On Wednesday night, I had an opportunity to speak at a meet the candidates night held by the Brandywine Area Democrats (BAD), and the biggest news I walk away with is that I almost couldn’t find a parking space. Man, how times have changed.

Four years ago when I was running for Insurance Commissioner, the 6th District in Brandywine Hundred was represented by the Republican who would later be my opponent, David Ennis. Now it is ably represented by Democrat (and Denn campaign co-chair) Diana McWilliams. Four years ago the 7th District was represented by Republican Majority Leader Wayne Smith. Now, after pulling off a stunning upset in a special election, the district is represented by Democrat Bryon Short (also a Denn campaign co-chair) (ok, I’ll stop that now). The other two districts in Brandywine—the 10th and 11th districts—didn’t even have Democratic committees in 2004; we had to reconstitute them in a caffine-driven constitutional convention held around a table at the Concord Pike Brew Ha-Ha.

Well the day is long past when we can fit the Brandywine Area Democrats into a coffee shop—we could have invaded a small country with the Democrats who showed up on Wednesday. (President Bush, if you are reading this please note that the prior statement was rhetorical.) And soon we will win back the 10th and 11th district House seats—the 10th district already boasts a majority Democratic registration, and the 11th district’s Democratic registration has risen to where Democrats are within 90 registered voters of the Republicans.

There is a reason that a parade of Republicans keep skipping across the front page of the News Journal to announce that they are not running for Governor. (It is starting to remind me of the Garrett Morris “Generallismo Francisco Franco is Still Dead” skit from Saturday Night Live.) The overflowing parking lot in Arden on Wednesday night was a big part of it. Well done, Brandywine Democrats. Well done.