While the presidential race drew many to the polls, Wilmington voters who turned out for Tuesday’s general election expressed deep concerns about neighborhood violence, support for youth and local leadership.
Exit poll voters cited these local issues, along with gentrification and housing affordability, as top concerns. Several called for more youth programs and better communication between city leaders and residents.
While these local concerns were prominent among voters at polling places in Wilmington, national issues related to the presidential race also had a significant impact on turnout.
Late in the afternoon, Steven P., who has voted in every election since he was released from prison in 2016, left the polls at the Carvel State Office Building. He emphasized the importance of local issues. He expressed hope that the new mayor would address youth violence by keeping pools open and offering youth engagement programs, a sentiment echoed by voters at multiple polling places.
The safety of the community is paramount
A few hours before he cast his vote, Renzo T., who preferred not to reveal his last name, learned that his cousin had died on election day. Renzo pointed to Seventh and North Lombard streets and explained that his 27-year-old cousin had been shot the night before and died earlier that morning.
“Everything I could vote for, I voted for. Because this can’t continue,” the Eastside resident said, his voice heavy with emotion outside the polls at the Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy. ‘He’s gone now. I’m still here. “I came and did what I had to do,” he said.
Renzo urged city leaders to engage directly with the community. “Come over here and talk to us,” Renzo said. “You’re trying to get voted in, but you don’t know what’s really going on.”
Local leadership under scrutiny for causing housing and economic problems
While the presidential election was a key motivator for many voters, David Lewis, 49, expressed skepticism about the national candidates’ ability to tackle issues that impact everyday life. “I don’t think a presidential candidate is going to do anything for my community, the black community anyway,” Lewis said after voting at Thomas Edison Charter School.
At Thomas Edison Charter School, David Lewis, 49, expressed frustration over deteriorating conditions in the neighborhood. “I definitely want to see a change in leadership. It’s getting worse and worse here. Children have nothing to do, so they’re out on the streets. And that leads to what’s going on now, a lot of gunfights. I lost a son on May 8,” Lewis said.
Lewis also expressed concerns about gentrification and the rising cost of living. “They’re pushing the narrative of getting the blacks and more people out of here. Life is high. Rent costs are going up. The cost of everything is going up. That’s the problem, especially in a neighborhood like this, which is impoverished.”
The impact of stricter property code enforcement on longtime residents was of particular concern to Lewis. He explained how recent changes have put additional pressure on homeowners: “You get a ticket (for a property code violation) and you have about 90 days to fix the problem. Now I think it’s 45 days. … It’s crazy because It’s supposed to be small ticket items, but it’s piling up. And from that point on, (homeowners) can actually lose their homes,” Lewis said.
National issues drive women to vote in Kingswood
At the Kingswood Community Center, the Coleman family represented multiple generations of voters. First-time voter Devon Coleman, 19, cast her vote alongside her mother, Donyell. For both women, national issues such as reproductive rights and social progress were the driving force behind their participation.
“I worry about the future of my children and grandchildren,” said Donyell Coleman, mother of three daughters and grandmother of three girls. “As women, we have a say in what happens to our bodies. And I don’t feel like anyone else should have control over that.”
Her daughter Devon, who voted in her first presidential election, echoed these concerns with the passion of youth: “I’m personally a woman, and what do you mean, I can’t have an abortion if I want to? No man should have to tell me anything to do with my body.”
The day’s conversations revealed a community invested in both local and national issues. Voters in both the primary and general elections expressed their desire for meaningful change, better communication with city government, and solutions to persistent problems of violence and economic inequality.
That’s possible ccontact Anitra Johnson at [email protected].