Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Delaware on Tuesday, defeating a small field of challengers that included a former Republican who legally changed his name to include “No-Trump.”
Coons, seeking a third full term, beat back challenges from E. No-Trump Hansen, Jeff Appelhans and Mary Louve to secure the nomination. He is widely expected to win in November in a state that has not elected a Republican senator since 1966.
Hansen, a former business executive previously known as Eric Hansen, ran on a platform aimed at curbing presidential power, framing his campaign as a response to what he called President Donald Trump’s “worst impulses.” His campaign called for legislation to “restore real checks and balances, and root out corruption and self-dealing.”
A statement of candidacy filed with the Federal Election Commission shows Hansen began campaigning under his new name in July. His campaign website described the name as more than a stunt, stating it reflected “his complete commitment to positive change.”
In an interview with local outlet WHYY, Hansen explained his decision to change his name and acknowledged the personal risk he believed it carried.
“Trump has said he’ll go after his critics by any means available. He will go after me, but I’m willing to bear that risk anyway — because the alternative is letting things get worse for Delawareans,” Hansen told WHYY.
Hansen’s political history includes a run as a Republican in 2024, when he won the GOP nomination before losing to Sen. Lisa Blunt-Rochester, D-Del.
Coons will face either Mike Katz or John Shulli in the general election in November. Coons currently serves as the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.
He first entered the Senate in 2010 to fill the seat vacated by Joe Biden after Biden was chosen as running mate to then-President Barack Obama. Coons won his first full term in 2014 and has held the seat since.
Delaware last sent a Republican to the Senate in 1966, when Sen. J. Caleb Boggs lost re-election to a 29-year-old Biden, a defeat that helped cement the state’s decades-long status as a Democratic stronghold.
