, and are very expensive. I don’t have to explain to any of you that December 21st, four days before Christmas, is probably the worst possible time for an election. Many voters are "Snow birds” and will have already flown south; others have left town to visit family. We have to face it - people are just plain busy and can’t be bothered.
So here’s the “ask.” I am asking each of you to step up and volunteer to help us get Valerie elected. She needs money and volunteers to make phone calls, send texts, and knock on doors. The Campaign would like to have greeters at every polling place in the 37th district.. If you have any writers among your members, letters to the local papers explaining how talented and what a good Representative Valerie will be are welcome.
Even with a “Special Election” early voting is scheduled for the 10 days prior to the December 21st Election Day. Early voting starts Friday, December 8th. So as you can see, we need to help Valerie stat! Things are moving at breakneck speed.
The Democrats have nominated Jane Hovington as their candidate. They are already organized and on the move. Ms. Hovington is the Sussex County Democrat Committee Chair. She previously ran unsuccessfully against Senator Brian Pettyjohn. It seems that anytime they don’t have a candidate, they recruit Ms. Hovington to run.
I am very pleased to tell you that Valerie will be stopping by our luncheon meeting on December 13th at the Virden Retreat Center, Lewes. I don’t expect her to stay very long as she’s very busy campaigning. However, she believes making a connection with the Republican Women’s Clubs is important and so she accepted my invitation. Our U.S. Senate Candidate, Eric Hansen will be our featured speaker at this meeting as well.
Valerie’s website is up and will soon have a “donate” button. https://valeriefor37th.com/
Anyone who wishes to volunteer should contact:
Patricia Anderson, 37th RDC
Valerie will be making her formal announcement at noon this Friday December 1st at the Revelation Brewing Company, 413 S. Bedford Street, Georgetown. As we all know, optics matter and having a huge turnout would be absolutely fantastic.
If you wish to donate, please make checks to:
Committee to Elect Valerie Giltner
P. O. Box 744
Georgetown DE 19947
Let’s make this a very Merry Christmas and hold onto the 37th Representative District seat.
Marilyn Booker, President
Sussex County Republican Women’s Club
November 20, 2023
Greetings SCRWC Members and Associates,
Happy Thanksgiving! The SCRWC Board wishes each of you a lovely time spent with family and friends.
As mentioned at our meeting on 11/15, our member and the only Republican female in our General Assembly, Ruth Briggs King, has resigned from her post as the Representative for the 37th District. Ruth and her husband built a house on family property outside of her district and according to Delaware Code, she may not continue to represent a district in which she is not a resident.
The lines of the 37th Representative District have been redrawn three times since Ruth was first elected in 2009 in another Special Election.
Also, in accordance with Delaware Code, the Chairperson of each County Political Committee nominates a candidate for the Special Election. The Speaker of the House issues a Writ of Election within 10 days of the vacancy with triggers the Special Election 30-35 days after the issuance of the writ. However, with the addition of early voting, there must be 10 days of early voting for this election. I will keep you posted as I get dates, times, and location.
Drew Sunderlin, the new Chair of the Sussex County Republican Committee, has nominated Valarie Jones Giltner to be the Republican Candidate for the Special Election. Ms. Giltner is a retired critical care nurse and healthcare consultant.
She is focused on the following issues:
• Strengthening working families
• Protecting citizens’ freedoms and limiting burdensome government regulations
• Maintaining safe and secure classrooms
• Improving healthcare for our communities
• Ensuring government accountability and efficiency
We are very excited about Valerie’s candidacy. We will ask Cathy Watts to contact her and schedule her to speak at one of our meetings. It may not be until after this session as I’m certain she will be very busy introducing herself to her district given the very short time between her nomination and the actual contest.
I am looking forward to our club assisting Valerie win the Special Election and hold onto this seat in the Delaware House of Representatives. I will let you know as I get any more information.
Don’t forget our Bake Sale and Silent Auction at our luncheon meeting December 13th. RSVP by December 4th. Eric Hansen, candidate for U.S. Senate will be our speaker.
Thanks to you all,
Marilyn
November 6,2023
Greetings,
We want to recognize all the brave Veterans and their families this month. We thank them for their sacrifices and bravery. They deserve our respect and undying appreciation.
As I usually do, whenever I come across a piece that I find interesting and/or inspirational, I save it. I find that this piece is both. I don’t recall where I first saw this, but I am including this poem written by Charles M Province, a veteran himself and the Founder and President of the George S Patton, Jr. Historical Society.
It is said that this poem hangs in the Pentagon but without attribution to Mr. Province. Throughout the years, several versions of this poem have circulated. I was unable to determine when it was written, but Mr. Province copyrighted it in 1970.
IT IS THE SOLDIER
by
Charles M. Province
It is the Soldier, not the minister Who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the Soldier, not the reporter Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the Soldier, not the poet Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer Who has given us freedom to protest.
It is the Soldier, not the lawyer Who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the Soldier, not the politician Who has given us the right to vote.
It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.
October 2023
October 11, 2023
Good evening SCRWC members and associates,
No one can escape hearing and seeing the tragedy unfolding in the Middle East. The Israeli people are under attack and unspeakable acts are being perpetrated against them. Imagine sleeping in your bed on a Saturday morning and having armed intruders break into your home, roust you from sleep and then kidnap you and your family. Women were being forced to walk down the street naked; gang rapes, beheadings, burnings alive - the depravity is never-ending.
Sadly, a member of the Delaware Democrat caucus from New Castle, Madinah Wilson-Anton has been putting anti-Israeli posts on social media. When the House Speaker, Democrat Valerie Longhurst invited her to attend a “Stand with Israel” rally, she refused and posted that she stands with Palestine. Her posts indicate that she believes Israel is “getting what it deserves.”
Voices that should be exposing this outrageous behavior and castigating it are somehow silent. Our President has not called out the Iranians for the supporters of this type of terrorism they are. Can you say Neville Chamberlin? Appeasement? What are we afraid of? Further, none of our elected Federal officials have made any public comments. I’m particularly concerned about Lisa Blunt Rochester who fancies herself our next U.S. Senator. Since it appears she’s silent on this, what other issues will find her mute.
There have been so many embarrassing things this country has suffered in the past 2 ½ years. Unfortunately, this is just another.
Please pray for the Israeli people. Pray that this campaign of terror and inhumane actions ends soon.
God bless you all,
Marilyn Booker, SCRWC President
Evil preaches tolerance until it is dominant, then it seeks to silence good.
- Archbishop Charles Chaput
October 2, 2023
Greetings fellow SCRWC members,
Last week it felt like Fall had made its entrance. This week we’re being jettisoned back to Summertime temps. Whiplash anyone? But not to worry, we’ll be back to Fall very soon.
Along with preparing for the changes in seasons, it is time to prepare for the upcoming elections. We have always been somewhat active, but this year I would like us to be more involved.
Here is the status of the General Assembly elections in Sussex County at this point:
INCUMBENTS –
Each of these Senators is up for re-election, and we need to help make them successful:
-
Dave Wilson, SD 18
-
Bryant Richardson, SD 21
Senate District 6 was a particularly difficult loss last election. The Democrat who took that seat is by no means competent. Russ Huxtable is vulnerable as he completes his unimpressive first term. We continue to look for a candidate to run in this race but when we find one, we need to be “all in” with our support.
We need to make sure each of these Representatives is re-elected;
-
Jeff Hilovsky, RD
-
Jess Vanderwende, RD 35
-
Bryan Shupe, RD 36
-
Danny Short, RD 39
-
Tim Dukes, RD 40
-
Rich Collins, RD 41
There will likely be a special election in RD 37. Our SCRWC member, Ruth Briggs King, announced she will be moving out of her district and therefore will have to step down from her seat. It appears she will be doing this before the end of her term. We are looking for a candidate to run in this district.
We will also focus on RD 14 (Dewey-Rehoboth area). With Pete Schwartzkopf’s announcement of his retirement, we have an opportunity with the proper candidate.
RD 20 (Lewes-Milton area) is a seat we never should have lost last election, and we are looking for a candidate there. Stell Selby-Parker is completing her 1st term. A strong candidate could win that seat back.
Even if you can’t knock on doors, I’m certain you can use the telephone. I’ve spoken with many of you on this device. So, as it becomes time to reach out to voters to highlight our candidates and get out the vote, we will be asking you to take a list of voters to contact. We must be certain that every Republican votes either early, on election day, or for those who qualify, via absentee ballot.
We are also planning to reach out to newly registered voters and ask them to join us. We will be sending postcards to Republican women who have moved into the area recently. We will need volunteers to address postcards. Our goal is to recruit more members to assist with our election time efforts. Many hands…
As we take on these initiatives, I will remind you to keep track of your hours. We have achieved Diamond Award status with the NFRW for as long as I can remember. We should certainly do that again with all of us working together.
Have a wonderful October and I look forward to seeing you all on 10/25 at the Virden Center.
Marilyn Booker
SCRWC President
September 2023
September 15, 2023
Greetings, fellow Republicans,
If you did not attend the Region Meeting on 9/11/2023, I wanted to make certain you were aware of an initiative we are undertaking here in Sussex. The objective is to recruit 300 volunteers to help us meet our goals of maintaining the seats we have in the General Assembly and taking back SD 6 and RD 20. We also want to pick up RD 14. If we have participation by the grassroots in Sussex, we can be successful. We need everyone reading this to step up and become active.
The name of the initiative is “Signs of the Times” Campaign. We are using a fun, creative way to address issues with the Sussex voters. For those who remember the “Burma Shave” signs found along highways during the 50’s and 60’s, this will look familiar. Remember how there were a series of signs with a cute phrase that rhymed? The last sign was always Burma Shave. One of their signs was, “No lady likes to snuggle or dine accompanied by a porcupine. Burma Shave”
We have started a contest to identify the best entry for a sign. We are asking everyone to submit his/her entries this month and the Executive Committee will choose the winner of a $100 gift card at the meeting on October 3rd.
In addition to the cute, creative, funny signs, we are requesting that each Representative District identify team to place the signs. The plan is to place the signs in order on a highly traveled roadway or even on private property (with permission of course) on a main thoroughfare during drive time. The sign will appear and then after the commute time will get picked up. This will occur once a week on the same day each week. It has also been suggested that a group carrying signs walk up and down the various boardwalks at the beaches. A group might walk along a highway with the signs in order to get attention as well. We want to start a buzz and hope the media, print and radio will pick it up. Each week there will be a different sign. We’ll have them printed and then rotate them among the 10 Representative Districts.
We really need volunteers to take on the responsibility of placing and removing the signs. Please check with your RDC to volunteer or with Charlie Walter at : http://cewalter54@gmail.com. We would also like to see them placed at the beginning of any high school events like football games. We need to be certain that we are following the county’s rules for placement so we don’t get into trouble.
Each series of signs will start with, “Need a sign…?”. The last sign will say, “Join the Sussex GOP.” The sign will have a QR code, website address and phone #. The following are a few of the ideas we think we may use:
Need a sign you should protest?
Parents’ rights are under duress.
Join the Sussex GOP
Need a sign the future’s bright?
Only the GOP will protect your rights.
Join the Sussex GOP
Need a sign we’re in a mess?
Students’ scores don’t say success.
Join the Sussex GOP
Need a sign there’s over-regulation?
Can’t buy a car with gas operation
Join the Sussex GOP
Need a sign 2A’s in jeopardy?
Owning a gun will soon be a memory.
Join the Sussex GOP
Need a sign prices are too high?
We now have to worry about what to buy.
Join the Sussex GOP
Need a sign Windmills should fail?
Check the shoreline for dead whales.
Join the Sussex GOP
Need a sign to be a rebel?
Only 1 in 3 kids read at grade level.
Join the Sussex GOP
Need a sign Windmills are wrong?
Why put them where they don’t belong?
Join the Sussex GOP
YOUR SUBMISSION HERE!
Send your ideas to: http://sussexgop@protonmail.com
All submission become the property of the Sussex County Republican Committee
September 11, 2023
In memorium…9/11…never forget!
On this solemn day, we pause to remember the lives lost, the heroes who emerged, and the strength of our nation. Let’s ensure their stories live on.
Greetings, fellow Republicans,
We know all of us remember where we were and what we were doing when we heard about the tragedies that occurred that sunny Tuesday morning of September 11, 2001. The worst attack on our soil our country has ever encountered occurred on this day, 22 years ago. The people in the Twin Towers, the people at the Pentagon, the heroes on flight 93 that crashed in Shanksville, PA were all lost because of hate. Nearly 3,000 people died as a result of these attacks on that day.
Sadly, as we’re 22 years out from the tragedies, we are rapidly approaching a number higher than those who died on the awful day. The dying continues from diseases acquired due to exposure to acrid smoke and debris during the clean up. They are dying mostly from respiratory illnesses and cancers.
Please keep them in your prayers every day but today in particular.
Marilyn Booker, Chair
Lewis W. Briggs II, Vice Char
Hylton Phillips-Page, Treasurer
Betty Bridgeman, Secretary
Michele Forzley, Parliamentarian
September 6, 2023
Greetings SCRWC members and associate members,
FABULOUS GREASE BAND - 9/22!
Our major fundraiser is almost here - only 2 1/2 weeks away. If you haven’t purchased your ticket(s) yet, it’s time! Your fundraising committee has been very busy passing out flyers and getting gift cards and baskets.
Once again we will have a 3 hour cocktail cruise for 4 on a beautiful sailboat to auction and a 2 bedroom, 2 bath Bethany Beach condo (including the shoulder months September 15th through May 15th). Both of these will be live auctions with our favorite auctioneer, Senator Dave Wilson!
Knowing the we have wonderful bakers in among our membership, we are asking that you will donate desserts for our event. If you are willing to bake, please contact Carole Andrejko. I’m certain that the offerings made by our members will be big crowd-pleasers.
CHANGE OF MEETING SITE AND DATE TO RSVP!
Please remember that our new meeting site is the VIRDEN RETREAT CENTER, 1155 College Drive, Lewes. With the new meeting site comes changes. The caterer here requires that we tell them our number of attendees, 10 days before the meeting. Please make sure you contact Kris Kessler by September 18th with your RSVP!
Email Kristine Kessler at
or call (518) 728-4826
Our speaker for our September meeting is House Minority Leader, Mike Ramone. Representative Ramone will give us an overview of what transpired during the 2023 session and what to expect in 2024.
August 2023
August 25, 2023
Greetings, fellow Republicans,
We are very fortunate to have Charlie Walter as our Sussex Region Volunteer Coordinator. The Sussex GOP will be very busy this year with a number of festivals and parades going into the fall. We need assistance with staffing these efforts with enthusiastic volunteers. These are opportunities to “Be Somebody."
Also, as we move full swing into “Election season,” we will also be working on reaching out to “no party” voters and absentee ballot voters. It is imperative that we reach every Republican voter and get them to the polls either by absentee (if they qualify) and early voting.
Please contact Charlie cewalter54@gmail.com to volunteer for the festivals, etc. listed below and to help us with our outreach activities.
Your Sussex County Republican Committee is ready to go! Please join us in making a difference in our County and S. Let’s do something small to change something BIG!
Marilyn Booker, Chair
Sussex County Republican Committee
Here is the short list of events:
Milford Riverwalk 9/16 Milford
Hispanic Festival 9/17 Georgetown
Wings and Wheels 10/7 Georgetown
Apple Scrapple 10/14 Bridgeville
Sea Witch Parade 10/28 Rehoboth
Events Volunteer Sign Up Form – Sussex GOP
August 24, 2023
Greetings fellow Republicans,
I am pleased to announce that our Vice Chair, Lewis Briggs has been able to find us a meeting venue beginning next month. We have secured arrangements on the 2nd Monday of the month through December, 2023 and we will resume our Regional meetings on September 11th. Please note that there are some conditions associated with our use.
We will be gathering at the Millsboro Fire Hall, 109 East State Street in Millsboro. The facility will be available to us at 6 PM; we will gavel at 6:30 PM; and adjourn at 8 PM. This will allow time for us to put the facility back in the condition in which we found it by 8:30 PM. A member of the Fire Company will be required to secure the building when we leave so we will need to stick to these times.
Setting up chairs and replacing them in the storage room is our responsibility. To this end, we will require volunteers to assist with this task. The Fire Hall kitchen is not part of our arrangement and is "off limits.” The facility is ADA compliant.
We expect that all attendees will comport themselves in a civil and responsible manner.
Please pass this information on to any other interested parties.
A major thank you to our Vice Chair for finding this location. Know that meeting space is at a premium and finding a place that would accommodate us was not an easy task.
Finally, I wanted to inform you that the Sussex County Republican Committee will be making a donation of $100 in the name of Ron Sams to the Accent Hospice Care in Millsboro. The family had requested a donation in lieu of flowers.
As a reminder, Ron’s funeral is 3 PM this Sunday, August 27th, at the Millsboro United Methodist Church, 300 E. Church Street.
Looking forward to seeing each of you on September 11th at the Millsboro Fire Hall. We have lots of work to do!
Marilyn Booker, Chair
Sussex County Republican Committee
August 18, 2023
Dear members of the Sussex County Republican Committee,
We notified you of the death of our associate member, Ron Sams.
Ron’s funeral is next Sunday, August 27th at 3 pm at the Grace United Methodist Church, 300 E. Church St., Millsboro, DE.
Expressions of sympathy can be sent to: Mrs. Ron Sams and family, 32046 River Road, Millsboro, DE. 19966.
Marilyn Booker, Chair
Sussex County Republican Committee
August 15, 2023
Greetings fellow Republicans,
I was asked by a member of the Republican Women of Worcester County, MD to let you know about a couple of things happening that effect all the Delmarva coastal communities. If you are as concerned as I am about the plans to ruin our coastline with Offshore Windmills (OSW), please consider joining the Facebook group “Protect our Coast – Delmarva.” This group page is dedicated to providing accurate information in opposition of OSW and is related to “Protect Our Coast – New Jersey,” “Protect Our Coast – Carolinas” and Protect Our Coast Ocean City”. As usual, these people are consumed with their green agenda and in their typical short-sighted way, they haven’t considered the ramifications to other systems – marine life, migratory birds, boating, Coast Guard Search and Rescue and the fishing industry – commercial and recreational.
If you think that just because you don’t live on the coast you are not going to be affected, think twice. The loss of the revenue generated by our tourist-friendly beaches and the commercial and recreational fishing will surely be felt by all of Sussex County and up and down the First State.
I am constantly gob-smacked by these sycophants who are certain they can tell us what will happen in the next 10 years with the climate while I can’t even get an accurate weather forecast for tomorrow. This “religion” of climate change is affecting our everyday lives from our lightbulbs to how much water your toilet will use to flush to how much pressure you can get from your shower.
Please consider joining these Facebook pages to stay up-to-date on the latest information about OSW. Don’t forget to “Like” and follow “Protect Our Coast – Delmarva.” Please complete the petition included in this page.
You may also wish to read these Letters to the Editor authored by our friends in Worchester County:
Informative wind energy resources out there | Readers Forum | oceancitytoday.com
Impacts of offshore wind on sea life | Readers Forum | oceancitytoday.com
Something fishy about those wind feds | Readers Forum | oceancitytoday.com
Enjoy the unobstructed coastal views while you can.
Marilyn Booker, Chair
Sussex County Republican Committee
August 11,2023
Greetings fellow Republicans,
Earlier this month, my husband and I saw the movie that is shedding a spotlight on the disintegration of yet another of our values and ethical standards. I was very hesitant about seeing a movie that focuses on Human Trafficking. I was concerned it would be sordid. I never want to see any graphic depictions of abuse and defilement of anyone and definitely not of children. In spite of this, we were convinced by a number of our friends, so we went to see it.
At the risk of this message sounding like a movie review, I must say “Sound of Freedom,” portrayed this true story of Tim Ballard’s efforts to save children from these evils without any of the sordid stuff. The story is extremely compelling and very well done. Jim Caviezel and the entire cast are excellent and Caviezel should be expecting an Academy Award nomination although I doubt that will happen. You may have read that the film sat on the shelves at Disney Studios for 5 years before they would agree to release it.
Delaware is not among the states where these outrageous crimes are prevalent. One would have to look at California for the leader in this depravity. But sadly, child trafficking has found its way to the First State. ANY incidence of the adulteration of this vulnerable population is unacceptable in an ethical, moral society. Not unlike drug trafficking, human trafficking involves cartels and is a multibillion-dollar criminal enterprise.
Our Senator Richardson (SD 21) sits on the Governor’s Council on Human Trafficking. He was instrumental in getting legislation passed this session to extend the requirement for signage related to Human Trafficking to additional state facilities and private establishments. Raising awareness is critical to solving this problem. You can read more about this legislation here: (Signs of Hope Act (Delaware Human Trafficking)
The Republican Caucus along with the Sussex County Republican Committee is sponsoring a Town Hall on September 12th at 6 PM at Sussex Central High School (926026 Patriots Way, Georgetown, DE 19947) to raise the awareness of this important issue. The speakers will describe the prevalence world-wide and discuss what is happening in Delaware and Sussex County in particular.
The speaker line-up includes: Caroline Brittingham, Deputy Attorney General with the Human Trafficking Unit of the DE Attorney General’s office; Yolanda Montgomery, of Zoe Ministries; and Detective Hogate, of the DE State Police.
Hope Whaley is chairing this event. Many thanks to Senators Pettyjohn and Richardson for their assistance and attention to this issue and to Amy Willey for taking on the herculean task of scheduling our speakers.
Please RSVP at: Human Trafficking Information Forum
People who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. Voltaire
Marilyn Booker, Chair
Sussex County Republican Committee
July 2023
July 29, 2023
Greetings fellow Republicans,
I can’t believe the summer is more than halfway over! It seems the older we get the faster the time passes.
As you know, we will be coming up on Election Season very soon. If we are to be successful in 2024, we need to prepare and become active NOW! This means we need to enlist Election District Committeemen, Committeewomen and Neighborhood Team Leaders to join our team. Your volunteering and active participation is key to our success.
Do you ever listen to the news on the radio or TV, or read what is happening with our local or national bureaucracies, shake your head, and think, “SOMEBODY has to do something.” You are not alone. Are you willing to be “SOMEBODY?”
An Election District Committee person (EDC) is the first line of defense against the progressive legislation coming out of Dover and D.C. Working along with another EDC in your election district, you contact registered voters to inform them about our party and our principles. By chatting with them, you can find out what are the things that concern them. Are they worried about 1st or 2nd Amendment rights? Are they willing to have the government dictate what type of vehicle they can drive? Do they have school-age children? As parents, are they troubled by the sexualization of their children with age-inappropriate reading material or activities in their schools. How do they feel about the move to ignore or override parental rights? Are they concerned about their children receiving an education that will prepare them to succeed in this technology-driven world? Are they apprehensive about the rising crime we are seeing in our area?
Election District Committeemen and women are members the Advisory Committee. They play an active role in electing the Sussex GOP leadership and they may be delegates to the Delaware State Party Annual Convention. Every two years, in the odd years, the State Party elects its leadership at the Organizational Convention. Delegates choose the State Party Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary. The Sussex County Region leadership is elected by the Advisory Committee every 4 years after the U.S. Presidential election.
We will be holding classes for EDCs and for those who want to volunteer but can’t make the commitment to being an EDC. Sign up for a class. We will be doing them via zoom. I will send the link and Powerpoint before the class. https://sussexgop.org/rdc-edc-volunteer-training-class-registration/
Now more than ever we need to be organized and active. I find that recently I wake up each morning wondering, “What are they going to do to us today?” It’s time to be “SOMEBODY” and take action. If we work together, we can make a difference.
“If you do not take an interest in the affairs of your government, then you are doomed to live under the rule of fools.” Plato
Marilyn Booker, Chair
Sussex County Republican Committee
July 4, 2023
Greetings fellow Republicans,
A very Happy Independence Day to all and Happy Birthday to our country! How fortunate we are to live in this wonderful country! We know that as citizens of this democratic republic, we have truly won the lottery.
We are not naïve enough to believe that everything in the country we love is perfect. We know there are warts. But more importantly we know that good people working together and holding fast to our God-given rights will prevail over any obstacles as we continue to work toward a “more perfect Union.” We must keep this fact in our minds and our hearts as we address the challenges facing our country today. We know that the United States of America continues to be the most successful experiment in democracy ever. We must hold fast to this notion and teach our children and grandchildren about the promise of America for “the advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.” – James Madison.
So how should we celebrate our country’s birthday? Our founding fathers had some ideas:
John Adams thought that “It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more.”
Benjamin Franklin believed “July the Fourth shall forever be a day where the people of this land come together to remember the importance of democracy and the true joy of freedom.”
One of our favorite quotes about how to celebrate the holiday comes from Erma Bombeck. “You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4th, not with a parade of guns, tanks and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.”
So have a safe and fun 4th! Enjoy your families and friends. Go to a parade; wear red, white and blue; have a picnic and overeat – after all it’s time to be patriotic!
Your Sussex County Republican Committee Executive Board
Marilyn Booker, Chair
Lewis W. Briggs, III, Vice Chair
Hylton Phillips-Page, Treasurer
Betty Bridgeman, Secretary
Michele Forzley, Parliamentarian
June 2023
June 23, 2023
Greetings fellow Republicans,
As I mentioned at our last Region Meeting, we have a gentleman who is working as our Region Volunteer Coordinator. You will be hearing from Charlie Walter requesting assistance at upcoming events. The Sussex GOP and the State Party will be very busy this year with a number of festivals and parades during the summer and into the fall. Please contact Charlie to volunteer. http://cewalter54@gmail.com
Here’s a list:
Nanticoke Riverfest - 7/8 8 am – 6 pm Seaford
DE State Fair - between July 20 to July 29 - Please see below for the form to complete if you are able to assist
AFRAM - 8/12 Seaford
Riverwalk Freedom Festival - 9/16 Milford
Festival Hispano - 9/17 Georgetown
Wings and Wheels - 10/1 Georgetown
Apple Scrapple Festival - 10/15 Bridgeville
Sea Witch Parade - 10/28 Rehoboth
Email from State Party about the State Fair
Volunteers are needed for the Delaware GOP Booth at the Delaware State Fair in Harrington beginning Thursday, July 20th, thru Saturday, July 29th, from 11 am until 10 pm. We have three timeslots available: 11-3 pm – 3-7 pm, and 7-10 pm. We need 4 volunteers for each time slot for 10 days.
State GOP provides gate passes for volunteers. A plan for Ticket Pickup is still being worked out.
Note: Monday, July 24th, and Thursday July 27th Free Day for Seniors
Wednesday, July 26th – Free Day Pass with Military ID
Our State GOP Booth is in the air-conditioned Exhibit Hall on the fairgrounds at the far end by the Grandstand and has restrooms and vending machines.
Volunteers should plan to be at the Exhibit Hall at least 15 minutes before their time slot to get the “lay of the land” from the volunteers finishing their scheduled timeslot.
To register for a timeslot, please use the link below: https://form.jotform.com/231734535950155
Contact Nick Miles with any questions: Nick@DelawareGOP.com
At the last Region Meeting, Alison Monroe, a resident of RD 20, spoke to us about her initiative to gather signatures on a petition she is sending to DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin and Governor Carney. The petition is yet another attempt to have the Governor reconsider this mandate and keep Secretary Garvin from implementing the California standards and timeline here in Delaware. Click on buttons below to download the petition, sign and regulation. While we would all like to think that this representative government would actually be representative of the people’s will, we must realize that it is not likely to happen on this issue. In fact, the House Democrats just codified a Clean Vehicle Rebate program. The program has been available since 2014 to incentivize the purchase of electric or hybrid vehicles. The Democrats continue to practice the new religion of Climate Change and try to force their agenda on everyone.
Enjoy your July 4th holiday and remember how lucky you are to live in this wonderful country.
Marilyn Booker, Chair
Sussex County Republican Committee
June 17, 2023 Greetings SCRWC members! Our last meeting before our summer hiatus is scheduled for Wednesday, June 28th. We will welcome Julianne Murray, the Delaware GOP Chair who was elected at the State Committee Organizational Convention in April as our speaker. We have asked her to describe her plans for the Delaware State Republican Committee. There is lots to do and I’m anxious to hear what our new Chair’s plans are to “Turn Delaware Red.” As voted by the members at our May meeting, this will also be our last meeting at Mulligan’s Pointe. The Board spent quite a bit of time finding a new venue that will be able to meet our needs and keep our costs at a reasonable rate. Although we’re told by the pundits that inflation is slowing, it continues to hit us at home and the same goes for the businesses we support. When we reconvene in September, we will be gathering at the Virden Retreat Center in Lewes. Please keep an eye on your emails and the SCRWC website over the summer for updates and more information. Have a pleasant, safe summer. Enjoy your families and friends. Be well and I look forward to seeing you in our new meeting location at our September 27th dinner meeting. Marilyn Booker, President Sussex County Republican Women’s Club
June 9, 2023
Greetings, fellow Republicans,
Please add this to the growing list of “You can’t make this stuff up” coming out of Dover, Don’t you sometimes feel like Alice Through the Looking Glass as things in our state capital get "curiouser and curiouser?” I know I do. Please read this excellent information from Charlie Copeland of the Caesar Rodney Institute. Then send an email, call or text your Representatives and Senators to vote against this ridiculous bill.
You can find emails and phone numbers here: https://www.scrwc.net/contact-your-legislator
Marilyn Booker, Chair
Sussex County Republican Committee
May 2023
May 27, 2023 Greetings fellow, Republicans, This Monday, May 29, 2023, the country will celebrate Memorial Day. There will be backyard cookouts, sales on cars, appliances, clothing and furniture. Practically every town and city will hold some type of event or parade. But more than potato salad and lower priced washing machines, what is the history and real meaning behind this holiday that marks the kick-off of the summer season in the United States? My Memorial Day research says that the holiday was started by newly freed African slaves who scattered flowers over the graves of Union Civil War soldiers in Charleston, South Carolina in 1865. However, there are other recounts of similar ceremonies taking place in other areas of the country around this time. This led to the day being named “Decoration Day.” On May 30 1868, Gen. John Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former Union sailors and soldiers, declared the day for “the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land.” After World War I, the day was expanded to include the remembrance of the fallen from all American wars. By then, most states had declared Decoration Day a legal holiday. In 1967, Congress formally changed the name to Memorial Day. With the passage of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1971, this day of remembrance was established as the last Monday in May. Flag etiquette on Memorial Day is different from other days. At the break of day, flags are briskly raised to full staff and then lowered to half-staff until noon. At noon, flags are raised to full-staff for the rest of the day. If you are unable to lower your flag to half-staff, proper flag etiquette dictates that a black mourning ribbon be applied to the flag to acknowledge the solemnity of the day. Please don’t allow the festivities to overshadow the true meaning of this sober day. Say a prayer for all those who lost their lives protecting this country and its values. This day reminds us that “Freedom is not free” and that over 1,000,000 men and women have paid the bill for us with their lives. God bless you and our country. Marilyn Booker, Chair Sussex County Republican Committee
May 23, 2023 Greetings fellow Republicans, The time to be heard is now! If you believe, as I do, in a government of, by and for the people, it is time for the people to speak out! Whether you are a climate change supporter or denier, the move to zero emission vehicles should be led by the people and not some elites who have made fortunes pushing the "green agenda.” We did the mandate-thing recently and it was a disaster. We are still trying to recover from that catastrophe. This too was without the authorization of our elected officials. Remember that notion of a representative government? It seems that in Delaware that’s a pipe dream! When technology has caught up to the desires of the climate change advocates, then I believe people will be interested in purchasing electric vehicles. But NOT until then. Any mandate to prescribe what type of product free citizens must purchase is unconstitutional. We all know that the Democrats and Governor Carney are not opposed to pushing unconstitutional decrees on the citizens of Delaware. Please take the time to voice your outrage at this unconstitutional decree. Send an email to Governor Carney. You can fill in the form found here: https://governor.delaware.gov/email-governor-carney/ Please, please do this before May 26th. Even if you have voiced your concerns on this issue before, it doesn’t hurt to do it again! Know that it is required that all public comments be included in the record. We must STOP this unacceptable transfer of our rights to the government. Marilyn Booker, Chair Sussex County Republican Committee
May 23, 2023 Greetings again, Thanks to Senator Pettyjohn (who actually reads our stuff) for alerting me to an error in my earlier email. In order for your comments to be included in the public record, in the event of any legal proceedings, comments must go to the Hearing Officer. The link below will provide an easy way to make your comments. These will be provided to the Hearing Officer by our Republican Caucus. The link: Send your comments to DNREC regarding the Electric Vehicle Mandatesurveymonkey.com A respectful but firm message to the Governor wouldn’t hurt either! Thanks to you all. Again I apologize for the misinformation. Please send those messages today. Marilyn Booker, Chair Sussex County Republican Committee
May 5, 2023 Greetings fellow Republicans, I am hopeful that the weather will improve soon and we will enjoy those moderate Spring temperatures to which we have become accustomed. Yesterday, the Delaware Federation of Republican Women went to Dover for its annual visit with our Representatives and Senators. It was a very nice day which started with a picture of the attendees on the front stairway. Representative Dukes joined our photo-op. We then had the opportunity to tour each chamber with a docent who gave us a history of the building and how Delaware was founded. It was very interesting and everyone enjoyed the presentation. When we were in the House Chamber, I sat in Representative Ron Gray’s seat. I’m very fortunate to have Rep. Gray as my voice in the House in Dover. We had a delicious lunch, sponsored by the Republican House Caucus and then moved to the balcony of the House Chamber to observe a very short legislative session. Representative Ramone invited us to join them in their Caucus Room for a brief discussion. We had a good discussion there and found that the Representatives were unaware of the true value that the Republican Women’s Clubs throughout the state provide them and the Party. DFRW President, Erin Wienner explained to the caucus that during the 2-year election cycle, the Federated Republican Women’s Clubs in DE donated 220,000 hours translating to $6,533,440! How’s that for support! A special thank you to Annie, Richardson our hostess and Republican Caucus staffer for organizing our visit and “herding the DFRW cats” as we made our way from place to place. On another note, on Tuesday, the Delaware Senate approved two new Delaware Supreme Court Justices. There are a few issues with the process and the outcome of this vote that I wanted to share with you. Foremost is the fact that one of Governor Carney’s nominees, N. Christopher Griffiths was charged in January of driving under the influence of alcohol. He pled guilty and the charge was downgraded to the lesser charge of reckless driving. His sentence of 30 days in jail was suspended for 11 months’ probation and he must complete an alcohol rehabilitation program. Not one Republican voted to confirm Mr. Griffiths. Two Democrat Senators said they would not vote to confirm this nomination. However, in the end, just like lemmings, they acquiesced to the party group-think and caved. Please be aware that SD 6, Senator Russ Huxtable followed the pack and voted to confirm this man to the highest court in Delaware. This is just another error that this ill-prepared legislator has made. The second issue is that the Governor, deviating from tradition, did not nominate anyone from Kent County. Having Supreme Court Justices from each county is a long-standing practice that has been violated by this Governor and the Democrat senators. Just add this to the list of actions that are in opposition to tradition and equity. I write this to you so you can inform those who do not follow who is doing what in Dover. I sincerely believe that if everyone were more informed, we would not be suffering from the one-party rule that plagues us now. We must be unified and active as we work to take back our state. It seems as though everything is “off the rails” in Dover and we must work even harder to make sure we take back SD 6 and RD 20 as well as hold on to those seats we have. We must recruit excellent candidates who can WIN! If you know of a potential candidate, please contact us. Marilyn Booker, Chair Sussex County Republican Committee President Sussex County Republican Women’s Club
May 5, 2023
IMPORTANT! School Board Elections are on Tuesday, May 9th!
A Critical Guide to the School Board Elections
A recap of the candidates & speakers who attended the 'Save Our Schools' town halls as well as the values we share
click on image below
April 2023
April 29, 2023
Greetings fellow Republicans,
Today, the Delaware Republican Party held its Organizational Convention. The purpose of this convention was to elect the officers of that body. The only contested election was for the Chair of the Party. Julianne Murray was successful in this bid. Congratulations to Julianne on her win.
The other, elections were uncontested. The rest of our new officers are:
Jim Weldin for Vice-Chair
Brian Gregg for Treasurer
Brandon Brice for Secretary
I wish to thank those of you who spent your Saturday driving to Dover to participate in this important activity. Your conviction and loyalty to our Republican Party is inspiring. Major kudos to those of you who attended the dinner last evening with Kellyanne Conway. Driving to Dover in that downpour and then driving back to Sussex afterwards shows an outstanding commitment. Your Sussex County elected officers truly appreciate your dedication.
Marilyn Booker, Chair
Sussex County Republican Committee
April 20, 2023 Greetings, Fellow Republicans, Spring is finally here and it’s time to participate with fellow freedom-loving patriots to let our elected officials know how we feel about some of the outrageous proposals coming out of Dover. There are two hearings and rallies scheduled for April 26th in our state capitol. The first is the bill requiring a “Permit to Purchase.” The Senate hearing will take place in Legislative Hall at 1:00 PM. You can read more about yet another attempt to thwart our 2nd Amendment rights here: https://www.scrwc.net/government. The Rally will take place on the mall across from Legislative Hall. DNREC will hear citizens’ testimonies on the Electric Vehicle Mandate at Levy Court that day. Anyone wishing to testify must sign up by noon on 4/26. To read more information and to sign up to testify click this link: https://dnrec.alpha.delaware.gov/events/public-hearing-low-emission-vehicle-program/ You may watch the proceedings and testify virtually at the Levy Court, 555 S. Bay Road, Dover. The Rally will take place at 5 PM at Levy Court. There is another event that I believe you may be interested in. On Thursday, May 11, 2023 the 41st Republican Club will once again host the annual “Back the Blue Caravan” in honor of all the Law Enforcement agencies that serve both the 41st and 38th districts. This year they have again invited the 38th Republican Club to join them in honoring the men and women in blue. The caravan will visit 9 different law enforcement groups (DSP Troop 4, Probation and Parole, Millsboro Police, Dagsboro Police, Frankford Police, Selbyville Police, South Bethany Police, Bethany Beach Police and Ocean View Police) and deliver cookies and treats to say “Thank You” for all they do to keep us safe. Participants in the Caravan decorate their vehicles in support of these agencies and the Caravan trip, from start to finish, is about 2 hours. The caravan will start at Roses parking lot, 29859 Dupont Blvd., Millsboro. If interested participants should contact Drew Sunderlin, President of the 41st Republican Club info@41strepublicanclub.com, to register by May 8th. Finally, I feel compelled to mention the assault on all women athletes and the desecration of Title IX. Since 1972, women were protected from discrimination in educational programs or activities that received Federal Funding by Title IX. This important law has now been turned on its head with the entry of transgender males into female athletics and their locker rooms. After instructing us all about the need to “follow the science,” during the COVID crisis, it seems as though the Democrats have abandoned not only the science and basic biology, but common sense as well. No matter how many hormones a person takes, or whatever surgeries they have, there will always be a physical advantage of biological men over biological women. One has only to look at Lia Thomas, the U Penn swimmer. When competing in the Men’s Division of the 200 yd freestyle event in 2021, Lia Thomas was ranked as 65th by the NCAA. In 2022, when competing in the Women’s Division, she ranked #1. It is difficult for most of us to believe that her skill improved that much in one year. It did not. In fact, it was her competition not her new-found capability. We believe that all people should be treated with respect. But, no matter how often or loudly the transgender zealots proclaim it, there are differences between men and women and these differences give biological men advantages over biological women when it comes to participating in sports. An athlete’s personal gender identification does not alter this scientific fact. As the mother of a daughter, I would not support my daughter having to be exposed, literally, to biological men in her locker room. I don’t know of any parent who finds this acceptable. The solution is easy. The NCAA and other athletic organizations should initiate a separate league for transgender men and transgender women. It seems to me that this is the only equitable way to address this and keep the competition among men, women, and transgender athletes competitive. Marilyn Booker, Chair Sussex County Republican Committee
DFRW Legislative Day - Thursday, May 4, 2023 Wear Something Red! Time: 11:30 am Arrive DFRW Building 11:45 am Arrive Legislative Hall for a picture on the steps. Our visit plans include a tour of historic Legislative Hall, lunch, meeting our legislators and legislative sessions in the afternoon. See the schedule below. Parking is limited. You can park at the Delaware Federation of Republican Women’s Building at 116 East Water Street, Dover, DE. Please carpool. You must register in advance with Cathy Watts at 410 924 8596 or cwattsup2@gmail.com. Call or email with questions. While there is no charge for this event, we need to provide a head count by Friday, April 28th. This invitation includes both full and associate members. You must have a government photo id to get through security to enter the building. Wear Something Red and comfortable shoes! SCHEDULE 11:45 Arrive at The State Capital Building 411 Legislative Avenue, Dover 12:00 – 12:45 Tour of Legislative Hall with Heritage Park 1:00 Lunch - Light meal will be provided. Room 112 Tatnall Building 150 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd N. 2:00 Legislative Session Seating available in the House Chamber Balcony Approx. 2:20 (At the break for party caucus) Invitation from Representative Ramone to visit with the House Minority Caucus. Room H02 Lower Level * Please note: Schedule subject to change based on Legislative business of the day.
April 3, 2023 ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST! Greetings fellow Republicans, Well, on Tuesday, we saw yet another mainstay of our democracy bastardized and weaponized. This is not the first time we’ve watched strongholds of our Constitution decimated. Remember the way in which Lois Learner used the IRS to go after religious and conservative groups during the Obama-Biden Administration. James Comey’s FBI was, and this agency continues to be another example of the Federal Government’s use of our Judicial System as a cudgel to bludgeon its citizens. Neither Lerner nor Comey has been held accountable for these actions. As of Tuesday, it appears equal justice under the law no longer exists. It makes no difference if you are a Donald Trump supporter or detractor. What happened in the District Court of Manhattan was an affront to all of us who respect the Constitution and basic fairness. What the left was expecting to be prime rib turned out to be pablum. Even the liberal talking heads were disappointed with the lack of substance in the 34 counts brought against our former President by District Attorney Alvin Bragg. We must be vigilant and pray for our beloved country as we are facing serious challenges. Marilyn Booker, Chair Sussex County Republican Committee
March 24, 2023 Greetings fellow Republicans, I’m sending my April message out early because we are changing the date of our April Sussex Region Republican Committee General meeting to April 3rd. We will gavel at 6:30 PM as usual. I realize this is the same evening as the 41st District Republican Club PAC, but we were unable to secure the church any other evening that week. We believe meeting on Easter Monday would put unnecessary burden on family time during the holiday. Many of you will be traveling over the Easter Holiday and others will likely have guests visiting who want to share our lovely Spring weather. So mark your calendars! NEWS! Kellyanne Conway will be the speaker at the Annual State Party Dinner on April 28th! The dinner will be held at the Modern Maturity Center, 1121 Forrest Avenue, Dover, DE. Tickets are $90 pp. Jane Brady is running for re-election as the Chair of the Delaware GOP. As of today, her only challenger is Julianne Murray. The election will take place on April 29th at the Convention. SCHOOL BOARDS ELECTIONS – MAY 9TH Next month we are focused on School Boards. Our guest speaker on 4/3 is Tanya Hettler, PhD. Dr. Hettler is the Director of Caesar Rodney’s Center for Educational Excellence and the author of the recently published children’s book, Nary the Right Whale. This well illustrated book addresses the challenges of whales and other sea creatures in the presence of off-shore wind farms. We will also hear from Delmar School Board candidate, Shane Bowden. As you are aware, School Board voter turnout is traditionally low. I’ve heard some in my age group say they are disinterested since they don’t have any school-aged children and it really doesn’t affect them. Nothing could be further from the truth! These Boards have a great deal of power from curricula to budget. Because 90% of your property taxes go to the School System, the School Board actions can and have affected your property taxes. We must support candidates who will focus on “traditional” education and not the separation of our children by skin color, language, sexual orientation or ethnicity. In addition, recently, there has been an increase in violence in classrooms and on school buses. These incidents set up a hostile learning environment for those students who are interested getting an education. We need Board members who are going to address the lack of discipline in schools. Teachers and bus drivers should not have to tolerate or try to mediate these episodes. Here are the Sussex County School Board Candidates and their contact information. If you have any questions, I encourage you to reach out to the candidate. Please note: the larger School Districts – Cape Henlopen and Indian River have “Nominating Districts.” In both of these, the candidate must live in the Nominating District for the seat that is being sought. For Cape Henlopen, even if you do not live in that “Nominating District,” you may vote for the candidate running in ANY Nominating District in the Cape Henlopen School District. That is not the case in the Indian River School District. Only those living in the Nominating District in contention may vote for those candidates. If you are uncertain of your School District please check: https://gis.elections.delaware.gov/ Cape Henlopen Nominating District A (Note: Anyone living in the Cape Henlopen School District may vote for these candidates. Shawn spoke at our Region Meeting on March 13th) Shawn Lovenguth 302-381-381-4133 Jessica A. Tyndall Email: jessica@tyndals.org 302-851-4142 Delmar – At Large. (Note: Shane will be speaking at our April 3rd Region Meeting) Shane Bowden Email: bowdenconstructionde@gmail.com Phone: (410) 726-6427 Dawn M. Turner Email: Dawn4Delmar@gmail.com 410-726-2184 Indian River School District (Note: Nominating Districts 2 and 3. You must live in the same Nominating District to vote for the candidate running in that district. We will have a statement from Michael Bellerose at our Region Meeting on 4/3. He is an airline pilot and will be out of the country that night.) District 2 Michael R. Bellerose Email: Michael@DrBE.org Phone: (603) 391-8685 Leo J. Darmstadter, III Email: Ljdiii20@hotmail.com 856-207-7955 Ivan D Neal Email: Ivanneal7@gamil.com 302-933-0430 District 3 Leolga T. Wright Email: leolgawright@gamil.com 302-945-0830 Laurel At Large Ivy Bonk Email: Ivy@everychildwhole.com Phone: (302) 245-0479 Sabrina Isler Email: Taylorisler427@comcast.net 302-875-0503 Seaford At Large Armore Rice Phone: (302) 344-3276 Stephanie Smith Email: Ssg9922@comcast.net 302-841-8244 David Tull Email: davidtull13@gmail.com Phone: (302) 745-2849 There are a few ways to vote in these elections. I am attaching the link to the absentee ballot request for School Board Elections. If you are unable to get to your polling place to vote in person on May 9th, you may download and print the request for an absentee ballot here: https://elections.delaware.gov/pubs/pdfs/absentee_ballot_application_school_elections.pdf Please complete the application and send it to: Department of Elections 119 N. Race Street Georgetown, DE. 19947 Submit your application for an absentee ballot by Noon on May 5th at the latest! Return it to the Department of Elections by 8 PM on May 9th You may vote at the Department of Elections between 8:30 AM and noon on May 8th You may vote in person at the following locations. IN PERSON VOTING LOCATIONS: MAY 9, 2023 – 7 AM – 8 PM CAPE HENLOPEN CAPE HENLOPEN HIGH SCHOOL 1250 KINGS HWY, LEWES, DE 19958 MARINER MIDDLE SCHOOL 16391 HARBESON RD, MILTON, DE 19968 REJOBOTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 500 STOCKLEY ST, REHOBOTH, DE 19971 LEWES FIRE HALL 347 SAVANNAH ROAD, LEWES, DE 19958 DELMAR DELMAR HIGH SCHOOL 200 N. 8TH STREET, DELMAR, DE 19940 3C USA CHURCH 38238 OLD STAGE ROAD, DELMAR, DE 19940 GEORGETOWN GEORGETOWN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 301-A WEST MARKET ST. GEORGETOWN, DE 19966 MILLSBORO MIDDLE SCHOOL 302 E. STATE STREET, MILLSBORO, DE 19966 LAUREL LAUREL HIGH SCHOOL 1133 S. CENTRAL AVE, LAUREL, DE 19956 LAUREL FIRE DEPARTMENT 205 W. 10TH STREET, LAUREL, DE 19956 SEAFORD SEAFORD SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 399 N. MARKET STREET, EXT, SEAFORD, DE 19963 DEPARTMENT OF ELECTIONS WAREHOUSE 200 ALLEN ST, SEAFORD, DE 19973 Please, please vote in the School Board Elections! These elections are more important now than ever before!
March 2023
March 31, 2023
Greetings fellow Republicans,
Please take a look at this short but very informative video about Governor Carney’s latest mandate - Electric Vehicles! Chris Beronio is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and engineer who worked in the nuclear power sector.
(4640) Pros and Cons of Electric Vehicles in 2023 - YouTube
Marilyn Booker, Chair
Sussex County Republican Committee
March 14, 2023 Greetings fellow Republicans, Happy Pi Day! Today is the day to remember that irrational number, 3.141592653589793238! Sadly, that’s not the only thing that’s irrational in Delaware. Governor Carney’s electric vehicle mandate is moving forward with DNREC having the only say in what we will be driving in the future. If you’d like to be fully informed about the mandate; the science related to climate change; and the practical issues surrounding the move to Electric Vehicles, there will be a Town Hall on Tuesday, March 21st. at the Indian River Senior Center, 104 Irons Avenue, Millsboro. This “don’t miss” event begins at 6:30 PM. Representative Rich Collins, RD 41, David Legates, PhD, Climatologist, and David Stevenson, Director for the Center of Energy and the Environment at the Caesar Rodney Institute will speak and answer questions from the attendees. CONVENTION The State Party Convention is April 29th at the Modern Maturity Center, 1121 Forrest Ave, in Dover. At this convention we will be electing our State Party Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. We are still looking for Convention Delegates to complete our Sussex County contingent of 107. We also need 2 alternates for each Rep District. If you are interested and able to serve, please contact our Secretary, Betty Bridgeman, edbridgeman@verizon.net. Delegate names must be submitted by April 9th, 2023. THE FABULOUS GREASE BAND The Sussex County Republican Women’s Club is holding its Annual Dinner Dance after the Convention on April 29th. The festivities will take place at St. Jude’s Catholic Church, 152 Tulip Drive in Lewes. The featured entertainment is the Fabulous Greaseband. Tickets are $50 per person for dinner and entertainment. There will be live and silent auctions and raffles. Doors open at 5:30 PM. Proceeds from this fundraiser will help support statewide and local Sussex County candidates in 2024. This promises to be a fun evening. So, get out your dancing shoes and prepare to rock and roll to the hits of the 60’s, 70’s. Tickets are available at: https://www.scrwc.net/event-details/ DATE CHANGE! Our next Region Meeting will be April 3rd. We are moving the meeting date to avoid Easter Monday. Please mark your calendars! Marilyn Booker, Chair Sussex County Republican Committee
March 3, 2023 Greetings, fellow Republicans, The State GOP’s Executive Committee met last Thursday evening. There were some things discussed that I wanted to share with you: The state party is seeking volunteers to make phone calls to voters and ask a few survey questions. Those who volunteer will be given a call list and a script. If you have some time and interest in helping with this project, please contact me: mail to mbooker3@icloud.com. School Board Elections will take place on May 9th. The last day to file to be a candidate is Today! March 3rd. We are still trying to identify people who are willing to represent our children on these boards and not the harmful ideology that is creeping into public school curricula throughout the state. For the School Board Elections on May 9th, there will be only 2 ways to cast a ballot in this election – either absentee or in person on May 9th. These elections typically have an extremely low turnout. It may be difficult to determine who the candidates are because after a candidate files and before the name is posted on the Department of Elections’ website, the candidate is put through background checks. This process may take a few weeks. As the candidates who share our values complete the vetting process, I will send you their names. Then, it is critical that you go the polls and vote for them! Members of the General Assembly are requesting that we send letters in opposition to the Electric Vehicle mandate to Governor Carney – John.Carney@Delaware.gov and Shawn Garvin – Shawn.Garvin@Delaware.gov. Please see the February Chair’s message for details. The State Party Convention will be held at the Modern Maturity Center in Dover this year. The annual dinner is April 28th. The price has yet to be determined. The Convention is the next day, Saturday, April 29th. The cost of the Convention is $50.00. At this convention we will elect a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer as well as address any new State Party Rules. The Sussex Region has the largest contingent of Delegates with 107. We also need 2 alternates for each RD. If you are interested in being a delegate or alternate, please contact me very soon. We must submit the names of our Delegates to the state by April 9th. We will be offering an RDC/EDC Training on March 15th at Old Paths Church of Christ. There is no need to register, just arrive at the Church by 6:30 PM to attend the class. We will be discussing some of the latests tactics for getting out the vote and electioneering and how each of you can participate in turning Delaware Red. Marilyn Booker, Chair Sussex County Republican Committee
February 2023 Greetings Ladies, I hope you are staying warm. The recent temperatures make me wonder why my husband and I relocated here rather than in Florida! I am looking forward to the Spring and warmer weather, longer days, and sweaters rather than heavy coats. As I mentioned in a previous meeting, the workgroup that is looking at our mission and goals is recommending the following: •SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: oA change in the Scholarship Program to focus on young women who are seeking a license or certification rather than only those seeking a university degree. This will require a total revamping of our forms, process and the schools to which we send invitations. The reason for this is that in the past we have granted money to very talented young women, who attend schools out of DE and then never return. We hear nothing from them after the dinner. In addition, we invite them and their parents to our June dinner meeting and never hear another thing from them either. The parents don’t join our club and that’s it. oAs the time is getting late, we will not be able to offer a scholarship this year. oHope Whaley has kindly agreed to be the new Chair of this committee. Please consider assisting her with revamping the forms, identifying and locating schools that will meet our new criteria. •ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Please, please, please send an email to the Governor – http://John.Carney@delaware.gov Kyle Krall - Kyle.Krall@delaware.gov; Shawn Garvin – Shawn.Garvin@delaware.gov. There are so many things wrong with this, I don’t know where to begin. oIt’s not legislation – it’s a mandate. The General Assembly – our elected officials have been completely cut out of the process. I never voted for anyone who works for DNREC, but someone or someone’s there will be deciding what I can drive in a few years. oThe grid can’t handle it. The state is spending a small fortune putting in charging stations and they will collect the fee to charge your car’s battery – direct competition to the small businesses out there. oIf the state decides that too much electricity is being used during a heat wave or cold snap, they can just turn off all the charging stations. oIf you have to park on the street, how do you recharge your car’s battery? oThe Fire Departments have been taking enhanced training to deal with battery fires that can occur when there is an accident. It takes 80,000 gallons of water to put out one of these fires. I’m certainly glad we live near the ocean! We definitely need to make some noise about this. I look forward to seeing you at our February 22nd meeting. Dr. Kevin Carson, Superintendent of Sussex Vocational Technical School will be our guest speaker. Marilyn Booker, Chair Sussex County Republican Committee
Special Messages from Marilyn
February 18 - Republican State Party Executive Committee Takeaways
Greetings, fellow Republicans, The State GOP's Executive Committee met Thursday evening. There were some things discussed that I wanted to share with you: 1) The state party is seeking volunteers to make phone calls to voters and ask a few survey questions. Those who volunteer will be given a call list and a script. If you have some time and interest in helping with this project, please contact me: mailto mbooker3@icloud.com. 2) Our RNC Political Advisor will be in DE to provide training on "Pushing, Chasing and Curing" absentee ballots. The class will be offered in Newark at the Colonial Headquarters located in the Peoples’ Plaza, Newark on 2/22. There will be a repeat of this class on 2/23 in Lincoln at Senator Dave Wilson’s Auction House on Rt #113. The class will be in the Red Barn. Both classes will begin at 6:30 PM. 3) School Board Elections will take place on May 9th. The last day to file to be a candidate is March 3rd - less than 2 weeks from today. We are still trying to identify people who are willing to represent our children on these boards and not the harmful ideology that is creeping into public school curricula throughout the state. 4) For the School Board Elections on May 9th, there will be only 2 ways to cast a ballot in this election - either absentee or in person on May 9th. These elections typically have an extremely low turnout. It may be difficult to determine who the candidates are because after a candidate files and before the name is posted on the Department of Elections’ website, the candidate is put through background checks. This process may take a few weeks. As the candidates who share our values complete the vetting process, I will send you their names. Then, it is critical that you go the polls and vote for them! 5) Members of the General Assembly are requesting that we send letters in opposition to the Electric Vehicle mandate to Governor Carney - John.Carney@Delaware.gov and Shawn Garvin - Shawn.Garvin@Delaware.gov. Please see the February Chair’s message for details. 6) The State Party Convention will be held at the Modern Maturity Center in Dover this year. The annual dinner is April 28th. The price has yet to be determined. The Convention is the next day, Saturday, April 29th. The cost of the Convention is $50.00. At this convention we will elect a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer as well as address any new State Party Rules. The Sussex Region has the largest contingent of Delegates with 107. We also need 2 alternates for each RD. If you are interested in being a delegate or alternate, please contact me very soon. We must submit the names of our Delegates to the state by April 9th. 7) We will be offering an RDC/EDC Training on March 15th at Old Paths Church of Christ. There is no need to register, just arrive at the Church by 6:30 PM to attend the class. We will be discussing some of the latests tactics for getting out the vote and electioneering and how each of you can participate in turning Delaware Red. Marilyn Booker, Chair Sussex County Republican Committee
February 9 - Call to ACTION!
Greetings Fellow Republicans,
There are a couple of issues that are “hot” right now and I am asking that you take the time to take action and send emails in opposition if you agree with my position. The first is the mandate that by 2035, Delaware will adopt the California Electric Vehicle Standards and the second is another attempt by the Democrats in the General Assembly to legalize recreational marijuana.
*Button links to DE Sussex GOP website
January 2023 Greetings, ladies and gentlemen, Happy New Year to all! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday with lots of fun with family and friends. It is time to submit our Political and Campaign Award hours. I have attached a couple of documents to assist you in your efforts. Please review them and complete your hours/calls and submit them to Kris Kessler by January 8th. Kris will collect them and submit them to the NFRW by the January 15th deadline. Our next meeting on January 25th will feature David Legates, PhD, the climatologist I told you about. Dr. Legates will be speaking on Governor Carney’s EV mandate. We expect this to be a very interesting and educational meetings. Please invite your friends. Finally, the Sussex County Republican Committee is hosting the Cabin Fever Relief Night on January 28th at the Millsboro Fire Department. Political commentator and economist, Loren Spivack will be our guest speaker. Tickets are $35 pp and available on the Sussex GOP website at: Order Your Tickets Online or call us 302-856-6323. Further details are available on the attached flyer. Click here: UPDATED: Political & Campaign Award Form Instructions, 2022-2023 Click here: UPDATED: Political & Campaign Awards Frequently Asked Questions, 2022-2023 Click here: Political & Campaign Award Biannual Report Form, 2022-2023 Click here: Youtube Tutorial: Tips and Tricks on How to Maximize Your Calls and Hours to Win! Sincerely, Marilyn Booker, Chair Sussex County Republican Committee
Special Message from Marilyn
January 7 - And Yet Another Mandate!
Greetings fellow Republicans! As a young girl in Baltimore, I remember learning civics. My teachers spoke in glowing terms about our Representative Government and how the governed elected their representatives and held these officials accountable. However, since moving to DE, I find that a Representative Government is more a pipe dream rather than a reality. For the past two years we have been under mandates by a Governor who believes he has the right to bypass our local elected representatives and continue to independently renew States of Emergency due to COVID, dictating to Delaware citizens. While the rest of the world has moved on, after 27 renewals of these States of Emergency, it appears that Governor Carney is quite fond of this power and has now decided to turn his decrees to another arena - energy! Without input from our local Representatives or Senators, the Governor has deemed that the Secretary of DNREC, an unelected and unaccountable bureaucrat, should be in charge of what we will be allowed to drive. Please note that NO bill has been presented. The General Assembly did not have a chance to debate or discuss this. Our Governor, who is term-limited and is likely to make a bid for U.S. Senate after he’s finished bullying us, is focused on adopting the California Standards for electric vehicles which will begin to take effect in 2026 - a mere 3 years from now. He obviously didn’t pay attention this past summer when California told their electric vehicle owning citizens not to charge their EVs because the grid couldn’t handle it during a heat wave. Nor did he pay attention to a message from his own Emergency Management Agency over the Christmas weekend when they explained that we were to cut back on electricity usage because PJM, the company from which we and 12 other states and the District of Columbia purchase electricity, warned that the grid would not be able to meet demand during the Christmas cold snap. Imagine if we were all dependent on the grid to go to work, the doctors, the store or our children to school! I guess this is just an "unintended consequence.” These are the things that bureaucrats blame all the time when they haven’t considered all the possible outcomes of their actions or "look past their noses". As residents of a coastal area, consider what would happen if we had to evacuate Bethany, Dewey and Rehoboth due to a mid-summer hurricane. Think about sitting in your electric vehicle in bumper- to-bumper traffic on Rt. 1 or 113 or 13 watching your EV’s battery drain. Imposing Electric Vehicles on Delaware citizens because CA is doing it or it’s the mandate du jour or because all the “cool governors” are doing it, makes no sense. We need to address the issues of the here and now and invest in technology to address our future energy needs. Governing by fiat is not the answer - technology is. The latest advancement in fusion technology is particularly interesting and appealing. If the Governor is looking for a project, DE has some current issues that are quite severe. We are a Medically Underserved Area (MUA), as designated by the Federal Government. Perhaps our Governor could turn his efforts toward mitigating this problem. Our education system could use some attention as well. Delaware was 11th highest in spending for education, investing $15,639 per student. Considering the abysmal performance of our students in national testing, (31% proficiency in reading and only 29% proficiency in math), perhaps the Governor could address this. These are just two items crying out for intervention. There are others. If you are opposed to this governmental overreach please take action! Make some noise! Let your voice be heard! Kyle Krall is the Secretary of DNREC and his office will be writing the regulations that will be imposed on us. You can email him with your respectful comments at: kyle.krall@delaware.gov. You may also consider contacting the Governor at this link: Contact & Connect – Governor John Carney – State of Delaware. Marilyn Booker, Chair Sussex County Republican Committee