Delaware House speaker keeps her gavel despite leadership challenge

Delaware House Speaker Melissa “Mimi” Minor-Brown, D-New Castle, has survived a challenge from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party to keep her role.

In a closed-door caucus meeting Wednesday night, Democrats, which included the nine freshman members, voted to again give Minor-Brown the gavel ahead of the 154th General Assembly.

Caucus members reelected state Rep. Kerri Evelyn Harris, D-Dover, as House majority leader.

State Rep. Cyndie Romer, D-Newark, who declined to comment for this story, will replace state Rep. Ed Osienski as House majority whip.

“I’m honored that my colleagues put their faith in me, once again, to serve as speaker,” Minor-Brown said. “I believe that my caucus members saw the work that we did as leadership, ensuring that we were putting Delawareans first and prioritizing legislation and initiatives to ensure that we were protecting Delawareans.”

Minor-Brown made history in 2024 as the first Black woman to be elected speaker and second woman ever to serve as Delaware’s House speaker. Minor-Brown succeeded then-House Speaker Valerie Longhurst after she lost her seat to state Rep. Kamela Smith.

The challenge came from Working Families Party-backed state Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton, D-Bear, who was campaigning for the speakership. The slate also included state Rep. Kim Williams, D-Stanton, as majority leader.

Some current House progressives say the challenge to leadership rose from frustrations about bills being killed and broken promises. The speaker controls what legislation goes to the floor and makes committee assignments.

However, the failed attempt could signal the level of influence the left wing of the caucus has, despite five of the nine new Democratic state representatives coming from the Working Families Party.

In a statement, Wilson-Anton said Democrats were almost evenly split, with the current leadership team winning by just two votes.

“The caucus clearly had a divided stance on who should lead our caucus and chamber and I think that creates a difficult road ahead for any leader to navigate,” she said in a text message.

Friction between Minor-Brown and Wilson-Anton was visible during this past legislative session. But Minor-Brown said she disputed the idea that there is a divide inside the caucus between progressive and more centrist Democrats.

“I hope we can get to a point where we all can place ourselves under that Democratic umbrella,” she said. “If we are all Democrats, then we should be able to collaborate and move forward with healthy disagreement.”

Freshman state Rep.-elect Rae Krantz, a Working Families Party member,  told WHYY News before Wednesday’s vote that she was looking for leaders who would allow everyone’s voice to be heard and give representatives the respect they deserve.

“We elect our leadership to have people to help guide the process, but that doesn’t elevate them above any other elected official,” she said. “We’re all elected by our districts. We’re all representatives of our constituents. People in leadership should recognize that and be a conduit of the work that gets done. Not someone who’s using that power to have power over other folks in the caucus.”

Wilson-Anton said that while she doesn’t have high hopes for this leadership team, she’s an optimist.

“I hope that I am proven wrong quickly and consistently because this week voters across our country made their demands clear,” her statement said. “They expect solutions from their elected leaders and we each are charged with delivering them.”

House leaders still need to be formally elected by the entire House.

The state Senate is expected to meet later this month to elect new leadership. President Pro Tempore Dave Sokola, D-Newark, retired this year after serving since 1990.