The Same Beast, Just a Different Mask

Fellow Republicans,

The Sussex County Democratic Party has chosen its new leader, and in doing so, it has revealed its true character.

After the resignation of convicted child predator Jeff Balk, they were given a chance to demonstrate accountability and moral courage.

They failed that test.

Their new chair, Loretta Benson, was not a bystander. She was the first name on the letter defending Balk after his crimes became public.

That letter called him a “model citizen” and a “second chance success story.”

It credited him with “the growth and electoral success of the Sussex County Democratic Party.”

It ended with the words, “The leadership of the Sussex Party have no intention of abandoning our chair.”

Now the person who refused to abandon him sits in his chair.

This is not reform. It is not leadership.

It is the same beast, just a different mask.

The Sussex County Democratic Executive Committee has once again chosen power over principle and party success over public safety.

This was their chance to rebuild trust. Instead, they confirmed that their loyalty lies within their own ranks, not with the people they claim to serve.

This issue is larger than politics. It is not about Republicans or Democrats.

It is about basic decency and the standards that must exist for anyone who wishes to lead in public life.

The only way this issue goes away is if people continue to shine light on it.

Every Delawarean, regardless of political affiliation, has a responsibility to speak out.

Contact the Delaware Democratic Party and demand the resignation of every individual who signed that letter defending Jeff Balk.

Condemn the decision to elevate one of those signers to the top of the county organization.

Make it clear that no one who defended a convicted pedophile is fit to hold a position of public influence.

We also call on every legislator and public official who once demanded Jeff Balk’s resignation to act with consistency.

It is not enough to condemn one man.

They must also call for those who defended him to follow his lead and step aside.

Anything less is hypocrisy revealed for all to see.

Silence is not neutrality.

Silence is complicity.

Those who refuse to act now are sustaining the same toxic culture that brought disgrace to the Sussex County Democratic Party.

The Sussex County Republican Party will continue to speak for accountability, transparency, and integrity in leadership.

We will stand with victims and with every person who believes that public office is a trust to be earned, not a title to be protected.

This is a test of conscience. It is a measure of what kind of leaders we expect and what kind of people we choose to be.

Jeff Balk may be gone, but those who stood behind him remain in power.

Until they are gone too, we have not yet begun to fight.

Daniel Willis

Chairman, Sussex County Republican Party

P.S. Standing up to a political party that excuses this kind of leadership should not require resources, but the reality is that it takes funding to keep the truth in front of voters. Your donation today helps the Sussex County Republican Party reach more households, share these facts, and hold the Democrats accountable — not just now, but through the 2026 elections.

Join the fight. Contribute at Sussex.GOP/Donate.