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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	Lieutenant Governor of Delaware
Salary	$171,000 (2013)
Website	governor.delaware.gov

The governor of Delaware (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.

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 12, 1777 – September 12, 1777 (arrested and removed)	No parties	1777	Office did not exist
—	Vacant			September 12, 1777 – September 22, 1777		Office vacant due to war
2			Thomas McKean (1734–1817)	September 22, 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 (not candidate for election)		Speaker of the Legislative Council serving as vice-president
4			Caesar Rodney (1728–1784)	March 31, 1778 – November 6, 1781 (not candidate for election)		1778
5			John Dickinson (1732–1808)	November 13, 1781 – January 12, 1783 (resigned)		1781
6			John Cook (1730–1789)	November 4, 1782 – February 1, 1783 (not candidate for election)		Speaker of the Legislative Council serving as vice-president
7			Nicholas Van Dyke (1738–1789)	February 1, 1783 – October 28, 1786 (not candidate for election)		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 (not candidate for election)		Speaker of the Legislative Council serving as vice-president
10			Joshua Clayton (1744–1798)	June 2, 1789 – January 19, 1796 (not candidate for election)	Federalist	1789
						1792
11			Gunning Bedford Sr. (1742–1797)	January 19, 1796 – September 30, 1797 (died in office)	Federalist	1795
12			Daniel Rogers (1754–1806)	September 30, 1797 – January 9, 1799 (not candidate for election)	Federalist	Speaker of the Senate acting as governor
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 (not candidate for election)	Federalist	Speaker of the Senate acting as governor
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 18, 1820 (term-limited)	Federalist	1816
—			Henry Molleston (1762–1819)	Died before taking office	Federalist	1819
21			Jacob Stout (1764–1855)	January 18, 1820 – January 16, 1821 (not candidate for election)	Federalist	Speaker of the Senate acting as governor
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 (not candidate for election)	Federalist	Speaker of the Senate acting as governor
24			Joseph Haslet (1769–1823)	January 21, 1823 – June 20, 1823 (died in office)	Democratic-Republican	1822
25			Charles Thomas (1770–1848)	June 23, 1823 – January 20, 1824 (not candidate for election)	Democratic-Republican	Speaker of the Senate acting as governor
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 (not candidate for election)	Whig	Speaker of the Senate acting as governor
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 as governor
35			William Temple (1814–1863)	May 6, 1846 – January 19, 1847 (not candidate for election)	Whig	Speaker of the Senate acting as governor
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 as governor
						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 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	Speaker of the Senate acting as governor
50			Ebe W. Tunnell (1844–1917)	January 19, 1897 – January 15, 1901 (not candidate for election)	Democratic	1896
51			John Hunn (1849–1926)	January 15, 1901 – January 17, 1905 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1900		Philip L. Cannon
52			Preston Lea (1841–1916)	January 17, 1905 – January 19, 1909 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1904		Isaac T. Parker
53			Simeon S. Pennewill (1867–1935)	January 19, 1909 – January 21, 1913 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1908		John M. Mendinhall
54			Charles R. Miller (1857–1927)	January 21, 1913 – January 16, 1917 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1912		Colen Ferguson
55			John G. Townsend Jr. (1871–1964)	January 16, 1917 – January 18, 1921 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1916		Lewis E. Eliason
56			William D. Denney (1873–1953)	January 18, 1921 – January 20, 1925 (not candidate for election)	Republican	1920		J. Danforth Bush
57			Robert P. Robinson (1869–1939)	January 20, 1925 – January 15, 1929 (not candidate for election)	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 (not candidate for election)	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 – December 31, 1992 (resigned)	Republican	1984		Shien Biau Woo
						1988		Dale E. Wolf
70			Dale E. Wolf (1924–2021)	December 31, 1992 – 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

• Delaware gubernatorial elections
• Gubernatorial lines of succession in the United States#Delaware

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; 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.
7. ^ McKinly was captured and taken prisoner by British forces. He was exchanged for loyalist Governor William Franklin of New Jersey in August 1778.
8. ^ 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.
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.
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. A few sources do say he took office January 15.
11. Bassett resigned to take a seat on the United States Third Circuit Court.
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.
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, and others say Haslet died on June 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.
16. First term under the 1831 constitution, which lengthened terms to four years.
17. Special election called due to the deaths of Stockton and Maull. Again there was a shift in the election schedule.
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.
19. ^ Represented the Democratic Party
20. Boggs, who was term-limited, resigned early to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
21. Represented the Republican Party
22. Castle, who was term-limited, resigned early to take an elected seat in the United States House of Representatives.
23. Carper, who was term-limited, resigned early to take an elected seat in the United States Senate.
24. Carney's second term will expire on January 21, 2025; he will be term-limited.

References

General

• Martin, Roger A. (1984). A History of Delaware Through its Governors. Wilmington, DE: McClafferty Press.
• "Former Delaware Governors". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
• Pickett, Russell S. "Delaware Governors". Retrieved October 25, 2009.
• Sobel, Robert (1978). Biographical directory of the governors of the United States, 1789–1978, Vol. I. Meckler Books. ISBN 978-0930466015. Retrieved July 10, 2019.

Constitutions

• "Constitution of the State of Delaware". State of Delaware. 1897. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
• Constitution of the State of Delaware (1831)
• Constitution of the State of Delaware (1792)
• "Constitution of the State of Delaware". Avalon Project. Yale Law School. 1776. Retrieved December 21, 2022.

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. Published by the author. p. 821. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
17. Conrad, Henry Clay (1908). History of the State of Delaware, Volume 1. p. 153. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
18. ^ "Richard Bassett". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
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. Vol. I, Third Series. p. 121. ISBN 0-8371-3045-X. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
22. "Delaware". The Encyclopedia Americana. Volume. Vol. VIII. 1918. p. 614. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
23. Messersmith, George S. (1908). Government of Delaware. Amer. Bk. Company. p. 283. Retrieved October 25, 2009. joseph haslet 1823.
24. Dubin, Michael J. (2003). United States Gubernatorial Elections, 1776–1860: The Official Results by State and County. McFarland & Company. p. 28. ISBN 9780786414390. 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 July 10, 2019.
27. "Michael Newbold Castle". National Governors Association. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
28. "About Tom Carper". United States Senate. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
29. 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. 582–600. ISBN 0-89941-792-2. Retrieved October 26, 2009.
30. 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. 568–582. ISBN 0-89941-792-2. Retrieved October 26, 2009.

External links

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

v t e Governors and lieutenant governors of Delaware
Governors	McKinly McKean Read Caesar Rodney Dickinson Cook Van Dyke T. Collins Davis Clayton Bedford Rogers Bassett Sykes D. Hall Mitchell Truitt Haslet D. Rodney Clark Molleston Stout J. Collins Caleb Rodney Haslet Thomas Paynter Polk Hazzard Bennett Polk Comegys Cooper Stockton Maull Temple Tharp Ross Causey Burton Cannon Saulsbury Ponder Cochran J. Hall Stockley Biggs Reynolds Marvil Watson Tunnell Hunn Lea Pennewill Miller Townsend Denney Robinson Buck McMullen Bacon Carvel Boggs Buckson Carvel Terry Peterson Tribbitt du Pont Castle Wolf Carper Minner Markell Carney Hall-Long (designate) Meyer (elect)
Lieutenant governors	Cannon Parker Mendinhall Ferguson Eliason Bush Anderson Hazel Corley Cooch MacCollum Carvel Bayard Rollins Buckson Lammot Tribbitt Bookhammer McGinnis Castle Woo Wolf Minner Carney Denn Hall-Long Gay (elect)

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