Delaware State Senate elections
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This page displays election information for the Delaware State Senate.
Elections
Delaware state senators serve 2-4-4 terms, where senators serve one two-year term and two four-year terms each decade. Delaware holds elections for its legislature in even years.
2026
- See also: Delaware State Senate elections, 2026
Elections for the Delaware State Senate will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026. The primary is September 15, 2026. The filing deadline is July 14, 2026.
2024
- See also: Delaware State Senate elections, 2024
Elections for the Delaware State Senate took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was September 10, 2024. The filing deadline was July 9, 2024.
In the 2024 elections, Democrats maintained their 15-6 majority in the Delaware State Senate.
| Delaware State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2024 | After November 6, 2024 | |
| Democratic Party | 15 | 13 | |
| Republican Party | 6 | 6 | |
| Vacancy | 0 | 2 | |
| Total | 21 | 21 | |
2022
- See also: Delaware State Senate elections, 2022
Elections for the Delaware State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for September 13, 2022. The filing deadline was July 12, 2022.
In the 2022 elections, Democrats increased their majority in the Delaware State Senate from 14-7 to 15-6.
| Delaware State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 8, 2022 | After November 9, 2022 | |
| Democratic Party | 14 | 15 | |
| Republican Party | 7 | 6 | |
| Total | 21 | 21 | |
2020
- See also: Delaware State Senate elections, 2020
Elections for the office of Delaware State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for September 15, 2020. The filing deadline was July 14, 2020. Heading into the 2020 general election, there were 12 Democrats and nine Republicans in the chamber. Democrats increased their majority to 14 Democrats and seven Republicans in the election.
| Delaware State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 12 | 14 | |
| Republican Party | 9 | 7 | |
| Total | 21 | 21 | |
2018
- See also: Delaware State Senate elections, 2018
Elections for the Delaware State Senate took place in 2018. A closed primary election took place on September 6, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The major party candidate filing deadline was July 10, 2018.[1]
In the 2018 elections, Democrats increased their majority in the Delaware State Senate from 11-10 to 12-9.
| Delaware State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 6, 2018 | After November 7, 2018 | |
| Democratic Party | 11 | 12 | |
| Republican Party | 10 | 9 | |
| Total | 21 | 21 | |
2017
Partisan control of the Delaware State Senate was on the line in the February 25, 2017, special election, as Democrats and Republicans battled to establish a one-member majority in the chamber. In the November 2016 general election, Democrats’ 12-to-nine majority in the Senate shrunk to 11 to 10, as Republican Anthony Delcollo defeated Democratic Senate President Patricia Blevins in District 7, 50.5 to 49.5 percent. The partisan balance then became deadlocked at 10 to 10 after Democratic Sen. Bethany Hall-Long vacated her District 10 seat to become Delaware’s lieutenant governor. In the Delaware Senate, the lieutenant governor has the power of casting tie-breaking votes, giving Democrats a narrow majority in the interim between Hall-Long’s resignation and the swearing-in of her successor. Democrat Stephanie Hansen's victory in the special election allowed Democrats to regain an 11 to 10 majority in the Senate and to defend their trifecta in the state.
| Partisan control of Delaware State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Before the vacancy | Leading up to the election | After the election* |
 Democratic Party |
11 | 10 | 11 |
 Republican Party |
10 | 10 | 10 |
| Vacancy | 0 | 1 | 0 |
*Note: The After the election column reflects the partisan balance of the chamber based on the special election's results.
2016
- See also: Delaware State Senate elections, 2016
Elections for the Delaware State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on September 13, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was July 12, 2016.
A total of 11 seats out of the 21 seats in the Delaware State Senate were up for election in 2016. Republicans gained one seat in the chamber after the November 2016 election. Democrats lost an additional seat when state Sen. Bethany Hall-Long (D) won election in the lieutenant governor's race, leaving the chamber split 10 to 10. A special election to fill the vacancy left by Hall-Long took place on February 25, 2017. The race for Hall-Long's District 10 seat in 2014 was competitive, with a 2.2 percent margin of victory. Read more about the special election on February 25, 2017, here.
| Delaware State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 7, 2016 | After November 8, 2016 | |
| Democratic Party | 12 | 11[2] | |
| Republican Party | 9 | 10 | |
| Vacancy | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 21 | 21 | |
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2014
Elections for the Delaware State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on September 9, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was July 8, 2014. Ten seats were up for election in 2014. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 13-8 majority. Democrats lost one seat in the election, giving them a 12-9 majority.
2012
Elections for the office of Delaware State Senate took place in 2012. The primary election was held on September 11, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was July 10, 2012. A total of 21 seats were up for election. Although Delaware senators typically serve four-year terms, they are elected to a two-year term during the first election of the decade. Thus, rather than only half of all senators being up for election, all sitting members were on the ballot in November. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 14-7 majority. Democrats lost one seat in the election, giving them a 13-8 majority.
The table below details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election in 2012.
2010
Elections for the office of Delaware State Senate took place in 2010. The primary election was held on September 14, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The primary nomination process for candidates wishing to run in these elections was to gain the party's nomination at state conventions held by the state's two major political parties in May. Candidates wishing to run as independents could submit nominating signatures up through July 30. The candidate filing deadline was June 11, 2010. Senate seats in ten of Delaware's 21 districts were up for election in 2010. Races were held in Districts 1, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19 and 20. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 15-6 majority. Democrats lost one seat in the election, giving them a 14-7 majority.
2008
Elections for the office of Delaware State Senate consisted of a primary election on September 9, 2008, and a general election on November 4, 2008. During the 2008 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $1,296,843. The top 10 contributors were:[4]
2006
Elections for the office of Delaware State Senate consisted of a primary election on September 12, 2006, and a general election on November 7, 2006. During the 2006 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $1,144,623. The top 10 contributors were:[5]
2004
Elections for the office of Delaware State Senate consisted of a primary election on September 11, 2004, and a general election on November 2, 2004. During the 2004 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $963,920. The top 10 contributors were:[6]
2002
Elections for the office of Delaware State Senate consisted of a primary election on September 7, 2002, and a general election on November 5, 2002. During the 2002 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $1,485,767. The top 10 contributors were:[7]
2000
Elections for the office of Delaware State Senate consisted of a primary election on September 9, 2000, and a general election on November 7, 2000. During the 2000 election, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $908,155. The top 10 contributors were:[8]
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Historical party control
Democrats won control of the Delaware State Senate in 1974. In 2024, they won a 15-6 majority.
The table below shows the partisan history of the Delaware Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2024. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Delaware State Senate election results: 1992-2024
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 | '24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 15 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 15 |
| Republicans | 6 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
Before 1992
From the 1920s through the 1950s, the Delaware Senate was competitive and it often switched partisan control. Starting in 1954, Democrats gained a majority in the chamber and did not lose it until the chamber split 9-9 between the parties in 1966. Republicans won control in the next three elections before losing to the Democrats in 1974. In the years following 1974, Democrats usually held more than 13 seats, the margin needed for a three-fifths majority capable of overriding gubernatorial vetoes.
Trifecta history
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2023, Delaware was under the following types of trifecta control:
- Democratic trifecta: 2009-2023
- Republican trifecta: None
- Divided government: 1992-2008
Delaware Party Control: 1992-2025
Seventeen years of Democratic trifectas • No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
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| Governor | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| House | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
Footnotes
- ↑ State Election Commissioner, "2018 Delaware Election Calendar," accessed October 23, 2017
- ↑ In the November 2016 elections, Sen. Bethany Hall-Long (D) won election for lieutenant governor of Delaware. She remained in office until shortly before being sworn in on January 17, 2017. The Delaware State Senate began its 2017 legislative session on January 10, 2017.
- ↑ Follow the Money: "Delaware Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Delaware 2008 Candidates," accessed July 8, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Delaware 2006 Candidates," accessed July 8, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Delaware 2004 Candidates," accessed July 8, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Delaware 2002 Candidates," accessed July 8, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Delaware 2000 Candidates," accessed July 8, 2013
