Delaware House Speaker Melissa Minor-Brown (D-New Castle) will retain her leadership role after surviving a challenge from Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton (D-Bear). House Democrats held a closed-door leadership vote ahead of the upcoming 154th General Assembly, which was seen as a test of post-election intraparty dynamics following an increased slate of progressive candidates elected to the statehouse on Tuesday.
Minor-Brown, often referred to by her nickname “Mimi,” still needs to be formally elected to the position by the entire House, but with her caucus’ support, the full vote is more of a formality. Her leadership team will include Rep. Kerri Evelyn-Harris (D-Dover) as House Majority Leader and Rep. Cyndie Romer (D-Newark) as House Majority Whip. Romer replaces Rep. Ed Osienski (D-Newark) in the role.
In a phone call Wednesday night, Minor-Brown said she was honored and thankful her caucus had placed a renewed trust in her leadership after a demanding 153rd General Assembly. “It was a non-stop term, and we still managed to not cut services that Delawareans relied on,” Minor-Brown said. “We still managed to pass a balanced budget and still keep Delawareans to a point where they can continue to thrive with everything else going on.”
Wilson-Anton, one of the most outspoken progressive members of the legislature and a frequent critic of Minor-Brown, put forward a competing slate of candidates that included Rep. Kim Williams (D-Stanton) as House Majority Leader. Despite the competition, Minor-Brown said there was “no beef” with Wilson-Anton or Williams and that she welcomed the “healthy competition.” “We should be able to shake hands and move forward because at the end of the day, we’re not here for that, right?” she added. “We’re here to serve our districts.”
Romer, who will serve as House Majority Whip, said she hopes to build unity and welcome newcomers to the chamber. Differences within the House Democratic caucus often come down to governing approaches rather than ideological splits, said Romer, who herself was endorsed by the Working Families Party.
