Downstate school board election results

By Andrew Sharp

Despite increased attention on school board elections in recent years, voters still don't seem very interested. Turnout remained extremely low in the May 10 vote when compared to the number of eligible voters.

The state's numbers show most districts didn't reach 4 percent, and many were lower than that.

Activism also seems to have had very limited success. School board elections are typically nonpartisan, but a number of candidates were endorsed by the conservative activist group Patriots for Delaware. Delaware Live reported the state Republican Party was also backing candidates.  Of the 14 seats up for a vote, two candidates endorsed by Patriots for Delaware won – Dawn Litchford in Delmar and Matt Bucher in Milford.  

These are the downstate results from the Department of Elections:

Delmar

• Dawn Litchford 152 (71.36 percent)

• Lauren Hudson 61 (28.64 percent)

Total voters: 213 (3.8 percent)

Laurel

• Linda Hitchens 225 (79.51 percent)

• Joe Kelley 58 (20.49 percent)

Total voters: 283 (2.4 percent)

Seaford

• Marcus Wright   224 (62.05 percent)

• George Del Farno 137 (37.95 percent)

Total voters: 361 (2 percent)

Woodbridge

• Rita Hovermale 243 (55.73 percent)

• Corey Grammer 193 (44.27 percent)

Total voters: 436 (3.6 percent)

Milford

• Matt Bucher 1,217 (66.83 percent)

• Jalyn Powell 604 (33.17 percent)

Total voters: 1,823 (7.84 percent)

Lake Forest

• Betty Wyatt 527 (58.36 percent)

• DJ Silicato   376 (41.64 percent)

• Jake Martinez 0 (0 percent)

Total voters: 1,140 (5.6 percent)