Meet The Candidates: Delaware House District 41

Salisbury, Md. – Delaware’s 41st House District encompasses Dagsboro, Frankford and Millsboro in Southern Sussex County.

With Rep. Richard Collins (R-District 41) stepping down after this year, the race for his seat is between Republican candidate John Atkins and Democrat candidate Ryan Stuckey.

Atkins has previously served in the Delaware House as a Republican and a Democrat before losing to Collins in 2014. Atkins said his priorities are solving traffic problems on 113, supporting farmers and dredging rivers. He said he is deeply concerned about a Democratic super-majority in Dover.

“One party rule isn’t good for any state. You know, you need to have some checks and balances,” Atkins said. “When one party so doesn’t need a single vote to change the constitution, meaning our, our Second Amendment rights, our rights to farm our private property rights, I don’t think anything’s good to going to come out of that.”

Stuckey is a coffeeshop owner and a member of Dagsboro’s Planning Commission.

A newcomer to state politics, the Sussex County native said he ran to expand access to quality healthcare and affordable housing while ensuring developments are overseen at the local level.

As for a Democratic supermajority, Stuckey says it will be inevitable, regardless of whether he wins or loses.

“The choice we would then have to make is, would you rather have somebody who’s going to adequately represent Sussex County and try to get us results where you can trust to vote as principles and not turn on his neighbors? Or would you rather have drama and baggage?” he said. In 2018 Atkins was arrested for a third time in a domestic violence case.

On the question of affordable housing, both candidate said they were unsatisfied with Senate Bill 23, a housing reform bill passed out of the state legislature earlier this year.

“I’m extremely passionate about repealing Senate Bill 23,” Atkins said. “I think any time Democrats in Dover override what our county council wants, they override what our municipalities want.”

Stuckey also said he would legislate changes to SB 23 to ensure housing developments stayed within local control.

“I’m more of a smaller government type of dude myself, so I like the idea of cutting bureaucratic red tape,” he said. “But when it comes to development, if you’re going to make getting permits easier, that’s a privilege that needs to be paired with responsibilities to the community.”

Voters can make their voices heard at the polls during Early Voting and on Election Day, November 3rd.