Dem House candidate has Delco GOP leader seeing red
Delaware County Republican Chairman Andrew Reilly is questioning the socialist nature of a Democratic state representative candidate’s tweets as well as other local Democrats’ support of her.
Reilly expressed alarm about some actions, particularly retweets, Kristin Seale, a candidate for the 168th state House district, posted on her account regarding abolishing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the American Civil Liberties Union.
“At a time when many Democrats are distancing themselves from the extreme views of the Democratic Socialists of America, it is mind-boggling that local Democrats are proudly embracing Kristin Seale and the radical left-wing of the party she represents,” Reilly said.
“Local Democrats should be disavowing Seale and the DSA’s extremist views, including their anti-law enforcement rhetoric, call for government ownership of private industry and support for open borders,” he continued.
Seale, who said she supports both law enforcement and private property, said the local GOP was trying to stir up drama where doesn’t exist.
“This is them seeing that we’re having a good deal of success across the county and them trying to stir up trouble,” she said.
She’ll face incument Republican state Rep. Chris Quinn in the fall.
Reilly’s concern stems from a series of retweets Seale made, including one from Liz the Anarkitty that stated, “Only direct action and revolution can bring the capitalist system to its knees.”
He also pointed out Seale’s participation in forming a Delco chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America and its efforts to “turn the suburbs the correct shade of red.”
In addition, he pointed out an item Seale retweeted from the ACLU that listed the names of African Americans who had been shot and killed since 2016. It also read, “There will be more - unless police are held accountable for the state-inflicted violence against people of color. #BlackLivesMatter”
Seale said she has been transparent about being a Democratic Socialist.
“Their interpretation of what that means is another thing,” she said, adding the GOP was making a “whole lot of noise that they’re trying to create and divide. Anyone that is a critical thinker or checks their facts knows that Andy Reilly it does not speak for me.”
In particular, she said she has received support from law enforcement and she believes in private property as evident by her alliance with the property owners along the Mariner East 2 pipeline.
Relatedly, Reilly questioned other Democrats’ association with her from Democratic 5th Congressional District candidate Mary Gay Scanlon’s meet and greet with Seale; 165th state House candidate Jen O’Mara’s endorsement of her and Tim Kearney, candidate for the state Senate 26th District, who has actively campaigned, going door-to-door with her.
“Delaware County families deserve principled leaders who share our beliefs and represent our values,” Reilly said. “By refusing to refute Seale and the DSA’s policy goals, local Democratic candidates are turning their back on residents and capitulating to the extremist wing of their own party.”
Seale said Delaware County residents share similar values.
“People are very excited about having government that works for them,” she said. “They are all concerned about health care, they are all concerned about making sure that education is good and affordable. We have similar issues in our community.”
Other Democrats said the GOP leader’s claims were meant as distraction.
“This is a page out of the McCarthy-era playbook, where scare tactics are used to create further division in our democracy and suppress the voices of voters,” Gabby Richards, communications director for Scanlon, said.
“It should come as no surprise to anyone that Trump-supporting Republicans would engage in this type of stunt, only to distract voters from this administrations embarrassing track record,” she concluded.
Delaware County Democratic Chairwoman Colleen Guiney had a similar response.
“We have to see this for what it is: The Delco GOP is making a desperate attempt to deflect attention from voters and the issues they care about,” she said. “This is the same smokeand-mirrors tactic that we see from the GOP administrations in Washington and Harrisburg.”
Guiney said Democrats are focused on taking care of county residents.
“Delaware County voters are struggling to pay their bills, working multiple jobs and falling further behind,” she said. “Working families in Delaware County deserve better. Delaware County Democrats stand united for policies that make our economy work for everyone, not just politicians and millionaires like Scott Wagner and Donald Trump. Democratic candidates are working to solve real problems. The GOP should do the same.”
Reilly said the socialist wing of the Democratic party want universal free health care and free college education, as well as open borders. He pointed out that onetime Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman espoused how the DSA platform would bankrupt America and is more socialist than Democratic.
He asked what Seale, if elected, would do to the state agencies that cooperate with ICE.
“I think Delaware County families deserve leaders who share their beliefs,” Reilly said. “The Democrats should be disavowing (Seale) and her extremist views.”