DelawareLive reached out to all the Democrats and Republicans listed as candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, on multiple days in multiple ways, such as forms on their campaign websites; email addresses offered on their campaign websites; email addresses that we researched; and their campaigns’ Facebook pages.
We asked what they are aiming to convey with the design and color of their signs.
Here are the responses we got, alphabetical by surname.Not all the candidates responded.
Campaign signs by candidates for governor
A Collin O’Mara sign, courtesy of his campaign.
Collin O’Mara: “The horseshoe crab signifies my deep love of Delaware’s incredible natural resources and a commitment to conserve our outdoor heritage and open space for future generations. The green color represents both my history in the state as the former Secretary of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and my current service as CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, as well as my Irish heritage! We chose not to go with the typical Democratic blue because we wanted to signal that we represent a new generation of leadership that puts people over party.”
A Mike Ramone sign, courtesy of his campaign.
Mike Ramone: “When I first ran for office, every sign in Delaware was either red, white, or blue — I knew I wanted our campaign to stand out. Blue and gold are representative of our state and I wanted to honor that in my campaigns. As I go around our state talking to voters from various political backgrounds, I always remind them: I’m not scarlet red or deep blue — I’m Delaware yellow.”
Campaign signs by candidates for lieutenant governor
A Ruth Briggs King sign, courtesy of her campaign.
Ruth Briggs King team: “As we’ve done for years we’ve used blue, gold/yellow, and some white in honor of our state colors. We also tend to use darker blue and yellow because Ruth’s previous district and her family’s alma mater is Sussex Central High School. Our larger signs will have Ruth’s face on them so that voters can connect a face with the name. A lot of people have met Ruth or work with her and and this will help remind them of that personal service she provided.
“We added the yellow silhouette of Delaware in King because this is statewide race and we are running to represent all Delawareans which leads to our last point.
“To us, one of of the big differences in our sign is unlike others running for Lt. Governor we didn’t put political party affiliation on our sign. Instead, we chose to use that space to put our website information because we want to encourage voters to learn more about Ruth. We want them to know about her ideas, her knowledge, and her experience. For 14 years Ruth won re-election in a district where Democrats outnumbered Republicans, because people voted for the best candidate!
“That’s why we post our positions, our survey responses, and our ideas on the website and the website on the signs, because we know that if people vote for the best candidate, Ruth Briggs King will be the next Lt. Governor.”
A Kyle Evans Gay sign, courtesy of her campaign.
Kyle Evans Gay: “I am running for Lt. Governor to be a new generation of leader, focused on building a better future for Delaware working families to thrive. Every aspect of this campaign, down to the signs, is tied to that core message. With bright bold colors and lettering, it is my hope that when voters see my signs throughout the First State, they will recognize me as the candidate who is ready to serve with compassion, determination, and innovation on day one.”
The primary is Sept. 10, and the election Nov. 5, so the signs you see now might stay through December.
Multiple candidates and their campaign staffs did not offer explanations of their signs.
They include two Democrats running for governor (Bethany Hall-Long and Matt Meyer) and two Republicans running for governor (Jerry Price and Bobby Williamson).
They also include two Democrats running for lieutenant governor (Sherry Dorsey Walker and Debbie Harrington).
