List of governors of Delaware (Redirected from List of Governors of Delaware)

Governor of Delaware
Incumbent
John Carney
since January 17, 2017
Government of Delaware
StyleThe Honorable
ResidenceDelaware Governor's Mansion
Dover, Delaware
Term lengthFour years, renewable once
Inaugural holderJohn McKinly
FormationFebruary 12, 1777
DeputyLieutenant Governor of Delaware
Salary$171,000 (2013)
Websitegovernor.delaware.gov

The governor of Delaware (known as the president of Delaware from 1776 to 1792) is the head of government of Delaware 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, and to grant pardons, except in cases of impeachment, and only with the recommendation of the Board of Pardons.

There have been 71 people who have served as governor, over 74 distinct terms. Three (Joseph Haslet, Charles Polk Jr. and Elbert N. Carvel) served non-consecutive 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, who would be ineligible to be president again until three years had passed after leaving office.

The office of President was renamed Governor by the constitution of 1792, 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. The term was lengthened to four years by the 1831 constitution, but governors were limited to a single term. The current constitution of 1897 allows governors to serve two terms.

The 1776 constitution stated that if the presidency were vacant, the speaker of the legislative council would be a vice-president. 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, upon whom the office devolves in case of vacancy. 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
No. Governor Term in office Party Election Lt. Governor
1   John McKinly
(1721–1796)
February 21, 1777

September 12, 1777
(arrested and removed)
No parties 1777 Office did not exist
2 Thomas McKean
(1734–1817)
September 12, 1777

October 20, 1777
(successor took office)
Speaker of the
Assembly
acting as
vice-president
3 George Read
(1733–1798)
October 20, 1777

March 31, 1778
(did not run)
Speaker of the
Legislative
Council
serving as
vice-president
4 Caesar Rodney
(1728–1784)
March 31, 1778

November 13, 1781
(term-limited)
1778
5 John Dickinson
(1732–1808)
November 13, 1781

January 13, 1783
(resigned)
1781
6 John Cook
(1730–1789)
January 13, 1783

February 8, 1783
(did not run)
Speaker of the
Legislative
Council
serving as
vice-president
7 Nicholas Van Dyke
(1738–1789)
February 8, 1783

October 28, 1786
(term-limited)
1783
(special)
8 Thomas Collins
(1732–1789)
October 28, 1786

March 29, 1789
(died in office)
1786
9 Jehu Davis
(1738–1802)
March 29, 1789

June 2, 1789
(did not run)
Speaker of the
Legislative
Council
serving as
vice-president
10 Joshua Clayton
(1744–1798)
June 2, 1789

January 13, 1796
(term-limited)
Federalist 1789
1792
11 Gunning Bedford Sr.
(1742–1797)
January 13, 1796

September 28, 1797
(died in office)
Federalist 1795
12 Daniel Rogers
(1754–1806)
September 28, 1797

January 9, 1799
(successor took office)
Federalist Speaker of
the Senate
acting
13 Richard Bassett
(1745–1815)
January 9, 1799

March 3, 1801
(resigned)
Federalist 1798
14 James Sykes
(1761–1822)
March 3, 1801

January 19, 1802
(successor took office)
Federalist Speaker of
the Senate
acting
15 David Hall
(1752–1817)
January 19, 1802

January 15, 1805
(term-limited)
Democratic-
Republican
1801
16 Nathaniel Mitchell
(1753–1814)
January 15, 1805

January 19, 1808
(term-limited)
Federalist 1804
17 George Truitt
(1756–1818)
January 19, 1808

January 15, 1811
(term-limited)
Federalist 1807
18 Joseph Haslet
(1769–1823)
January 15, 1811

January 18, 1814
(term-limited)
Democratic-
Republican
1810
19 Daniel Rodney
(1764–1846)
January 18, 1814

January 21, 1817
(term-limited)
Federalist 1813
20 John Clark
(1761–1821)
January 21, 1817

January 15, 1820
(resigned)
Federalist 1816
Henry Molleston
(1762–1819)
Died before
taking office
Federalist 1819
21 Jacob Stout
(1764–1855)
January 15, 1820

January 16, 1821
(successor took office)
Federalist Speaker of
the Senate
acting
22 John Collins
(1776–1822)
January 16, 1821

April 16, 1822
(died in office)
Democratic-
Republican
1820
(special)
23 Caleb Rodney
(1767–1840)
April 23, 1822

January 21, 1823
(did not run)
Federalist Speaker of
the Senate
acting
24 Joseph Haslet
(1769–1823)
January 21, 1823

June 20, 1823
(died in office)
Democratic-
Republican
1822
25 Charles Thomas
(1770–1848)
June 20, 1823

January 20, 1824
(successor took office)
Democratic-
Republican
Speaker of
the Senate
acting
26 Samuel Paynter
(1768–1845)
January 20, 1824

January 16, 1827
(term-limited)
Federalist 1823
(special)
27 Charles Polk Jr.
(1788–1857)
January 16, 1827

January 19, 1830
(term-limited)
Federalist 1826
28 David Hazzard
(1781–1864)
January 19, 1830

January 15, 1833
(term-limited)
National
Republican
1829
29 Caleb P. Bennett
(1758–1836)
January 15, 1833

May 9, 1836
(died in office)
Democratic 1832
30 Charles Polk Jr.
(1788–1857)
May 9, 1836

January 17, 1837
(successor took office)
Whig Speaker of
the Senate
acting
31 Cornelius P. Comegys
(1780–1851)
January 17, 1837

January 19, 1841
(term-limited)
Whig 1836
32 William B. Cooper
(1771–1849)
January 19, 1841

January 21, 1845
(term-limited)
Whig 1840
33 Thomas Stockton
(1781–1846)
January 21, 1845

March 2, 1846
(died in office)
Whig 1844
34 Joseph Maull
(1781–1846)
March 2, 1846

May 3, 1846
(died in office)
Whig Speaker of
the Senate
acting
35 William Temple
(1814–1863)
May 6, 1846

January 19, 1847
(successor took office)
Whig Speaker of
the Senate
acting
36 William Tharp
(1803–1865)
January 19, 1847

January 21, 1851
(term-limited)
Democratic 1846
(special)
37 William H. H. Ross
(1814–1887)
January 21, 1851

January 16, 1855
(term-limited)
Democratic 1850
38 Peter F. Causey
(1801–1871)
January 16, 1855

January 18, 1859
(term-limited)
American 1854
39 William Burton
(1789–1866)
January 18, 1859

January 20, 1863
(term-limited)
Democratic 1858
40 William Cannon
(1809–1865)
January 20, 1863

March 1, 1865
(died in office)
Republican 1862
41 Gove Saulsbury
(1815–1881)
March 1, 1865

January 17, 1871
(term-limited)
Democratic Speaker of
the Senate
acting
1866
42 James Ponder
(1819–1897)
January 17, 1871

January 19, 1875
(term-limited)
Democratic 1870
43 John P. Cochran
(1809–1898)
January 19, 1875

January 21, 1879
(term-limited)
Democratic 1874
44 John W. Hall
(1817–1892)
January 21, 1879

January 16, 1883
(term-limited)
Democratic 1878
45 Charles C. Stockley
(1819–1901)
January 16, 1883

January 18, 1887
(term-limited)
Democratic 1882
46 Benjamin T. Biggs
(1821–1893)
January 18, 1887

January 20, 1891
(term-limited)
Democratic 1886
47 Robert J. Reynolds
(1838–1909)
January 20, 1891

January 15, 1895
(term-limited)
Democratic 1890
48 Joshua H. Marvil
(1825–1895)
January 15, 1895

April 8, 1895
(died in office)
Republican 1894
49 William T. Watson
(1849–1917)
April 8, 1895

January 19, 1897
(successor took office)
Democratic Speaker of
the Senate
acting
50 Ebe W. Tunnell
(1844–1917)
January 19, 1897

January 15, 1901
(did not run)
Democratic 1896
51 John Hunn
(1849–1926)
January 15, 1901

January 17, 1905
(did not run)
Republican 1900   Philip L. Cannon
52 Preston Lea
(1841–1916)
January 17, 1905

January 19, 1909
(did not run)
Republican 1904 Isaac T. Parker
53 Simeon S. Pennewill
(1867–1935)
January 19, 1909

January 21, 1913
(did not run)
Republican 1908 John M. Mendinhall
54 Charles R. Miller
(1857–1927)
January 21, 1913

January 16, 1917
(did not run)
Republican 1912 Colen Ferguson
55 John G. Townsend Jr.
(1871–1964)
January 16, 1917

January 18, 1921
(did not run)
Republican 1916 Lewis E. Eliason
56 William D. Denney
(1873–1953)
January 18, 1921

January 20, 1925
(did not run)
Republican 1920 J. Danforth Bush
57 Robert P. Robinson
(1869–1939)
January 20, 1925

January 15, 1929
(did not run)
Republican 1924 James H. Anderson
58 C. Douglass Buck
(1890–1965)
January 15, 1929

January 19, 1937
(term-limited)
Republican 1928 James H. Hazel
1932 Roy F. Corley
59 Richard McMullen
(1868–1944)
January 19, 1937

January 21, 1941
(did not run)
Democratic 1936 Edward W. Cooch
60 Walter W. Bacon
(1880–1962)
January 21, 1941

January 18, 1949
(term-limited)
Republican 1940 Isaac J. MacCollum
1944 Elbert N. Carvel
61 Elbert N. Carvel
(1910–2005)
January 18, 1949

January 20, 1953
(lost election)
Democratic 1948 Alexis I. du Pont Bayard
62 J. Caleb Boggs
(1909–1993)
January 20, 1953

December 30, 1960
(resigned)
Republican 1952 John W. Rollins
1956 David P. Buckson
63 David P. Buckson
(1920–2017)
December 30, 1960

January 17, 1961
(successor took office)
Republican Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
64 Elbert N. Carvel
(1910–2005)
January 17, 1961

January 19, 1965
(term-limited)
Democratic 1960 Eugene Lammot
65 Charles L. Terry Jr.
(1900–1970)
January 19, 1965

January 21, 1969
(lost election)
Democratic 1964 Sherman W. Tribbitt
66 Russell W. Peterson
(1916–2011)
January 21, 1969

January 16, 1973
(lost election)
Republican 1968 Eugene Bookhammer
67 Sherman W. Tribbitt
(1922–2010)
January 16, 1973

January 18, 1977
(lost election)
Democratic 1972
68 Pete du Pont
(1935–2021)
January 18, 1977

January 15, 1985
(term-limited)
Republican 1976 James D. McGinnis
1980 Mike Castle
69 Mike Castle
(b. 1939)
January 15, 1985

January 2, 1993
(resigned)
Republican 1984 Shien Biau Woo
1988 Dale E. Wolf
70 Dale E. Wolf
(1924–2021)
January 3, 1993

January 19, 1993
(successor took office)
Republican Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
71 Tom Carper
(b. 1947)
January 19, 1993

January 3, 2001
(resigned)
Democratic 1992 Ruth Ann Minner
1996
72 Ruth Ann Minner
(1935–2021)
January 3, 2001

January 20, 2009
(term-limited)
Democratic Succeeded from
lieutenant
governor
Vacant
2000 John Carney
2004
73 Jack Markell
(b. 1960)
January 20, 2009

January 17, 2017
(term-limited)
Democratic 2008 Matthew Denn
(resigned January 6, 2015)
2012
Vacant
74 John Carney
(b. 1956)
January 17, 2017

Incumbent
Democratic 2016 Bethany Hall-Long
2020

See also


This page was last updated at 2024-03-23 12:31 UTC. Update now. View original page.

All our content comes from Wikipedia and under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.


Top

If mathematical, chemical, physical and other formulas are not displayed correctly on this page, please useFirefox or Safari