Past Monthly Messages from Marilyn

Greetings fellow Republicans, Sorry for the delay in getting this out.  Things have been extremely busy working with candidates and finalizing plans for our Delaware Freedom Festival on October 7th and 8th.  I hope to see all of you at the Rusty Rudder on the evening of October 7th for our banquet featuring Stephen Moore, President Trump’s Senior Economic Advisor and at the Festival on October 8th at Hudson Fields.  We have an outstanding lineup of fun family events for the children as well as speakers for us political junkies.  The children will enjoy the petting zoo and pony rides as well as police K-9 demonstrations.  There will be a photo booth with lots of “props” to dress up for fun or funny pictures.   The speaker lineup includes nationally-known and local pundits.  Stephen Moore will make an encore appearance.  He will be joined by LtCol Oliver North, Doug Collins, former GA Congressman, and John Mac Isaac, the computer repair shop owner who had Hunter Biden’s laptop.  Jeff Hague of DSSA, Nandi Randolph of DFPC, Abraxas Hudson of the Delaware Medical Freedom Alliance, and Larry Mayo of the Institute on the Constitution are some of the local speakers.  In addition, a number of our candidates will take the stage.     This is an event not to be missed.  For more details and to purchase tickets see:  https://sussexgop.org/2022-delaware-freedom-festival/   We are only 15 days away from early Primary voting in Delaware.  We are also only 28 days away from in-person Primary voting.  There are a number of primaries in which you can vote.  I have listed them in alphabetical order.   Representative District 4: (new District)           Jeff Hilovsky Bradley Layfield       Representative District 36: Bryan Shupe (incumbent) Patrick Smith   Countywide:         Register of Wills: Greg Fuller Ellen Magee (incumbent) Candace Green Wilkenson Recorder of Deeds: Alexandra Reed Baker Scott Dailey (incumbent) County Council District 5: Keller Hopkins John Rieley (incumbent) It is important that we review the candidates and their qualifications.  Some of the questions I ask myself when making these decisions are:  What is the candidate’s experience? Is the candidate’s experience either in the same field or similar to the office they seek?  What type of person are they?   If they are to run a department, have they ever managed personnel before? Will they have the best interest of the citizens as their priority or their donors?     Within the past week or two you should have received a new voter polling place card.  Please examine it carefully.  Look at each field to be sure each is accurate.  With the redistricting, your poll location may have changed.  Review the political party listed.  I have had a couple of people who say they are Republicans who had Democrat listed as their party.  When investigating this with the Department of Elections, we found that the voter was correct and the Department of Elections had made an error.  They were quick to correct it but better to have it corrected now rather than on Election Day.   Remember, Republicans who don’t vote elect Democrats.  Let’s ride the RED WAVE together.   Marilyn Booker Chair Sussex County Republican Committee

Greetings, Fellow Republicans! We just completed our State Convention and it was a wonderful time.  We started off the event with the awards banquet on Friday night.  I was very humbled to receive the Chairman’s Award as “Republican of the Year.”  This honor is reflective of the excellent team with whom I have the pleasure and privilege to work.  One of these is Sherry Long who very deservedly won the Peg Hood Award as the Sussex County Volunteer of the Year.  Hope Whaley won Republican of the Month for May.  Benjamin Parsons, Chair of the Sussex Teenage Republicans, was named Young Republican of the Year for Sussex County. The program included Nick Adams, author and political commentator, who spoke to the attendees.  It was very heart-warming to hear an immigrant to our country speak so lovingly and eloquently about America and its citizens.  As a bonus, Mr. Adams spoke again at the convention on Saturday. ​Joanne W. Young was our featured speaker on Saturday.  Ms. Young is an expert in election law and spoke to the assemblage about the upcoming elections and election integrity. ​After hearing from our excellent speakers, we got down to business.  Each Region Caucus heard from  and endorsed our statewide candidates.  We are very fortunate to have an excellent contestant for each of the four statewide offices in contention this year. U.S. Congress Lee Murphy is taking on Lisa Blunt Rochester for U.S. Congress.  A native Delawarean, Lee has had a multi-faceted career as a teacher, coach, railroad worker and actor.  This has given him a varied and rich perspective on life and our country.  Lee is focusing on protecting the citizens from this escalating crime and transparency in government. ​During her 3 terms, Ms. Rochester has voted almost 100% of the time with Nancy Pelosi.  I don’t believe that any Delawarean thinks we should be represented by the likes of a mini-Nancy Pelosi.  However, it appears that based on Ms. Rochester’s voting record, we are. Attorney General Julianne Murray, an experienced trial lawyer and supporter of the police, is our candidate for Attorney General.  Julianne has shown that she is not shy about taking on the status quo.  In 2020, she sued Governor Carney when he attempted to place a moratorium on short term rentals.  The case never went to trial as the Governor reversed his decree. Kathy Jennings, our current Attorney General, is the same type of progressive attorney that we are seeing liberal cities like San Francisco attempt to recall.  She ignores the sentencing guidelines in the law and is more interested in going after law enforcement than criminals. Treasurer Our candidate for Treasurer is Greg Coverdale.  He is a very impressive gentleman with outstanding credentials.  He holds an MBA from DSU and certifications in 4 different finance-related areas from the Wharton School at U Penn and the Kennedy School at Harvard.  He is currently providing financial advice to DE-based military members and their families. Greg’s opponent is Colleen Davis.  A licensed Physician’s Assistant, Ms. Davis has been anything but impressive in her role as the top money-watcher for the state.  In this position, she sits on a number of boards.  Reviewing the minutes of these meetings, it appears that Ms. Davis is not always present and if she is, her contributions to the proceedings are non-existent or minimal. State Auditor Janice Lorrah is an attorney who filed suit against Governor Carney over the mask mandates in schools.  Before the judge ruled, the Governor’s attorney announced that the mask mandates would be lifted the following day.  In addition to her law degree, Ms. Lorrah holds a certification in forensic accounting which certainly qualifies her to evaluate the government’s fiscal accountability and the performance of public programs. Her opponent, Kathleen McGuiness, is currently under indictment for five counts including felony theft and intimidation.  The Grand Jury in Kent County re-indicted McGuiness after the state’s case was re-entered in Kent County earlier this week after her attorney argued that the AG erroneously filed the original suit in New Castle County.  Those charges were dropped and re-entered in Kent County, the location of the state capitol. So, we have a very qualified slate of candidates who are running against opponents who are either not reflecting the values and needs of the citizens of Delaware or are not qualified to hold the positions they are in.  WE MUST BREAK THE ONE-PARTY RULE IN DELAWARE.  This is our year and we are in an ideal position to be able to win these seats if we volunteer for these campaigns, show up on election day, and encourage others to do the same. ​Finally, the Delaware State Republican Committee in collaboration with our Republican elected officials, candidates, and Regional Committees unveiled The Rescue Delaware Plan.  The Plan outlines major policy areas where reform is most needed.  You can find it at https://delawaregop.com/the-rescue-delaware-plan/.  Please take some time to read it.  This document is our commitment to you and all the citizens of Delaware to work toward the improvements that are necessary to RESCUE DELAWARE. Marilyn Booker, Chair Sussex County Republican Committee

Greetings, fellow Republicans, COMPLACENCY? APATHY? C-O-M-P-L-A-C-E-N-C-Y What does it mean? Dictionary.com defines complacency as “a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.” A-P-A-T-H-Y What does it mean? Lack of interest, or concern, indifference – Merriam-Webster If you’re wondering just what this has to do with anything, let me assure you, this is not meant to be a spelling or vocabulary lesson. This is meant to be a reminder to each of us to consider what “complacency” and “apathy” mean and how these traits affect election outcomes. As an example, on November 3, 2020, I was the Representative District Chair in the 38th RD.  Sporting my hot pink “Women for Trump” tee shirt on that Election Day, I stopped at Hocker’s for gas so I would be able to make the rounds of the polling places in my district.  While I was waiting for my tank to fill, I noticed two pick-up trucks in the next bay each sporting MAGA bumper stickers.  Knowing that the owners were “friendlies” I approached the vehicle owners who were chatting with each other.  Feeling rather excited about the election, I asked them, “Have you voted yet?”  I was surprised when each of them told me that, “No,” they hadn’t voted, and they weren’t planning to do so because after all, “He’s gonna win anyway!” Well, we all know how that worked out! If you expect that the status quo will remain in place, sadly, you are mistaken.  Who would ever have thought that statues honoring our founding fathers would be desecrated and removed from the public square by far left-wing politicians?  Who would ever believe that murderers would be released without punishment back into society by progressive DA’s backed by George Soros?  Did you ever think that children would be made to feel embarrassed and shamed at school because they are white, have English as their primary language, and their parents are married?  Did you ever in your wildest nightmares think that the White House would have the effrontery to suggest a Disinformation Governance Board? First Amendment anyone? And the list goes on. Apathy and complacency among voters are the enemies of successful elections. Indifference or support of the “status quo” among voters are some of the attitudes that have lost elections in the past and have left us with the mess we are experiencing today.  Considering the state of our state and the state of the nation, are these acceptable?  I don’t know anyone who is happy, and in my heart, I know we can do better.  If we support the Constitution and the Bill of Rights; if we expect that our children will receive and education and not an indoctrination; if we expect our elected officials to be accountable to “We the People;” we must participate in the political process.  Recently, one of my favorite quotes is, “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. Folks, it appears we are there! We are at the beginnings of the summer season. The days will be longer and warmer. Let’s prepare for a very exciting, active campaign season in which we have volunteers in every neighborhood speaking to their neighbors about our candidates, Republican values, and how these are important to our freedoms. I’m requesting that each of you take the Organized Voter Registration certification the Department of Elections offers. You can find the schedule of the online or in-person trainings here:  https://elections.delaware.gov/voter/trainingschedule.shtml  When you determine which class you would like to take, contact Rebecca Argo at the Department of Elections.  Her number is: (302) 739-4498. We need to be certain that every freedom-loving Delawarean is registered to vote. When you are canvassing in your Election Districts, make sure you take some Voter Registration applications with you.  Voters may register, change their party affiliations, and update any other information on this form. I am once again asking for you to volunteer.  If you’re not sure what you want to do or what volunteer opportunities are available, check out the “Volunteer Application here:  https://sussexgop.org/volunteer-portal/.  For those who are unsure of what you’d like to do, we are providing trainings and workshops.  Election District Committeeman/woman and volunteer training is available on May 3rd at 6 PM. We are repeating this session on May10th and 17th.  We will be meeting at the GOP office 131 E. Market Street in Georgetown.  If you wish to participate in one of these sessions, please register here: https://sussexgop.org/2022-edc-training/ Finally, we are looking for volunteers to man the GOP Office.  As the election season heats up, we will need more staff to answer the phone, greet visitors, hand out candidate literature and campaign signs.  Training for this position will be 6 PM on May 4th at the GOP office.  You can register here:  Sussex GOP Office Training – Sussex GOP. Know that we have amazing opportunities in our county and country this year and we should all be excited.  We are counting on each of you to step up and take action!  VOLUNTEER! “Let’s do something small to change something big!” Marilyn Booker President

​Greetings, What a beautiful day!  It looks as though Spring may finally be here!  Personally, I’m tired of the cold, rainy weather. I realize this monthly message is late but I wanted to give you an overview of how we did with our major fundraiser, “Don’t Be Lonesome Tonight.”  I won’t go into exact figures here. Nancy will do that at our next meeting.  However, I can tell you that we are not very far from the $16,800 figure I mentioned to you earlier this year.  You should recall that that this figure represents the amount we would need in order to provide the maximum contribution to each of our candidates.   To say that our event was successful would be a major understatement! None of the above would have been possible without the hard work of our Fundraising Committee headed by Adrienne Ponzini.  The rest of her team included Carole Andrejko, Debra Czajkowski, Liz Messick, Karen Rabik, Christina Fantino, Connie Higgins, Carolyn Grob, Sherry Long, Geri Airey, Cathy Watts, Denise Perez, and Nancy Burdette.  We even had some help from the husbands – Eddie Ponzini, Dennis Booker, Ken Andrejko.  Finally, a major shout out to George Chambers who “shook enough trees” so that the donations and auction items he got for us covered all of our expenses leaving the rest of the money collected for tickets, etc as profit. Many of our members generously donated items for the silent auction and we had two very generous donations that our friend Senator Willson auctioned off.  His contribution was the entertainment of watching him up those bids! So did everyone enjoy themselves? Absolutely! We’ve gotten rave reviews from practically everyone!  We’ve been asked to do this again every year.  Those of us who attended had an excellent time.  Even Elvis told me he and his band had a blast!  Because we are women of action, we are already thinking about next year.  So enough of that fun and down to business.  Please give some consideration to the following.  The DFRW is in need of a Secretary and an Assistant Treasurer.  They are also without a 2nd Vice President.  The position must be filled by someone from either the SCRWC or the Seaford Republican Women’s Club. The people filling these positions sit on the DFRW Board of Directions.  May each of you and your families have a blessed Easter. Marilyn Booker President  April 2022

GREETINGS Fellow Republicans, So here we are in the middle of the winter doldrums. We’ve had much more snow than I like and it’s COLD! However, the snow will soon be gone, the temperatures will soon rise, and we will soon shed our long underwear for shorts! I’m very excited about the potential we have here in beautiful Sussex County during the mid-term election. We have a new Representative District (RD4) which was relocated down here from blue New Castle. It was held by a disgraced Democrat who had to resign due to a couple of little shop-lifting incidents. This means that we get to elect a Republican and add another member to the House caucus while subtracting a Democrat from the other side. We get to narrow the margin! That a sensational opportunity! We will have some work to do to make certain that we hold on to the Senate seat SD 6 as Senator Lopez is not seeking re-election. With the right tactics and enthusiasm, I’m certain we will prevail. We have scheduled a Volunteer Orientation for February 26, 2022 at Old Paths Church of Christ in Georgetown.  At 1:00 we will gather to discuss the structure of the Delaware Republican Party and the various opportunities to volunteer to assist us in reaching our goals. Please RSVP by February 23rd to SussexGOP@protonmail.com. I look forward to seeing each of you there. It’s going to be a fun and informative meeting. Marilyn Booker President February 2022

They cheated, they lied, and they just weren’t fair This is not the opening line of a country song.  Instead, it’s the way that the Delaware Senate Democrats handled the reapportionment of senate seats and how they cheated Sussex County.  To be clear, this is not a Democrat or a Republican issue.  This is a Sussex County issue and should be of interest to Democrats, Republicans, Independents and anyone who lives in the southern part of our state.  So, here’s what was supposed to have happened.  When the party in the majority reviews the census numbers to determine at how seats will be allocated, there are 4 tenets they are to consider: The district must be formed of contiguous territory Be nearly equal in population Be bounded by major roads, streams or other natural boundaries Not be created so as to unduly favor any person or political party The new configuration of the senate seats meets criteria 1 and 3.  However, criteria 2 and 4 were ignored. Be nearly equal in population The range of the population runs from 44,817 or 4.91% below the mean in Senator Darius Brown’s district to 49,173 or 4.35% above the mean in Senator Bryant Richardson’s district.  That’s a swing of 4,356 people or 9.26%.  8 of the 14 Democrat seats are below the population mean. Every one of the 7 seats held by Republicans is over the population mean. Not be created so as to unduly favor any person or political party Of the 21 Senators in Delaware’s General Assembly, 14 seats are held by Democrats and the balance by Republicans.  Anyone who is paying attention knows that the surge in population that Delaware is experiencing is taking place in the South.  However, the Senate Democrats did nothing to address this.  None of the seats in New Castle County, the Democrat stronghold, were restructured.  If you thought that these elected officials sought office to serve you, sadly you were wrong.  These antics illustrate that holding onto their incumbent seats in New Castle was the primary concern and equity and adhering to the principles of reapportionment was not a consideration.  They did everything they could to avoid having the Democrat Senators in New Castle primary each other.  This is clearly an attempt to favor the Democrat party and maintain power.  The way this was done is in direct opposition to this principle. By tainting the process, the citizens of Sussex County will be underrepresented in the Senate in Dover.  If one looks at the number of building permits that have been issued in Sussex, it is clear that this imbalance will only get worse. It is time to pushback on this egregious power grab.  I am asking you to take a stand and protect Sussex County citizens from unequal representation in the Senate.  We need constituents to voice their concerns.  Send your name and contact information to Sussexgop@protonmail.com.  Put Senate Redistricting in the subject line.  We will be in touch in the next couple of weeks with more information on how you can help stop this outrageous power grab by Senate Democrats. ​Marilyn Booker President November 2021

MANDATES FOR WE THE PEOPLE? ​ A mandate here, a mandate there! Mandates!  Aren’t we all tired of them?  You must close your restaurant, barber shop/hair salon! You may not go into your office! You may not attend school in person!  You must wear a mask!  You must stay six feet apart from anyone outside of your household!  You must quarantine for 14 days if you go across state lines!  You must comply with contact tracing! ​Each of these was promulgated by various government agencies with the notion of keeping us safe during the height of the pandemic.  For the most-part, we all complied because we were frightened of catching or passing COVID-19 along to our loved ones.  In addition, the death count was frightening.   Now we have a vaccine that is very effective and when it became available, many of us were chomping at the bit to get it – particularly those of us older than 65 as we are the most vulnerable according to the stats. Let me get one issue out of the way right away – I am not an “anti-vaxxer.”  However, I believe to take or not to take the vaccine is a personal decision and should be respected by us all.  There are a number of very valid reasons some are hesitant.  In the Fall of 2020, the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Democrat candidates announced that they believe in science and researchers but didn’t trust any vaccine that was promoted by Donald Trump!  Were dumber words ever spoken?  The press and many social media influencers also denigrated the “Trump vaccine.”   Now, with Biden in the White House, miraculously the vaccines have become safe and effective.  Who knew? ​Some feel that the mRNA vaccines were developed with technology that was too new for them to be comfortable with taking it as these were the first vaccines developed in this manner.  Considering the rapidity with which the vaccine came to market I can understand this hesitancy even though I don’t agree.   Others are concerned that taking the vaccine with their pre-existing conditions may exacerbate these underlying diseases and consequently cause other medical issues. A very valid point since we get new data almost daily, although none of this is from research performed in the U.S. Israel leads in this important endeavor.  I know of one young man who is HIV positive and after a conversation with his physician was advised not to get the vaccine.  He is a college student and his college is requiring him to give very explicit details for why he has a medical exemption.  Why should he have to disclose his HIV status to strangers?  What ever happened to HIPPA?  ​In addition, there are those who are nursing mothers, those who are undergoing in vitro fertilization treatments, those receiving chemotherapy treatments, and some are opposed due to religious beliefs – a 1st Amendment issue. These are all valid concerns to these people. There are many other reasons that intelligent, reasonable people refused to get the “jab.”  But now we have the Federal Government mandating (there’s that word again!) that everyone aged 5 and above receive the vaccine.  This, from an administration that says they “follow the science” but refuses to consider those who have had and recovered from COVID as having immunity at all when in fact their immunity is far better and lasts longer than that achieved by taking the vaccine.  Is the impetus concern or control? An additional issue that should be of concern to all of us is the lack of adherence to the Constitution.  The 10th Amendment states that “the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.”  Vaccine mandates are not delegated to the United States by the Constitution.  If states choose to mandate vaccinations, they have that right, although I don’t agree with this type of mandate no matter where it comes from.  As the Biden administration continues to intimidate employers with more than 100 employees with fines, be prepared for challenges that will likely go to the Supreme Court. Beware! That sucking sound you hear are your personal freedoms being yanked away. Marilyn Booker President October 2021

Welcome to September!  Schools are opening and our young neighbors are returning to school after a rather dicey two years.  There is a feeling of new beginnings in the air.   There is also a tremendous sadness as we remember the 20th Anniversary of the 9/11 strikes in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.  Those of us who were around then will never forget where we were and what we were doing when our nation was attacked by terrorists.  We should not and shall not ever forget! September also marks one of my favorite patriotic holidays – Constitution Day.  September 17, 1787 marks the day that 36 patriots, who were delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, signed the document that became the Constitution of the United States of America.  As the first state to ratify this important founding document, we in Delaware have a special relationship with our country’s governing documents.  Because we are the First State, we also have a special responsibility to defend our Constitution as it is the roadmap for our democratic republic.  September 17th is also known as Citizenship Day when we reflect on what it means to be a citizen of the greatest country on the planet.  Notice I didn’t say a perfect country, for we are not.  As a nation, just like as human beings, we continue to be works in progress.  We contemplate the rights and responsibilities that we as citizens have.  We celebrate our naturalized brothers and sisters who have adopted our country by choice and not just by the happenstance of birth. I encourage you to celebrate the Constitution and your citizenship!  Explain the importance of this holiday to your children and grandchildren.  Fly our emblem, the Flag, proudly that day.  Publicly and unapologetically be one of “We the People!” I realize it sounds weird, but sometimes, there is an interesting wisdom to be found on tee shirts.  My friend has one that says, “The U.S. Constitution.  It doesn’t need to be rewritten; just reread!”  Take some time to reread the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  You will be filled with an overwhelming feeling of pride. You can celebrate with some of your fellow Republicans at the Delaware GOP Constitution Day event on September 17th.  Tickets are $50 each. This is going to be a fun evening with dinner, games, prizes and a cash bar. The event will be held at the Modern Maturity Center in Dover, Delaware.  The cost is $50.00 per person. The event will start at 5:30 with cocktails; dinner is at 6:15. Sponsorships are available by calling the GOP office at 302-668-1954. The featured speaker for this event is Amy Swearer, a Legal Fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, where her areas of scholarship include Second Amendment, overcriminalization, originalism, and mental health policy. Marilyn Booker President September 2021