Governor-elect Meyer calls for open primaries to fill upstate senate seats

Governor-elect Matt Meyer is urging Delaware’s Democratic Party to adopt an open primary process for the upcoming special elections in the First and Fifth Senate Districts. Meyer said that allowing voters to decide the nominees aligns with the party’s principles and strengthens democracy.

“Our party’s nominees should be chosen by the people of the First and Fifth Districts in an open and transparent process, not by political insiders. It’s as simple as that.” Meyer said in a statement. 

Seats are open with the recent election of Sarah McBride to Congress and Kyle Evans Gay to lieutenant governor.

Meyer outlined his vision in a letter to party leadership, emphasizing, “To encourage inclusiveness and afford every Democrat a seat at the table, we should hold Democratic primary elections to nominate our candidates for these senate seats.” He added, “This open and inclusive process would require our candidates to organize, persuade, and get out the vote in order to earn the Democratic nomination, providing them with a strong mandate from Democratic voters and setting us up to succeed in the special elections.” 

“Our administration is committed to fighting for transparency everywhere it’s needed, including within our own party’s rules,” Meyer said.

Meyer has also announced three senior appointments who will lead key roles in his incoming administration.

Vanessa Phillips, Esq. has been named chief of staff. Wilson Davis will serve as chief legal counsel; and Evelyn Brady will lead as transition director. 

“We are a team that will get things done,” Meyer said.

Phillips currently serves as New Castle County’s chief administrative officer, where she oversees the daily operations. A former Washington, D.C., prosecutor, she joined the Meyer administration in 2017 after serving as deputy secretary for the Delaware Department of Labor, where she spearheaded initiatives in human resources, equal employment, and organizational management. Phillips has also held leadership roles at the Delaware Department of Transportation, including director of human resources.

A graduate of the University of Delaware and the University of Maryland School of Law, she earned her MBA from Wilmington University in 2016. Beyond her professional roles, Phillips’ community service involvement includes serving as chairwoman of the legislative committee for Jack & Jill of America Inc.’s New Castle County chapter, and chairwoman of the board development committee for the Girl Scouts of Chesapeake Bay. She is a member of the Middletown Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and has served as an adjunct associate professor at Delaware State University.

Davis, chief legal counsel, was raised in Old New Castle. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy from the University of Delaware and a law degree from Temple University. Following law school, he clerked for the Hon. Richard R. Cooch in Delaware Superior Court. Davis then went on to build a legal career in public service, focused primarily on litigation, serving as an assistant county attorney with the New Castle County Office of Law and as a deputy attorney general in the Delaware Department of Justice. In 2019, he was appointed by Meyer as the county attorney for New Castle County. In this role, he serves as chief legal counsel to the county executive and county council, overseeing a team of attorneys and paralegals who manage county litigation and provide comprehensive legal services to all county departments, offices, divisions, boards, and commissions.

Transition Director Brady, a former public school teacher, began her civic journey with Network Delaware and the Delaware Voting Rights Coalition and has since remained politically active as a dedicated advocate for voting rights and reproductive health. She currently serves on the Delaware Democratic Party’s 12th Representative District Committee, where she educates voters on key issues and candidates. 

Brady serves on the boards of Action for Delaware’s Children, Planned Parenthood of Delaware and Serviam Girls Academy. She mentors school children through Connecting Generations and has co-chaired the Governor’s School Mentoring and Literacy Task Force. A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Zeta Omega Chapter, and an associate member of the New Castle County Chapter of Jack & Jill of America Inc., she is also president of Creative Hearts for the Arts, a chapter of The Society, Incorporated, which supports arts initiatives for underserved communities. She holds degrees from Dartmouth College and Lesley University and is a graduate of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League’s Gilliam Fellowship Program. 

“We will build a state government that listens to residents, acts with integrity and gets results,” Meyer said. “With Vanessa, Wil and Evelyn on board, we will deliver for Delawareans with efficiency on day one.”