Sussex County Marks Election End With Return Day

Sussex County concluded the 2026 midterm election cycle on Thursday with Return Day, a biennial celebration held in Georgetown. The event serves as a local tradition to mark the end of the campaign season and the beginning of the legislative term. Hundreds of residents gathered on West Market Street to watch winning and losing candidates ride in carriages and cars during a parade.

The 2026 election resulted in a shift for the historically red county. Sussex County voted for Democratic candidates in major statewide and federal races for the first time since 2012. U.S. Sen. Chris Coons won the county for the first time since his initial election in 2010. Delaware Democrats secured legislative supermajorities, running on quality-of-life issues.

Hunter Landon, the emcee for the official ceremonies, stated that the event allows the state to put aside political differences. "In Delaware, this unique tradition that has lived on for hundreds of years serves as a guiding light that win, lose or draw," Landon said. "We come together and put aside our differences for the betterment of the First State."

A central ritual involves Sussex County political party leaders burying an actual hatchet in a box of sand from Lewes. Tom Molnar, chair of the Sussex County Republican Party, commented on the act. "Today we're all Americans, not Republicans, not Democrats," Molnar said after the hatchet was buried.

The tradition dates back to 1791, when Sussex County’s seat moved from Lewes to Georgetown. At that time, voters cast ballots in the county seat and returned two days later to hear the results. Georgetown Mayor Angela Townsend noted that while technology has changed how results are announced, the spirit remains. "Return Day is our collective deep breath after the storm of a campaign season," Townsend said.

Kirk Lawson, the town crier for Georgetown, read the certified election returns from the balcony of the Sussex County Courthouse alongside Sheriff Robert Lee. Both wore traditional regalia. Lawson noted that from that balcony, Sussex County is the only thing that matters. The celebration included free beef sandwiches served as an ox roast, a custom that does not use ox meat.

Nancy Stout, a resident who has attended the event for nearly 30 years, said she feels hopeful this year. Stout met her friend Turk at the event in 2008. "We’ve been fast friends ever since," Stout said. She described the day as a time to celebrate democracy and come together as a community.