1777 Delaware gubernatorial election

1777 Delaware gubernatorial election

February 12, 1777 1778  →

Nominee John McKinly Party Nonpartisan 1st ballot 19

President before election Office established Elected President John McKinly Nonpartisan

The 1777 Delaware gubernatorial election was held on February 12, 1777. ^[1] The president of the committee of safety John McKinly was elected president of Delaware for a term of three years. ^[2]

McKinly, a physician and a militia officer from Wilmington, Delaware, was a political moderate chosen for his ability to appeal to all factions in the revolutionary government. His lack of distinction led critics to dismiss the incoming president as "a mere patch upon the back" of the powerful president of the Council George Read. ^[2]

The election was conducted by the Delaware General Assembly. McKinly was elected with a majority on the first ballot. ^[2]

General election

1777 Delaware gubernatorial election ^[1]

Candidate	First ballot
	Count	Percent
John McKinly	19	82.61
Others	4	17.39
Total	23	100.00

References

1. Delaware 1887, p. 68.
2. Munroe 1954, p. 91.

Bibliography

• Delaware (1887). Minutes of the Council of the Delaware State, from 1776 to 1792. Wilmington: Historical Society of Delaware.
• Munroe, John A. (1954). Federalist Delaware, 1775–1815. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.