Elected state official
The lieutenant governor of Delaware is the second ranking executive officer of the U.S. state of Delaware. Lieutenant governors are elected for a term of four years in the same general election as the U.S. president and take office the following January.
As in many other U.S. state legislatures, the lieutenant governor also serves as the President of the Delaware Senate, though they can only issue a vote if there is a tie on any vote.
The Office of Lieutenant Governor was created by the Delaware Constitution of 1897, and the first election took place in 1900.
Although in practice the candidate for lieutenant governor is nominated as a ticket with the candidate for governor, the offices of governor and lieutenant governor are voted on separately in Delaware. In 1972, 1976, and 1984, the governor and lieutenant governor were elected from different parties.
Bethany Hall-Long is the current lieutenant governor, having taken office January 17, 2017.
The offices of the lieutenant governor are at the state capital of Dover.
List
- Parties
Democratic (14) Republican (12)
#
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Lt. Governor
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Took office
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Left office
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Governor(s) served under
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Party
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1
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Philip L. Cannon
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January 15, 1901
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January 17, 1905
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John Hunn
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Republican
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2
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Isaac T. Parker
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January 17, 1905
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January 19, 1909
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Preston Lea
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Republican
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3
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John M. Mendinhall
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January 19, 1909
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January 21, 1913
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Simeon S. Pennewill
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Republican
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4
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Colen Ferguson
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January 21, 1913
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January 16, 1917
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Charles R. Miller (Republican)
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Democratic
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5
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Lewis E. Eliason
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January 16, 1917
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May 2, 1919
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John G. Townsend, Jr. (Republican)
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Democratic
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6
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J. Danforth Bush
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January 18, 1921
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January 20, 1925
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William D. Denney
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Republican
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7
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James H. Anderson
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January 20, 1925
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January 15, 1929
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Robert P. Robinson
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Republican
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8
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James H. Hazel
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January 15, 1929
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January 17, 1933
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C. Douglass Buck
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Republican
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9
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Roy F. Corley
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January 17, 1933
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January 19, 1937
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C. Douglass Buck
|
Republican
|
10
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Edward W. Cooch
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January 19, 1937
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January 21, 1941
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Richard C. McMullen
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Democratic
|
11
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Isaac J. MacCollum
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January 21, 1941
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January 16, 1945
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Walter W. Bacon
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Democratic
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12
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Elbert N. Carvel
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January 16, 1945
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January 18, 1949
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Walter W. Bacon
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Democratic
|
13
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Alexis I. du Pont Bayard
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January 18, 1949
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January 20, 1953
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Elbert N. Carvel
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Democratic
|
14
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John W. Rollins
|
January 20, 1953
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January 15, 1957
|
J. Caleb Boggs
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Republican
|
15
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David P. Buckson
|
January 15, 1957
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December 30, 1960
|
J. Caleb Boggs
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Republican
|
16
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Eugene Lammot
|
January 17, 1961
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January 19, 1965
|
Elbert N. Carvel
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Democratic
|
17
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Sherman W. Tribbitt
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January 19, 1965
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January 21, 1969
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Charles L. Terry, Jr.
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Democratic
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18
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Eugene Bookhammer
|
January 21, 1969
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January 18, 1977
|
Russell W. Peterson (Republican) Sherman W. Tribbitt (Democratic)
|
Republican
|
19
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James D. McGinnis
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January 18, 1977
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January 20, 1981
|
Pete du Pont (Republican)
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Democratic
|
20
|
Mike Castle
|
January 20, 1981
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January 15, 1985
|
Pete du Pont
|
Republican
|
21
|
S. B. Woo
|
January 15, 1985
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January 20, 1989
|
Michael N. Castle
|
Democratic
|
22
|
Dale E. Wolf
|
January 20, 1989
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December 31, 1992
|
Mike Castle
|
Republican
|
23
|
Ruth Ann Minner
|
January 19, 1993
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January 3, 2001
|
Tom Carper
|
Democratic
|
24
|
John Carney
|
January 16, 2001
|
January 20, 2009
|
Ruth Ann Minner
|
Democratic
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25
|
Matthew Denn
|
January 20, 2009
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January 6, 2015
|
Jack Markell
|
Democratic
|
26
|
Bethany Hall-Long
|
January 17, 2017
|
present
|
John Carney
|
Democratic
|
Living former lieutenant governors of Delaware
As of November 2021[update], four former lieutenant governors of Delaware are living, the oldest being Shien Biau Woo (served 1985–1989, born 1937). The most recent and most recently serving lieutenant governor to die was Ruth Ann Minner (served 1993–2001, born 1935), who died on November 4, 2021.
Lt. Governor
|
Lt. gubernatorial term
|
Date of birth (and age)
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Michael N. Castle
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1981–1985
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(1939-07-02) July 2, 1939 (age 83)
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Shien Biau Woo
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1985–1989
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(1937-08-13) August 13, 1937 (age 85)
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John Carney
|
2001–2009
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(1956-05-20) May 20, 1956 (age 66)
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Matthew Denn
|
2009–2015
|
(1966-02-09) February 9, 1966 (age 56)
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Links to related articles |
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States | |
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Insular areas | |
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Arizona, Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon, Wyoming, and Puerto Rico do not have lieutenant governors. |
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Governors | | |
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Lieutenant governors | |
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| | Italics indicate next-in-line of succession for states and territories without an official lieutenant governor:
- Political party affiliation
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Delaware statewide elected officials |
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