Republicans tap attorney Ted Kittila to run for Gerald Brady’s seat

Charlie MegginsonGovernment, Headlines

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The Republican Party of Delaware has selected Wilmington attorney Ted Kittila to serve as their nominee in the upcoming special election to fill the vacancy left by Rep. Gerald Brady.

In 2014, Kittila received the nomination of the Delaware GOP to be the Republican candidate for attorney general, ultimately finishing second in the five-way race to Democrat Matt Denn. 

The special election is scheduled for Saturday, March 5, 2022. 

Kittila will face off against former Wilmington City Councilman and transportation department spokesman Bud Freel, who the Democrats nominated Monday evening. 

RELATED: Democrats to run former councilman Bud Freel in special election

The 4th District includes the Highlands and Trolley Square areas of Wilmington. Freel served on the Wilmington City Council for nearly 24 years and much of his district overlapped with Brady’s. 

Voter registration data shows that Democrats maintain a 2 to 1 lead over Republicans in the district, which, combined with Freel’s name recognition, makes him heavily favored to win the special election.

Kittila is the managing partner of Wilmington law firm Halloran Farkas + Kittila LLP.

According to the firm’s website, “Kittila has served as lead counsel on a number of complex corporate and commercial disputes, including expedited litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery, where Mr. Kittila clerked from 2000 to 2001, litigation involving Delaware limited liability companies and contract interpretation in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, and litigation in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court both in Delaware and nationally involving Delaware-related entities.”

Kittila received his bachelor of arts in international relations from the University of Delaware and his juris doctorate from the University of Minnesota Law School. 

A spokesman for the Republican Party said an official announcement will likely be made Friday, Feb. 11 and that Kittila would withhold comment until that time. 

If Kittila wins the special election, he won’t hold the seat for long. During the redistricting process finalized in Nov. 2021, the 4th Representative District was relocated to the Long Neck and Oak Orchard area of Sussex County.

New district lines will take effect immediately following the next election, which will be held on Nov. 8, 2022. 

In order for Kittila to maintain a seat in the House of Representatives after the current term, he would have to challenge an incumbent — likely Rep. Krista Griffith, a Democrat from Fairfax whose district will engulf much of the current 4th District as a result of redistricting. 

The special election was called by House Speaker Pete Schwartzkopf after Rep. Gerald Brady resigned from office citing a recent PTSD diagnosis stemming from his service in the Delaware National Guard. 

RELATED: Rep. Gerald Brady arrested, charged with two counts of shoplifting

In January, Brady was charged by Newark police with two counts of shoplifting from an Acme grocery store. He immediately turned himself in to Newark Police and was released on his own recognizance. He will appear in Newark Alderman’s Court at a later date.

Last year, Brady announced his current term would be his last after being found to have sent an email that included racial slurs. After facing calls for his resignation, the House held an Ethics Committee inquiry into Brady’s email. It eventually dismissed the complaint after Brady announced he would not seek re-election.

The March 5th special election will be the first Delaware election to implement early voting. 

For this election, early voting will take place during extended hours at the Carvel Building, located at 820 N. French St. in Wilmington. More information about early voting can be found here.

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