Delaware Republicans have chosen political scientist Joseph “Dr. Joe” Arminio as their candidate for the state’s sole U.S. House seat, a decision made on Tuesday. This choice came as they overlooked the party’s endorsed candidate and the 2024 nominee, setting Arminio up for a showdown with Rep. Sarah McBride, a Democrat, in the upcoming November election.
Arminio triumphed over Rev. Earl Cooper, the endorsed candidate from the Delaware Republican Party, and John Whalen, who was the party’s nominee for the 2024 election. This gives him a chance to challenge McBride in the general election scheduled for November 3.
McBride previously secured the at-large House seat in 2024, making history as the first openly transgender individual elected to Congress. She had defeated Whalen by about 16 percentage points in that election.
McBride is now campaigning for a second term in a district that has been a Democratic stronghold since 2008.
Arminio, who hails from Wilmington, is an educator, author, and holds a Ph.D. in political science from MIT, specializing in national defense policy and international relations. He received his undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University and has taught at places like American University and Lincoln University.
This congressional bid isn’t Arminio’s first, though it is his debut in Delaware. Back in 2008, he sought the Republican nomination in Maryland’s 1st Congressional District but only garnered about 1.6% of the votes in a primary that was won by Andy Harris.
Arminio has campaigned primarily on economic concerns, pointing out that both public and private debt have significantly impacted American households. He highlighted inflation and the escalating costs of basic necessities like groceries, gas, and housing as major hurdles for Delaware families.
In an interview, he expressed his grave concerns: “The Republican country for that matter is in dire peril. The economy’s in very bad shape. We’re suffering from crushing private and public debt. So your typical family is having a hard time making ends meet. The young cannot afford to buy a home. They’re having difficulty in their relationships, getting married. It’s very, very serious.”
With these challenges in mind, Arminio now aims to break the Democrats’ long-standing dominance in Delaware’s one House seat, a position they have held since John Carney took it over after former U.S. Representative Mike Castle retired and opted not to seek re-election in 2010, turning his focus to the U.S. Senate race.
