List of Governors of Delaware

Governor of Delaware
Great Seal of the State of Delaware
Incumbent John Carney since January 17, 2017
Style	The Honorable
Residence	Delaware Governor's Mansion Dover, Delaware
Term length	Four years, renewable once
Inaugural holder	John McKinly
Formation	February 12, 1777
Deputy	Bethany Hall-Long
Salary	$171,000 (2013) [1]
Website	governor.delaware.gov

The Governor of Delaware (President of Delaware from 1776 to 1792) is the head of the executive branch of Delaware's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Delaware Legislature, to convene the legislature, ^[2] and to grant pardons, except in cases of impeachment, and only with the recommendation of the Board of Pardons. ^[3]

There have been 71 people who have served as governor, over 74 distinct terms. Additionally, Henry Molleston was elected, but died before he could take office. Only four governors have been elected to two consecutive terms, with the longest-serving being Ruth Ann Minner, who was elected twice after succeeding to the office, serving a total of just over eight years. The shortest term is that of Dale E. Wolf, who served 18 days following his predecessor's resignation; David P. Buckson served 19 days under similar circumstances. The current governor is Democrat John Carney, who took office on January 17, 2017.

Governors

Before 1776, Delaware was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain, administered by colonial governors in Pennsylvania as the "Lower Counties on Delaware".

In 1776, soon after Delaware and the other Thirteen Colonies declared independence from Britain, the state adopted its first state constitution. It created the office of President of Delaware, a chief executive to be chosen by the legislature to serve a term of three years. ^[4]

The office of President was renamed Governor by the constitution of 1792, ^[5] which set the commencement date of the term to the third Tuesday in the January following an election, and limited governors to serving only three out of any six years. ^[6] The term was lengthened to four years by the 1831 constitution, but governors were limited to a single term. ^[7] The current constitution of 1897 allows governors to serve two terms. ^[8]

The 1776 constitution stated that if the presidency were vacant, the speaker of the legislative council would be a vice-president. ^[9] The 1792 constitution has the speaker of the senate exercising the office when it is vacant, and the 1897 constitution created the office of lieutenant governor, ^[10] upon whom the office devolves in case of vacancy. ^[11] The offices of governor and lieutenant governor are elected at the same time but not on the same ticket.

Governors of the State of Delaware ^{[lower-alpha 1]}

No. [lower-alpha 2]	Governor [lower-alpha 3]			Term in office	Party	Election	Lt. Governor [lower-alpha 4] [lower-alpha 5]
1			John McKinly	February 12, 1777 – September 12, 1777 [lower-alpha 6] (arrested and removed) [lower-alpha 7]	No parties	1777	Office did not exist
—	Vacant			September 12, 1777 – September 22, 1777		Office vacant due to war
2			Thomas McKean	September 22, 1777 – October 20, 1777 (successor took office)		Speaker of the Assembly acting as Vice-President [lower-alpha 8]
3			George Read	October 20, 1777 – March 31, 1778 (not candidate for election)		Speaker of the Legislative Council serving as Vice-President [lower-alpha 8]
4			Caesar Rodney	March 31, 1778 – November 6, 1781 (not candidate for election)		1778
5			John Dickinson	November 13, 1781 – January 12, 1783 (resigned) [lower-alpha 9]		1781
6			John Cook	November 4, 1782 – February 1, 1783 (not candidate for election)		Speaker of the Legislative Council serving as Vice-President
7			Nicholas Van Dyke	February 1, 1783 – October 28, 1786 (not candidate for election)		1783 (special)
8			Thomas Collins	October 28, 1786 – March 29, 1789 (died in office)		1786
9			Jehu Davis	March 29, 1789 – June 2, 1789 (not candidate for election)		Speaker of the Legislative Council serving as Vice-President
10			Joshua Clayton	June 2, 1789 – January 19, 1796 (not candidate for election)	Federalist	1789
						1792
11			Gunning Bedford Sr.	January 19, 1796 – September 30, 1797 (died in office)	Federalist	1795
12			Daniel Rogers	September 30, 1797 – January 9, 1799 [lower-alpha 10] (not candidate for election)	Federalist	Speaker of the Senate acting as Governor
13			Richard Bassett	January 9, 1799 [lower-alpha 10] – March 3, 1801 (resigned) [lower-alpha 11]	Federalist	1798
14			James Sykes	March 3, 1801 – January 19, 1802 (not candidate for election)	Federalist	Speaker of the Senate acting as Governor
15			David Hall	January 19, 1802 – January 15, 1805 (term limited)	Democratic-Republican	1801
16			Nathaniel Mitchell	January 15, 1805 – January 19, 1808 (term limited)	Federalist	1804
17			George Truitt	January 19, 1808 – January 15, 1811 (term limited)	Federalist	1807
18			Joseph Haslet	January 15, 1811 – January 18, 1814 (term limited)	Democratic-Republican	1810
19			Daniel Rodney	January 18, 1814 – January 21, 1817 (term limited)	Federalist	1813
20			John Clark	January 21, 1817 – January 18, 1820 (term limited)	Federalist	1816
—			Henry Molleston	Died before taking office [lower-alpha 12]	Federalist	1819
21			Jacob Stout	January 18, 1820 – January 16, 1821 (not candidate for election)	Federalist	Speaker of the Senate acting as Governor
22			John Collins	January 16, 1821 – April 16, 1822 (died in office)	Democratic-Republican	1820 (special) [lower-alpha 13]
23			Caleb Rodney	April 23, 1822 – January 21, 1823 (not candidate for election)	Federalist	Speaker of the Senate acting as Governor
24			Joseph Haslet	January 21, 1823 – June 20, 1823 [lower-alpha 14] (died in office)	Democratic-Republican	1822
25			Charles Thomas	June 23, 1823 [lower-alpha 14] – January 20, 1824 (not candidate for election)	Democratic-Republican	Speaker of the Senate acting as Governor
26			Samuel Paynter	January 20, 1824 – January 16, 1827 (term limited)	Federalist	1823 (special) [lower-alpha 15]
27			Charles Polk Jr.	January 16, 1827 – January 19, 1830 (term limited)	Federalist	1826
28			David Hazzard	January 19, 1830 – January 15, 1833 (term limited)	National Republican	1829
29			Caleb P. Bennett	January 15, 1833 – May 9, 1836 (died in office)	Democratic	1832 [lower-alpha 16]
30			Charles Polk Jr.	May 9, 1836 – January 17, 1837 (not candidate for election)	Whig	Speaker of the Senate acting as Governor
31			Cornelius P. Comegys	January 17, 1837 – January 19, 1841 (term limited)	Whig	1836
32			William B. Cooper	January 19, 1841 – January 21, 1845 (term limited)	Whig	1840
33			Thomas Stockton	January 21, 1845 – March 2, 1846 (died in office)	Whig	1844
34			Joseph Maull	March 2, 1846 – May 3, 1846 (died in office)	Whig	Speaker of the Senate acting as Governor
35			William Temple	May 6, 1846 – January 19, 1847 (not candidate for election)	Whig	Speaker of the Senate acting as Governor
36			William Tharp	January 19, 1847 – January 21, 1851 (term limited)	Democratic	1846 (special) [lower-alpha 17]
37			William H. H. Ross	January 21, 1851 – January 16, 1855 (term limited)	Democratic	1850
38			Peter F. Causey	January 16, 1855 – January 18, 1859 (term limited)	American	1854
39			William Burton	January 18, 1859 – January 20, 1863 (term limited)	Democratic	1858
40			William Cannon	January 20, 1863 – March 1, 1865 (died in office)	Republican	1862
41			Gove Saulsbury	March 1, 1865 – January 17, 1871 (term limited)	Democratic	Speaker of the Senate acting as Governor
						1866
42			James Ponder	January 17, 1871 – January 19, 1875 (term limited)	Democratic	1870
43			John P. Cochran	January 19, 1875 – January 21, 1879 (term limited)	Democratic	1874
44			John W. Hall	January 21, 1879 – January 16, 1883 (term limited)	Democratic	1878
45			Charles C. Stockley	January 16, 1883 – January 18, 1887 (term limited)	Democratic	1882
46			Benjamin T. Biggs	January 18, 1887 – January 20, 1891 (term limited)	Democratic	1886
47			Robert J. Reynolds	January 20, 1891 – January 15, 1895 (term limited)	Democratic	1890
48			Joshua H. Marvil	January 15, 1895 – April 8, 1895 (died in office)	Republican	1894
49			William T. Watson	April 8, 1895 – January 19, 1897 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	Speaker of the Senate acting as Governor
50			Ebe W. Tunnell	January 19, 1897 – January 15, 1901 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1896 [lower-alpha 18]
51			John Hunn	January 15, 1901 – January 17, 1905 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1900		Philip L. Cannon
52			Preston Lea	January 17, 1905 – January 19, 1909 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1904		Isaac T. Parker
53			Simeon S. Pennewill	January 19, 1909 – January 21, 1913 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1908		John M. Mendinhall
54			Charles R. Miller	January 21, 1913 – January 16, 1917 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1912		Colen Ferguson [lower-alpha 19]
55			John G. Townsend Jr.	January 16, 1917 – January 18, 1921 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1916		Lewis E. Eliason [lower-alpha 19]
56			William D. Denney	January 18, 1921 – January 20, 1925 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1920		J. Danforth Bush
57			Robert P. Robinson	January 20, 1925 – January 15, 1929 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1924		James H. Anderson
58			C. Douglass Buck	January 15, 1929 – January 19, 1937 (term limited)	Republican	1928		James H. Hazel
						1932		Roy F. Corley
59			Richard McMullen	January 19, 1937 – January 21, 1941 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1936		Edward W. Cooch
60			Walter W. Bacon	January 21, 1941 – January 18, 1949 (term limited)	Republican	1940		Isaac J. MacCollum [lower-alpha 19]
						1944		Elbert N. Carvel [lower-alpha 19]
61			Elbert N. Carvel	January 18, 1949 – January 20, 1953 (lost election)	Democratic	1948		Alexis I. du Pont Bayard
62			J. Caleb Boggs	January 20, 1953 – December 30, 1960 (resigned) [lower-alpha 20]	Republican	1952		John W. Rollins
						1956		David P. Buckson
63			David P. Buckson	December 30, 1960 – January 17, 1961 (successor took office)	Republican	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor	Vacant
64			Elbert N. Carvel	January 17, 1961 – January 19, 1965 (term limited)	Democratic	1960		Eugene Lammot
65			Charles L. Terry Jr.	January 19, 1965 – January 21, 1969 (lost election)	Democratic	1964		Sherman W. Tribbitt
66			Russell W. Peterson	January 21, 1969 – January 16, 1973 (lost election)	Republican	1968		Eugene Bookhammer [lower-alpha 21]
67			Sherman W. Tribbitt	January 16, 1973 – January 18, 1977 (lost election)	Democratic	1972
68			Pete du Pont	January 18, 1977 – January 15, 1985 (term limited)	Republican	1976		James D. McGinnis [lower-alpha 19]
						1980		Mike Castle
69			Mike Castle	January 15, 1985 – December 31, 1992 (resigned) [lower-alpha 22]	Republican	1984		Shien Biau Woo [lower-alpha 19]
						1988		Dale E. Wolf
70			Dale E. Wolf	December 31, 1992 – January 19, 1993 (successor took office)	Republican	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor	Vacant
71			Tom Carper	January 19, 1993 – January 3, 2001 (resigned) [lower-alpha 23]	Democratic	1992		Ruth Ann Minner
						1996
72			Ruth Ann Minner	January 3, 2001 – January 20, 2009 (term limited)	Democratic	Succeeded from Lieutenant Governor	Vacant
						2000		John Carney
						2004
73			Jack Markell	January 20, 2009 – January 17, 2017 (term limited)	Democratic	2008		Matthew Denn (resigned January 6, 2015)
						2012
							Vacant
74			John Carney	January 17, 2017 – present [lower-alpha 24]	Democratic	2016		Bethany Hall-Long

See also

• Delaware gubernatorial elections

Notes

1. Data is sourced from the National Governors Association, unless supplemental references are required.
2. The official website labels John Carney as the 74th governor; ^[12] this indicates that repeat, non-consecutive terms are numbered.
3. The office was named president until 1792.
4. The office of lieutenant governor was created in the 1897 constitution, with the first election taking place in 1900.
5. Lieutenant governors represented the same party as their governor unless noted.
6. Most sources do not specify the day McKinly was captured; at least one specifies that McKinly and the city of Wilmington were captured the day after the Battle of Brandywine, which was on September 11, 1777. ^[13]
7. McKinly was captured and taken prisoner by British forces. ^[14] He was exchanged for loyalist Governor William Franklin of New Jersey in August 1778. ^[15]
8. As Speaker of the Assembly, McKean acted as chief executive until the return of Speaker of the Legislative Council Read from the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, who then served as vice-president for the remainder of the term. ^[16]
9. Dickinson was elected President of Pennsylvania and took office November 7, 1782, holding both presidencies simultaneously. Criticism of this caused him to turn administration of the state over to Speaker of the Legislative Council Cook, but Dickinson didn't formally resign until January 12, 1783. ^[17]
10. The constitutional start date for the term in 1799 was January 15; multiple sources say Bassett took office January 9, but it is not known why it was off schedule. ^{[18] [19]} A few sources do say he took office January 15. ^[20]
11. Bassett resigned to take a seat on the United States Third Circuit Court. ^[18]
12. Governor-elect Molleston died on November 11, 1819, before taking office. The newly elected state senate chose a speaker, Stout, who would act as governor for one year of Molleston's term before a special election was held to pick a governor for the remaining two years. ^[21]
13. Special election to serve out the last two years of Henry Molleston's term.
14. There is disagreement over when Haslet died and Thomas became acting governor. Most modern sources say Haslet died on June 20, and Thomas became acting governor on June 23; however, some sources say Thomas became acting governor on June 20, ^[22] and others say Haslet died on June 23, ^[23] both situations meaning there was no gap in power.
15. Because of the death of Haslet so early in his term, an early election was called. Unlike when Henry Molleston died, where the election was only for the final two years of his term, in this case the new election was for a new three-year term, causing the election schedule to shift. ^[21]
16. Terms were lengthened from three to four years beginning with this term.
17. Special election called due to the deaths of Stockton and Maull. ^[24]
18. Because Marvil died so early in his term, the General Assembly decided to conduct an election for a full term in 1896, changing the election schedule. ^[25]
19. Represented the Democratic Party.
20. Boggs resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate. ^[26]
21. Represented the Republican Party.
22. Castle resigned to take an elected seat in the United States House of Representatives. ^[27]
23. Carper resigned to take an elected seat in the United States Senate. ^[28]
24. Carney's first term expires on January 19, 2021.

References

General

• Martin, Roger A. (1984). A History of Delaware Through its Governors. Wilmington, Delaware: McClafferty Press.
• "Delaware: Past Governors Bios". National Governors Association . Retrieved December 20, 2018.
• Thorpe, Francis Newton (1906). The Federal and State Constitutions, Colonial Charters, and Other Organic Laws of the States, Territories, and Colonies Now or Heretofore Forming the United States of America. Government Printing Office. pp. 568–600. ISBN   0-89941-792-2 . Retrieved October 26, 2009.
• Pickett, Russell S. "Delaware Governors" . Retrieved October 25, 2009.

Constitutions

• "Constitution of the State of Delaware". State of Delaware. 1897. Retrieved June 10, 2009.
• Constitution of the State of Delaware (1831) ^[29]
• Constitution of the State of Delaware (1792) ^[30]
• "Constitution of the State of Delaware". Avalon Project . Yale Law School. 1776. Retrieved June 10, 2009.

Specific

1. "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries". The Council of State Governments. June 25, 2013. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
2. DE Const. art. III
3. DE Const. art. VII, § 1
4. 1776 Const. art 7
5. 1792 Const. art. III, § 1
6. 1792 Const. art. III, § 3
7. 1831 Const. art III, § 3
8. DE Const. art. III, § 5
9. 1776 Const. art. 7
10. DE Const. art. III, § 19
11. DE Const. art. III, § 20
12. "About Governor John Carney". Governor of Delaware. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
13. Project, Delaware Federal Writers' (1938). Delaware: A Guide to the First State. p. 48. ISBN   978-1-60354-008-7 . Retrieved August 4, 2010.
14. McGuire, Thomas J. (2006). The Philadelphia Campaign. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books. p. 278. ISBN   0-8117-0206-5.
15. Rowe, Gail Stuart (1978). Thomas McKean: The Shaping of an American Republicanism. p. 147. ISBN   0-87081-100-2.
16. Conrad, Henry Clay (1908). History of the State of Delaware, Volume 3. p. 821. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
17. Conrad, Henry Clay. History of the State of Delaware, Volume 1. p. 153. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
18. "Richard Bassett". National Governors Association . Retrieved December 20, 2018.
19. Conrad, Henry Clay (1908). History of the State of Delaware, Volume 3. p. 829. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
20. Wolcott, James L. (1896). Argument in Opposition to Henry A. Du Pont's Claim to the Office of United States Senator for the State of Delaware. pp. 44–45. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
21. Niles, H. (1824). Niles' Weekly Register. Volume I, Third Series. p. 121. ISBN   0-8371-3045-X . Retrieved October 25, 2009.
22. "Delaware". The Encyclopedia Americana. Volume. VIII. 1918. p. 614. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
23. Messersmith, George S. (1908). Government of Delaware. p. 283. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
24. Dubin, Michael J. (2003). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776-1860: The Official Results by State and County. McFarland & Company. p. 28. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
25. "Delaware's Change in Elections". The New York Times . April 14, 1895. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
26. "James Caleb Boggs". National Governors Association . Retrieved December 20, 2018.
27. "Michael Newbold Castle". National Governors Association . Retrieved December 20, 2018.
28. "About Tom Carper". United States Senate . Retrieved December 20, 2018.
29. Thorpe pp. 582–600
30. Thorpe pp. 568–582

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Governors of Delaware .

• Office of the Governor of Delaware
• Delaware Hall of Governors