News Journal: Carney sets sights on U.S. House
April 16, 2009

By NICOLE GAUDIANO
News Journal Washington Bureau

Former Delaware Lt. Gov. John Carney launched his 2010 bid for Congress on Wednesday, setting up a potential battle with Rep. Mike Castle for the state's lone House seat.

Castle hasn't said whether he will run for re-election. He could decide to retire or run for the Senate, giving Carney, a former Democratic candidate for governor, one less hurdle.

The nine-term Republican would be a formidable hurdle for Carney. While Barack Obama carried Delaware with 62 percent of the vote last fall, Castle made his own strong showing, winning with 61 percent against Democrat Karen Hartley-Nagle. He raised $71,500 between January and March and has $841,543 on hand, which could be transferred to a Senate campaign.

Carney said he is focused on putting together a successful campaign regardless of his opponent.

"Since the campaign for governor this fall, I've really looked for other opportunities to serve," said Carney, president and CEO of Transformative Technologies, an intellectual property company in Wilmington. "I'm very excited about the opportunities that I have in the private sector. But my heart is really in public service."

Carney, a Claymont native and longtime Wilmington resident, served two terms as lieutenant governor from 2001 through January 2009 under Democratic Gov. Ruth Ann Minner. He has spent nearly 20 years in public service, including as a staff assistant to former Sen. Joe Biden, now U.S. vice president, and deputy chief of staff and secretary of finance under former Gov. Tom Carper, now Delaware's senior senator.

Carper said he wants to see Carney hold elected office again.

"He is the strongest Democratic congressional candidate that our state has seen in many years," Carper said. "The breadth of his experience and knowledge of this state and many of the issues we face now make him more than qualified to be a United States congressman."

Carney returned to the private sector after losing a close primary race for governor last fall, with Gov. Jack Markell beating him 51 percent to 49 percent. He likely will get support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in the 2010 race. The committee's encouragement helped him decide to run, he said.

The committee already has phoned voters and produced a radio ad criticizing Castle's vote against the economic stimulus bill, which passed in February.

Shripal Shah, a DCCC spokesman, said Delaware's House seat is one of only six the GOP held on to in districts won by President Barack Obama in 2008 and by former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts in 2004.

"John Carney's candidacy makes this seat a top target," Shah said.

Castle issued a statement saying he has "consistently put people before politics" while representing Delaware and continues to work closely with both parties on serious challenges.

"My record as an independent voice and voter has been proven over time, and I remain as dedicated to bringing people together as I have ever been," he said. "The interests of the people of Delaware will remain paramount as I weigh the options for my future role in Congress."

If Castle decides to run for the Senate, he could end up in a general election against Biden's son, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, who is serving with the Army National Guard in Iraq. The younger Biden is expected to run for his father's former seat in 2010, though he has not announced his intentions. Sen. Ted Kaufman, Vice President Biden's appointed replacement, has said he will not run.

Recent polling suggests Castle could face a serious challenger in Carney. A survey taken from March 5 to 8 of 782 Delaware voters showed Castle leading 49-32 percent. But 19 percent of those who were undecided were largely Democratic-leaning, according to Public Policy Polling. The survey's margin of error was plus or minus 3.5 percent.

If elected, Carney said he wants to work with the Obama administration on getting the economy moving, reforming the health care system and creating a world-class education system.

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Congressman Castle and his service to Delaware," Carney said. "But there are differences between us. If it is he that I end up running against, we'll lay out those differences in the campaign in the months ahead."