A table showing the results of general elections for the Governor of Delaware, beginning in 1792 when the Delaware Constitution of 1792 went into effect, providing for the popular election of Governors.

The Governor serves as head of the executive branch of the state's government. Beginning in 1792, the Governor was popularly elected, at first for a three-year term, changing to a four-year term in 1831. Elections were held the first Tuesday in October until 1831, when they were changed to the first Tuesday after November 1.

Governors of Delaware

Year Elected Party Votes % Opponent Party Votes % Notes
1792 Joshua Clayton Federalist 2,209 48% Thomas Montgomery Republican 1,902 42% [1]
1795 Gunning Bedford, Sr. Federalist 2,352 52% Archibald Alexander Republican 2,142 48%
1798 Richard Bassett Federalist 2,490 52% David Hall Republican 2,068 44% [2]
1801 David Hall Republican 3,475 50% Nathaniel Mitchell Federalist 3,457 50%
1804 Nathaniel Mitchell Federalist 4,391 52% Joseph Haslet Republican 4,050 48%
1807 George Truitt Federalist 3,309 52% Joseph Haslet Republican 3,062 48%
1810 Joseph Haslet Republican 3,664 50% Daniel Rodney Federalist 3,593 50%
1813 Daniel Rodney Federalist 4,643 55% James Riddle Republican 3,768 45%
1816 John Clark Federalist 4,008 53% Manaen Bull Republican 3,517 47%
1819 Henry Molleston Federalist 3,823 55% Manaen Bull Republican 3,185 45%
1820 John Collins Republican 3,970 53% Jesse Green Federalist 3,520 47% [3]
1822 Joseph Haslet Republican 3,784 50% James Booth Federalist 3,762 50%
1823 Samuel Paynter Federalist 4,348 52% David Hazzard Republican 4,051 48% [4]
1826 Charles Polk, Jr. Federalist 4,333 51% David Hazzard Republican 4,238 49%
1829 David Hazzard National Republican 4,215 51% Allen Thompson Democratic 4,046 49%
1832 Caleb P. Bennett Democratic 4,220 50% Arnold Naudain Whig 4,166 50%
1836 Cornelius P. Comegys Whig 4,693 52% Nehemiah Clark Democratic 4,276 48%
1840 William B. Cooper Whig 5,850 54% Warren Jefferson Democratic 5,024 46%
1844 Thomas Stockton Whig 6,140 50% William Tharp Democratic 6,095 50%
1846 William Tharp Democratic 6,148 51% Peter F. Causey Whig 6,012 49%
1850 William H. H. Ross Democratic 6,001 49% Peter F. Causey Whig 5,978 48% [5]
1854 Peter F. Causey American 6,941 53% William Burton Democratic 6,244 47%
1858 William Burton Democratic 7,758 51% James S. Buckmaster People's 7,554 49%
1862 William Cannon Republican 8,155 50% Samuel Jefferson Democratic 8,044 50%
1866 Gove Saulsbury Democratic 9,810 53% James Riddle Republican 8,598 47%
1870 James Ponder Democratic 11,464 56% Thomas B. Coursey Republican 9,130 44%
1874 John P. Cochran Democratic 12,488 53% Isaac Jump Republican 11,259 47%
1878 John W. Hall Democratic 10,730 79% Kensey J. Stewart Greenback 2,835 21%
1882 Charles C. Stockley Democratic 16,558 53% Albert Curry Republican 14,620 47%
1886 Benjamin T. Biggs Democratic 13,942 64% John H. Hoffecker Temperance Reform 7,835 36%
1890 Robert J. Reynolds Democratic 17,801 51% Harry A. Richardson Republican 17,258 49%
1894 Joshua H. Marvil Republican 19,880 50% Ebe W. Tunnell Democratic 18,659 47%
1896 Ebe W. Tunnell Democratic 15,507 44% John H. Hoffecker Republican 11,014 31% [6]
1900 John Hunn Republican 22,421 53% Peter J. Ford Democratic 18,808 45%
1904 Preston Lea Republican 22,532 51% Caleb S. Pennewill Democratic 19,780 45% [7]
1908 Simeon S. Pennewill Republican 24,905 52% Rowland G. Paynter Democratic 22,794 48%
1912 Charles R. Miller Republican 22,745 47% Thomas M. Monaghan Democratic 21,460 44% [8]
1916 John G. Townsend, Jr. Republican 26,664 52% James H. Hughes Democratic 24,053 47%
1920 William D. Denney Republican 51,895 55% Andrew J. Lynch Democratic 41,038 44%
1924 Robert P. Robinson Republican 53,046 60% Joseph Bancroft Democratic 34,830 39%
1928 C. Douglass Buck Republican 63,716 61% Charles M. Wharton Democratic 40,346 39%
1932 C. Douglass Buck Republican 60,903 54% Landreth L. Layton Democratic 50,401 45%
1936 Richard C. McMullen Democratic 65,437 52% Harry L. Cannon Republican 52,782 42% [9]
1940 Walter W. Bacon Republican 70,909 52% Josiah Marvel, Jr. Democratic 61,237 45% [10]
1944 Walter W. Bacon Republican 63,829 51% Isaac J. MacCollum Democratic 62,156 49%
1948 Elbert N. Carvel Democratic 75,339 54% Hyland P. George Republican 64,996 46%
1952 J. Caleb Boggs Republican 88,977 52% Elbert N. Carvel Democratic 81,772 48%
1956 J. Caleb Boggs Republican 91,965 52% J. H.Tyler McConnell Democratic 85,047 48%
1960 Elbert N. Carvel Democratic 100,792 52% John W. Rollins Republican 94,043 48%
1964 Charles L. Terry, Jr. Democratic 102,797 51% David P. Buckson Republican 97,374 49%
1968 Russell W. Peterson Republican 104,474 51% Charles L. Terry, Jr. Democratic 102,360 49%
1972 Sherman W. Tribbitt Democratic 117,274 51% Russell W. Peterson Republican 109,583 48% [11]
1976 Pierre S. du Pont IV Republican 130,531 57% Sherman W. Tribbitt Democratic 97,480 42%
1980 Pierre S. du Pont IV Republican 159,004 71% William J. Gordy Democratic 64,217 29% [12]
1984 Michael N. Castle Republican 135,250 55% William T. Quillen Democratic 108,315 45%
1988 Michael N. Castle Republican 169,733 71% Jacob Kreshtool Democratic 70,236 29%
1992 Thomas R. Carper Democratic 179,268 66% B. Gary Scott Republican 90,747 34% [13]
1996 Thomas R. Carper Democratic 188,300 70% Janet Rzewnicki Republican 82,654 30%
2000 Ruth Ann Minner Democratic 191,695 60% John M. Burris Republican 128,603 40% [14]
2004 Ruth Ann Minner Democratic 185,687 51% William Swain Lee Republican 167,115 46% [15]
2008 Jack Markell Democratic 266,861 68% William Swain Lee Republican 126,662 32% [16]
2012 Jack Markell Democratic 275,991 69% Jeff Cragg Republican 113,792 29% [17]
2016 John Carney Democratic 248,404 58% Colin Bonini Republican 166,852 39% [18]
2020 John Carney Democratic 292,903 59% Julianne Murray Republican 190,312 38% [19]

Notes

  1. ^ An additional candidate was George Mitchell (458)
  2. ^ An additional candidate was Barclay Townsend (185)
  3. ^ This was a special election held on October 3, 1820 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Henry Molleston.
  4. ^ This was a special election held on October 7, 1823 to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Joseph Haslet.
  5. ^ An additional candidate was Thomas Lockwood (456).
  6. ^ An additional candidate was John C. Higgins (7,154).
  7. ^ Regular Republican candidate Joseph H. Chandler received 802 votes (2%).
  8. ^ Additional candidates included George B. Hynson (3,019)
  9. ^ Additional candidates included Isaac D. Short (8,400)
  10. ^ Liberal Democratic candidate Ivan Culbertson received 2,975 votes (2%).
  11. ^ Additional candidates were Virginia M. Lyndall (1,468) and Harry H. Conner (397).
  12. ^ An additional candidate was Lawrence Levy.
  13. ^ Additional candidates were Floyd E. McDowell, Sr. and Richar A. Cohen.
  14. ^ An additional candidate was Floyd E. McDowell, Sr. (3,271).
  15. ^ An additional candidate was Frank Infante (12,206).
  16. ^ An additional candidate was Jeffrey Brown (1,681).
  17. ^ Additional candidates were Mark Perri (Green Party, 4,575) and Jesse McVay (Libertarian, 3,668).
  18. ^ Additional candidates were Andrew R. Groff (Green, 5,951) and Sean L. Groward (Libertarian, 4,577).
  19. ^ Additional candidates were Kathy DeMatteis (Delaware Independent, 6,150) and John Machurek (Libertarian, 3,270).

References


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