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 [ edit ]
Year
Elected
Party
Votes
%
Opponent
Party
Votes
%
Notes
1792
Joshua Clayton *
Federalist
2,209
48%
Thomas Montgomery
Republican
1,902
42%
[ a]
1795
Gunning Bedford Sr.
Federalist
2,352
52%
Archibald Alexander
Republican
2,142
48%
1798
Richard Bassett
Federalist
2,490
53%
David Hall
Republican
2,068
44%
[ b]
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%
[ c]
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%
[ d]
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
48%
Peter F. Causey
Whig
5,978
48%
[ e]
1854
Peter F. Causey
American
6,941
53%
William Burton
Democratic
6,244
47%
1858
William Burton
Democratic
7,758
53%
James S. Buckmaster
People's
7,554
47%
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
50%
Harry A. Richardson
Republican
17,258
49%
1894
Joshua H. Marvil
Republican
19,880
51%
Ebe W. Tunnell
Democratic
18,659
48%
1896
Ebe W. Tunnell
Democratic
15,507
44%
John H. Hoffecker
Republican
11,014
31%
[ f]
1900
John Hunn
Republican
22,421
54%
Peter J. Ford
Democratic
18,808
45%
1904
Preston Lea
Republican
22,532
51%
Caleb S. Pennewill
Democratic
19,780
45%
[ g]
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%
[ h]
1916
John G. Townsend Jr.
Republican
26,664
52%
James H. Hughes
Democratic
24,053
47%
1920
William D. Denney
Republican
51,895
56%
Andrew J. Lynch
Democratic
41,038
43%
1924
Robert P. Robinson
Republican
53,046
59%
Joseph Bancroft
Democratic
34,830
40%
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 McMullen
Democratic
65,437
50%
Harry L. Cannon
Republican
52,782
43%
[ i]
1940
Walter W. Bacon
Republican
70,909
52%
Josiah Marvel Jr.
Democratic
61,237
45%
[ j]
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%
[ k]
1976
Pete du Pont
Republican
130,531
57%
Sherman W. Tribbitt *
Democratic
97,480
42%
1980
Pete du Pont *
Republican
159,004
71%
William J. Gordy
Democratic
64,217
29%
[ l]
1984
Mike Castle
Republican
135,250
56%
William T. Quillen
Democratic
108,315
44%
1988
Mike Castle *
Republican
169,733
71%
Jacob Kreshtool
Democratic
70,236
29%
1992
Tom Carper
Democratic
179,268
65%
B. Gary Scott
Republican
90,747
33%
[ m]
1996
Tom Carper *
Democratic
188,300
70%
Janet Rzewnicki
Republican
82,654
30%
2000
Ruth Ann Minner
Democratic
191,695
59%
John M. Burris
Republican
128,603
40%
[ n]
2004
Ruth Ann Minner *
Democratic
185,687
51%
Bill Lee
Republican
167,115
46%
[ o]
2008
Jack Markell
Democratic
266,861
68%
Bill Lee
Republican
126,662
32%
[ p]
2012
Jack Markell *
Democratic
275,991
69%
Jeff Cragg
Republican
113,792
29%
[ q]
2016
John Carney
Democratic
248,404
58%
Colin Bonini
Republican
166,852
39%
[ r]
2020
John Carney *
Democratic
292,903
59%
Julianne Murray
Republican
190,312
39%
[ s]
^ An additional candidate was George Mitchell (458).
^ An additional candidate was Barclay Townsend (185).
^ This was a special election held on October 3, 1820, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Henry Molleston .
^ This was a special election held on October 7, 1823, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Joseph Haslet .
^ An additional candidate was Thomas Lockwood (456).
^ An additional candidate was John C. Higgins (7,154).
^ Regular Republican candidate Joseph H. Chandler received 802 votes (2%). .
^ Additional candidates included George B. Hynson (3,019).
^ Additional candidates included Isaac D. Short (8,400).
^ Liberal Democratic candidate Ivan Culbertson received 2,975 votes (2%).
^ Additional candidates were Virginia M. Lyndall (1,468) and Harry H. Conner (397).
^ An additional candidate was Lawrence Levy.
^ Additional candidates were Floyd E. McDowell Sr. and Richard A. Cohen.
^ An additional candidate was Floyd E. McDowell Sr. (3,271).
^ An additional candidate was Frank Infante (12,206).
^ An additional candidate was Jeffrey Brown (1,681).
^ Additional candidates were Mark Perri (Green Party, 4,575) and Jesse McVay (Libertarian, 3,668).
^ Additional candidates were Andrew R. Groff (Green, 5,951) and Sean L. Groward (Libertarian, 4,577).
^ Additional candidates were Kathy DeMatteis (Delaware Independent, 6,150) and John Machurek (Libertarian, 3,270).
Dublin, Michael J. United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776–1860 .
Glashan. American Governors and Gubernatorial Elections, 1775–1978 .
Barone, Michael; Richard E. Cohen (2005). The Almanac of American Politics . National Journal Group. ISBN 0-89234-112-2 .
Martin, Roger A. (1984). A History of Delaware Through its Governors . Wilmington, Delaware : McClafferty Press.