DOVER, Del. (AP) - Delaware’s elections commissioner has rejected a challenge from New Castle County Executive Thomas Gordon questioning his primary election foe’s eligibility to hold office.
Matt Meyer defeated Gordon in the September Democratic primary and faces Republican Mark Blake in the Nov. 8 general election.
An attorney for Gordon filed a complaint Tuesday claiming that Meyer had not met a requirement that the chief executive must have been a resident of the county for at least five years immediately preceding his or her election.
In rejecting the challenge Friday, Elections Commissioner Elaine Manlove cited several documents provided by Meyer in response to Gordon’s complaint.
Those documents include a Delaware driver’s license issued to Meyer on Sept. 30, 2011, credit card statements from 2011 listing a New Castle County address, and affidavits from Meyer’s parents.
Meyer also provided a letter from the state Division of Revenue confirming that he paid income taxes as a full-year resident for calendar years 2012 through 2015, and that he filed a non-resident return for 2011 as a part-year Delaware resident from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 of that year.
“We have provided overwhelming evidence to elections officials proving that I meet the residency requirements to be our next county executive,” Meyer said in a statement. “Today’s decision by the Department of Elections has put this matter to rest. Now it’s time for the Democratic Party to come together and unify.”
Gordon, a former county police chief and the only three-term executive in county history, was upset by Meyer, a political newcomer, after a bitter primary contest marked by sharp rhetoric on both sides.
An attorney for Gordon did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment Friday.
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