2004 Delaware gubernatorial election

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2004 Delaware gubernatorial election
Flag of Delaware.svg
  2000 November 2, 2004 2008  
  Ruth Ann Minner (2008) (cropped).jpg 3x4.svg
Nominee Ruth Ann Minner Bill Lee
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote185,548167,008
Percentage50.9%45.8%

2004 Delaware gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
2004 Delaware gubernatorial results map by house district.svg
Minner:      40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
Lee:     40–50%     50–60%

Governor before election

Ruth Ann Minner
Democratic

Elected Governor

Ruth Ann Minner
Democratic

The 2004 Delaware gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 2004, coinciding with the U.S. presidential election. Incumbent Governor Ruth Ann Minner faced a serious challenge from retired Superior Court Judge Bill Lee but managed a five-point victory on election day. As of 2025, this is the last time Kent County voted Republican in a gubernatorial election, and the last time the Republican gubernatorial nominee won a majority of Delaware's counties.

Contents

Primaries

Democratic Party

Democratic primary results
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Ruth Ann Minner (incumbent) 41,671 100.00

Republican Party

Republican primary results [1]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Bill Lee 15,270 70.47
Republican Michael D. Protack5,10823.57
Republican David Charles Graham1,2925.96
Total votes21,670 100.00

Independent Party/Libertarian Party

Campaign

Predictions

SourceRankingAs of
Sabato's Crystal Ball [2] Likely DNovember 1, 2004

Results

Delaware gubernatorial election, 2004 [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic Ruth Ann Minner (incumbent) 185,548 50.87% −8.38%
Republican Bill Lee 167,00845.79%+6.04%
Independent Party Frank Infante12,2033.34%+1.8%
Majority 18,5405.08%−14.42%
Turnout 364,759
Democratic hold Swing

By county

By county
County Ruth Ann Minner
Democratic
William Lee
Republican
All Others
#%#%#%
Kent 22,32440.6728,56252.034,0067.3
New Castle 128,95355.2699,47942.634,9422.12
Sussex 34,27144.838,96750.943,2554.26
Totals185,54850.87167,00845.7912,2033.35

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

See also

References

  1. "State of Delaware - Department of Elections - State of Delaware". Archived from the original on July 8, 2012.
  2. "The Final Predictions". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  3. "State of Delaware - Department of Elections - State of Delaware". Archived from the original on November 28, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2011.