Delaware's US Senate Race May Draw A GOP Challenger After All

In the national Republican bid to win the United States Senate, no Republican is running in Delaware for the Senate seat held by Democrat Chris Coons. Chris Coons famously defeated Christine O'Donnell on November 2, 2010, for the final 4 years of Joe Biden's term (which Biden won on November 4, 2008, simultaneously being elected Vice President).

If Democrats don't have to defend the Delaware U.S. Senate seat, where Coons has a multi-million dollar war chest, this may affect their chances to concentrate forces on Republican challengers in other States, and may influence the outcome nationwide. July 8 is the filing deadline for Delaware.

Now a probable Republican challenger is emerging. Successful businessman and engineer Kevin Wade was the 2012 US Senate nominee of the Delaware Republican Party (DEGOP), losing to incumbent Senator Tom Carper in a three-way race. As the deadline approaches with no one willing to take on the task, Kevin Wade is taking a hard second look. While the country's circumstances worsen, it is starting to look like Kevin Wade will need to answer the call.

Christine O'Donnell has ruled out a rematch, citing -- genuine and serious -- family reasons. Her father passed away last year from cancer and her mother is battling cancer now. I know, as long-term friend of hers, that as a daughter Christine will cherish forever the quality time she has spent with her father and her mother while there is still the opportunity. Christine also endured more nastiness than any person should have to live through in one lifetime because of her leadership role in 2010. Some also wonder whether a consensus, healing role to bring Republicans together must be played by someone else at this point in time.

Kevin Wade is popular with all segments of the Delaware Republican Party. He is s solid, successful businessman, an engineer. He ran without controversy in 2012, despite being swamped in the middle of the Barack Obama - Mitt Romney Presidential contest and Hurricane Sandy’s disruption of Delaware.

If Kevin Wade files by July 8, he will automatically be the nominee. He can spend the entire time until November 4, 2014, running a general election campaign against the Democrat. In 2010, Christine O'Donnell had only from September 15, 2010, to November 2, 2010, to scramble to put together a statewide campaign.

The challenge is whether Kevin Wade's campaign and the DEGOP can raise significant funding. In 2012, only $180,000 in donations came in. Because of that shortfall, Kevin Wade feels that he was not able to get his message out. So the real question is whether Kevin Wade and supportive Delaware Republicans can change that variable this time around in 2014 and raise sufficient funding to make his campaign viable.

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