Town Hall takes security measures following national trend

Last week’s town hall took an increasingly popular security measure. (Photo from Facebook)

A Democrat Town Hall in Kent County organized by Sarah McBride last week added extra security measures for registration, something a national group says is needed to address growing safety concerns.

“Campaign security is a major topic of concern for Democratic candidates everywhere,” said Kelly Dietrich, founder and CEO of the National Democratic Training Committee, the largest Democratic campaign training organization in the country.

The town hall was located in Dover last Thursday, but the location was withheld until registration and released 24 hours before it started.

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McBride, the Democratic nominee for Congress, was joined by speakers Tracey Miller, candidate for State Representative (District 34) , and Rep. Kerri Evelyn Harris, D-Dover. 

Town Hall safety

“Given the level of threats and violence from Trump and his MAGA followers, and the additional measures law enforcement have in place for Election Day as a result, it is not unusual to see events require pre-registration,” Dietrich said. “While this has been the norm for Presidential candidates for some time, we see it permeating down ballots more and more.”

Jane Brady, former attorney general of Delaware and chairwoman of A Better Delaware, doesn’t buy the security concerns. 

“I thought the Democrat motto was ‘democracy dies in darkness’,” she said. “It seems to me that every campaign would want to get as much exposure to the public as possible. In fact, as a practical matter, you don’t gain votes by only talking to the people who already agree with you.” 

Dietrich’s organization recently held its first security training for candidates and campaigns. 

In a perfect world, he said, one in which Americans freely disagree and debate the issues without the threat of violence, such pre-registration would not be needed. 

“Sadly, the truth is different,” he said. “Words matter. Trump’s words have consequences. He regularly encourages violence and Democratic candidates must be prepared.”

He said the Trump campaign has made significant investments on anti-trans ads. 

McBride is notably the first openly transgender state senator in the country, and is the highest-ranking transgender elected official in United States history.

“Whether [Trump’s words] are swaying voters or not, it’s understandable if a trans candidate’s campaign takes note and wants to take extra precautions,” Dietrich said. 

The training committee recommends every campaign review their own security needs and take appropriate actions to balance the need of safety with accessibility. 

“In terms of security, the only violence we have seen this election season has been perpetrated against former President Trump, and not by Trump supporters,” Brady said. “While security is always a concern instead of the candidates deciding who in the public will hear what they have to say, the better practice is for the public to decide whether they want to listen.”

There have been more than 300 cases of political violence since 2021, on both sides of the aisle, according to Reuters. 

Open up the rallies, Brady said, so everyone knows what the candidates are promising and what their positions are on the issues.

“Ms. Brady’s comment is bold given that Senator McBride has made herself available for several debates and forums where her Republican opponent refused to attend,” said Michaela Kurinsky-Malos, press contact for McBride’s campaign. “In fact, the only one Mr. Whalen attended, he endorsed Project 2025. It’s better practice for candidates to show up at debates.”

It is unclear if McBride’s other campaign events require pre-registration for a location.

Jarek Rutz

Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.

Jarek can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at (215) 450-9982. Follow him on Twitter @jarekrutz and on LinkedIn.