When Democratic Attorney General Beau Biden announced that he would not run in the special election to finish the remainder of his father’s Senate term, we moved this race to the Solid Republican column. This was an acknowledgment of At-Large GOP Rep. Mike Castle’s strength as the presumptive Republican nominee and the absence of an obvious replacement for Biden who could rival his name identification and ability to raise money.
It seems, though, that Democrats have found a credible challenger in New Castle County Executive Chris Coons. Coons, 46, earned his bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and political science from Amherst College in 1985. He is a 1992 graduate of Yale Law School and holds a master’s degree in ethics from the Yale Divinity School. Coons was elected to the New Castle County Council in 2000 and as County Executive in 2004; he won a second term in 2008. New Castle is one of three counties in the state and covers the northern third; it includes Wilmington.
Although Coons is a blank slate in Washington, he has gotten solid early reviews.
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