Delaware Senate

Last updated

Delaware State Senate
Delaware General Assembly
Seal of Delaware.svg
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
New session started
January 10, 2023
Leadership
Vacant
since January 7, 2025
President pro tempore
David Sokola (D)
since November 4, 2020
Majority Leader
Bryan Townsend (D)
since November 4, 2020
Minority Leader
Gerald Hocker (R)
since November 7, 2018
Structure
Seats21
Delaware Senate 2022.svg
Political groups
Majority
  •   Democratic (15)

Minority

Length of term
4 years
AuthorityArticle III, Section 1, Delaware Constitution
Salary$48,237/year. [1]
Elections
Last election
November 5, 2024
(10 seats)
Next election
November 3, 2026
(11 seats)
RedistrictingLegislative Control
Meeting place
DE State Senate.jpg
State Senate Chamber
Delaware Legislative Hall
Dover, Delaware
Website
Delaware State Senate

The Delaware Senate is the upper house of the Delaware General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is composed of 21 Senators, each of whom is elected to a four-year term, except when reapportionment occurs, at which time Senators may be elected to a two-year term. There is no limit to the number of terms that a Senator may serve. The Delaware Senate meets at the Legislative Hall in Dover.

Contents

In order to accommodate the ten-year cycle of reapportionment, the terms of office of the several Senators are staggered so that ten Senators are elected to terms of two years at the first biennial general election following reapportionment, followed by two four-year terms, and eleven Senators are elected at the said election for two four-year terms, followed by a two-year term.

Like other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the federal U.S. Senate, the Senate can confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments to the state cabinet, commissions, boards, or justices to the Delaware Supreme Court.

Qualifications

Senators must be citizens of the United States, have lived in Delaware for three years, and have been a resident of their respective district for at least one year preceding their election. They must also be at least 27 years old at the time of their election.

Senate leadership

The Lieutenant Governor of Delaware serves as the President of the Senate, but only casts a vote if required to break a tie. In his or her absence, the President Pro Tempore presides over the Senate. The President Pro Tempore is elected by the majority party caucus followed by confirmation of the entire Senate through a Senate Resolution. The President Pro Tempore is the chief leadership position in the Senate. The other Senate leaders are elected by their respective party caucuses.

PositionNamePartyDistrict
President of the Senate/Lieutenant Governor VacantN/A
President Pro Tem David Sokola Democratic 8
Majority Leader Bryan Townsend Democratic 11
Majority Whip Elizabeth Lockman Democratic 3
Minority Leader Gerald Hocker Republican 20
Minority Whip Brian G. Pettyjohn Republican 19

Composition

156
DemocraticRepublican
AffiliationParty
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Democratic Republican Vacant
November 7, 2018 [2] 147210
November 7, 2022156210
Latest voting share

Members

Below are the Senators as of the 153rd General Assembly (2024–2026), following the most recent election.

DistrictNamePartyFirst electedResidenceSeat up
1st Vacant [a] 2026
2nd Darius J. Brown Dem2018 Wilmington 2028
3rd Elizabeth Lockman Dem2018 Wilmington 2028
4th Laura Sturgeon Dem2018 Brandywine Hundred 2028
5th Vacant [b] 2026
6th Russ Huxtable Dem2022 Lewes 2028
7th Spiros Mantzavinos Dem2020Westgate Farms2026
8th David Sokola Dem1990 Newark 2026
9th Jack Walsh Dem2016 Newport 2026
10th Stephanie Hansen Dem2017 Middletown 2028
11th Bryan Townsend Dem2012Westover Woods2028
12th Nicole Poore Dem2012Barbs Farm2026
13th Marie Pinkney Dem2020 New Castle County 2026
14th Kyra Hoffner Dem2022 Leipsic 2026
15th David G. Lawson Rep2010 Marydel 2026
16th Eric Buckson Rep2022 Camden 2028
17th W. Charles Paradee Dem2018 Dover 2028
18th David L. Wilson Rep2018 Lincoln 2028
19th Brian G. Pettyjohn Rep2012 Georgetown 2026
20th Gerald Hocker Rep2012 Ocean View 2026
21st Bryant Richardson Rep2014 Laurel 2028

Past composition of the Senate

See also

Notes

  1. Democrat Sarah McBride resigned after being elected as a U.S. Representative
  2. Democrat Kyle Evans Gay resigned after being elected Lieutenant Governor

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vermont General Assembly</span> Legislative branch of the state government of Vermont

The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the state of Vermont, in the United States. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly", but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself. The General Assembly is a bicameral legislature, consisting of the 150-member Vermont House of Representatives and the 30-member Vermont Senate. Members of the House are elected by single and two-member districts. 68 districts choose one member, and 41 choose two, with the term of service being two years. The Senate includes 30 Senators, elected by seven single-member and nine multi-member districts with two or three members each. It is the only state legislative body in the United States in which a third party has had continuous representation and been consecutively elected alongside Democrats and Republicans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State Senate</span> Upper house of the California State Legislature

The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature, the lower house being the California State Assembly. The state senate convenes, along with the state assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Senate</span> Upper house of the Michigan Legislature

The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. Along with the Michigan House of Representatives, it composes the state legislature, which has powers, roles and duties defined by Article IV of the Michigan Constitution, adopted in 1963. The primary purpose of the Legislature is to enact new laws and amend or repeal existing laws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia State Senate</span> Upper house of the Georgia General Assembly

The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly, in the U.S. state of Georgia. The Georgia State Senate and the lower house of the General Assembly, the Georgia House of Representatives, comprise the bicameral legislature of the state. Together, the Senate and the House maintain authority under Article III. of the 1983 Constitution of Georgia to enact laws "necessary and proper for the welfare of the state", although state law is subordinate to the state constitution, the United States Constitution, and federal law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut State Senate</span> Upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly

The Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The state senate comprises 36 members, each representing a district with around 99,280 inhabitants. Senators are elected to two-year terms without term limits. The Connecticut State Senate is one of 14 state legislative upper houses whose members serve two-year terms; four-year terms are more common.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arkansas Senate</span> Upper house of the Arkansas General Assembly

The Arkansas State Senate is the upper branch of the Arkansas General Assembly. The Senate consists of 35 members, each representing a district with about 83,000 people. Service in the state legislature is part-time, and many state senators have full-time jobs during the rest of the year. During the current term, the Senate contains twenty-nine Republicans and six Democrats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhode Island Senate</span> Upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly

The Rhode Island Senate is the upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the lower house being the Rhode Island House of Representatives. It is composed of 38 Senators, each of whom is elected to a two-year term. Rhode Island is one of the 14 states where its upper house serves at a two-year cycle, rather than the normal four-year term as in most states. There is no limit to the number of terms that a Senator may serve. The Rhode Island Senate meets at the Rhode Island State Capitol in Providence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington State Senate</span> Upper house of the Washington State Legislature

The Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature. The body consists of 49 members, each representing a district with a population of nearly 160,000. The State Senate meets at the Legislative Building in Olympia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nevada Senate</span> Upper house of the Nevada Legislature

The Nevada Senate is the upper house of the Nevada Legislature, the state legislature of U.S. state of Nevada, the lower house being the Nevada Assembly. It currently (2012–2021) consists of 21 members from single-member districts. In the previous redistricting (2002–2011) there were 19 districts, two of which were multimember. Since 2012, there have been 21 districts, each formed by combining two neighboring state assembly districts. Each state senator represented approximately 128,598 as of the 2010 United States census. Article Four of the Constitution of Nevada sets that state senators serve staggered four-year terms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indiana Senate</span> Upper house of the Indiana General Assembly

The Indiana Senate is the upper house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The Senate is composed of 50 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. Senators serve four-year terms without term limits. According to the 2010 U.S. census, the average state senator represents 129,676 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vermont Senate</span> Upper house of the Vermont General Assembly

The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members elected from multi-member districts. Each senator represents at least 20,300 citizens. Senators are elected to two-year terms and there is no limit to the number of terms that a senator may serve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oklahoma Senate</span> Upper house of the Oklahoma Legislature

The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisiana State Senate</span> Upper house of the state legislature of Louisiana

The Louisiana State Senate is the upper house of Louisiana’s legislature. Senators serve four-year terms and participate in various committees.

The following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of Iowa:

Washington ratified its constitution and held its first state elections in 1889, the year it was admitted to the union as a state. It established the positions of governor, lieutenant governor, Secretary of State, attorney general, state treasurer, state auditor, Commissioner of Public Lands, and Superintendent of Public Instruction. The position of insurance commissioner was legislatively established in 1907. All positions are elected to four-year terms, concurrent with presidential elections. Washington is one of three states that elects nine separate statewide officials, while six others elect ten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1881 United States Senate election in New York</span>

The 1881 United States Senate election in New York was held on January 18, 1881, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.

The 1885 United States Senate election in New York was held on January 20, 1885, by the New York State Legislature to elect a U.S. Senator to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1880–81 United States Senate elections</span>

The 1880–81 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states, coinciding with the presidential election of 1880. As these U.S. Senate elections were prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, senators were chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1880 and 1881, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock. In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1886–87 United States Senate elections</span>

The 1886–87 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. As these U.S. Senate elections were prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, senators were chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1886 and 1887, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock. In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1830–31 United States Senate elections</span>

The 1830–31 United States Senate elections were held on various dates in various states. As these U.S. Senate elections were prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, senators were chosen by state legislatures. Senators were elected over a wide range of time throughout 1830 and 1831, and a seat may have been filled months late or remained vacant due to legislative deadlock. In these elections, terms were up for the senators in Class 3.

References

  1. "2022 Legislator Compensation". ncsl.org. National Conference of State Legislatures.
  2. Delaware legislators' terms begin the second Wednesday in November (i.e. the day after Election Day), even though they are not sworn in until January. Constitution of Delaware, Article II, Section 3