The Delaware U.S. Senate race has heated up. GOP Nominee Michael Katz called for a televised debate while Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) declined debate invitations from WDEL and CoastTV, according to WDEL. The two face off in the this November.
Coons has held the seat since 2010, previously serving as New Castle County Council president and county executive. Katz is a physician and pediatric critical-care anesthesiologist with more than 35 years in medicine who also spent 30 years building and operating businesses in Delaware, according to his campaign. Coons won the Democratic primary with about 78 percent of the vote over runner-up Jeff Appelhans. Katz won the Republican primary with about 77 percent of the vote.
What They Stand For
Coons frames his campaign around "opportunity, security and justice," including raising wages, protecting Delawareans from threats at home and abroad, and rooting out corruption in Washington, according to WHYY. He has said every American deserves access to "quality, affordable health care," per his Senate website. He has called Delaware's rising seas, eroding beaches and flooding cities urgent reasons to prioritize energy and environmental policy, also per his Senate website. He has made economic opportunity a priority as a member of the Senate Small Business Committee, and has said he will keep "standing up to Trump and delivering for Delaware," according to WHYY.
Katz has proposed cutting wasteful spending and red tape and lowering energy and housing costs, per his campaign website. He has called for lowering drug costs, addressing gaps in rural care, and shifting health care toward prevention. He has proposed cutting federal red tape, maintaining pro-growth taxes, and bringing critical manufacturing back to the United States. On immigration, he has said he would "finish the wall, interdict fentanyl, and restore federal accountability at the border." He has said he would "defend the Constitution" and protect Bill of Rights freedoms, opposing red-flag firearm confiscation and federal firearm registries, according to his campaign website.
The Money Behind the Race
Federal Election Commission filings show Coons raised about $6.9 million through Aug. 26 and had about $4.8 million in the bank. As of Aug. 26, Michael Katz had total receipts of about $159,000, cash on hand of about $98,000, and total debt of about $129,000.
Outside groups spent about $11,600 in the race as of Oct. 8, all of it supporting Coons. The largest spender was the National Association of Realtors Political Action Committee, which put in about $11,600; the Sierra Club Independent Action added just $10.
Race Outlook: Ratings and Betting Markets
The Cook Political Report rated the race "Solid Democratic" as of Sept. 23. Sabato's Crystal Ball rated it "Solid Democratic" as of Sept. 22. Inside Elections rated it "Solid Democratic" as of Oct. 2. On Kalshi, traders gave Democrats, whose nominee is Coons, a 98.51 percent chance of winning as of Oct. 8; Republicans, whose nominee is Katz, stood at 1.49 percent.
Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester won Delaware's Class I U.S. Senate seat in 2024 with about 57 percent of the vote (results). Democrats won Delaware's single U.S. House seat in both 2022 and 2024. In the 2024 presidential election, Democrat Kamala Harris carried Delaware with about 56 percent of the vote.
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