Delaware gubernatorial election, 2024 (September 10 Democratic primary)

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← 2020
Governor of Delaware
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: July 9, 2024
Primary: September 10, 2024 General: November 5, 2024 Pre-election incumbent(s): John Carney Jr. (D)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Delaware
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic Inside Elections: Solid Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2024 Impact of term limits in 2024 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2024
Delaware executive elections
Governor Lieutenant Governor Insurance Commissioner

Matt Meyer (D) won the Democratic primary for Governor of Delaware on September 10, 2024. Meyer, Bethany Hall-Long (D), and Collin O'Mara (D) ran in the primary. Click here for more detailed results.

Spotlight Delaware's Karl Baker wrote that the trio’s campaign funds “far surpass[ed] past fundraising totals in gubernatorial races at the same stage of the campaign, except those from the 2008 contest—the last time Democrats held a competitive primary for governor.”

Meyer studied computer science and political science at Brown University before moving to Kenya, where he created the footwear company Ecosandals. He then served as a diplomat in Iraq for 12 months. Meyer taught middle school math in Delaware and was elected New Castle county executive in 2016.

Meyer ran on his experience as a teacher and county executive. He said, “As the only candidate in this race who has managed a government, we’ve delivered one of the only property tax reductions in Delaware history while also delivering real results for hard-working families. I know we can deliver at the state level, too.” Meyer said he was uniquely qualified to address public education, which he said would be his focus as governor: “We have never, not in over a hundred years, elected a public school teacher to run our state. I have that public school experience.” Meyer completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

Hall-Long was elected lieutenant governor in 2016. Governor John Carney (D), who was unable to run for re-election due to term limits, endorsed Hall-Long. Hall-Long was a state senator from 2008-2017 and a state representative from 2002-2008. At the time of the election, she was a professor of nursing and joint faculty in urban affairs at the University of Delaware.

Hall-Long ran on her political and medical experience. She said, “I’m proud of my record of innovative ideas like leveraging public-private partnerships to help students in need through the Basic Needs Closet, creating the Behavioral Health Consortium, and managing Delaware’s robust pandemic recovery, and I'm ready to lead on day one." Hall-Long said her priorities as governor would include “growing our state’s workforce, implementing universal childcare and early education, supporting sustainable growth and an economy that works for everyone, increasing access to affordable housing, and protecting our environment from climate change and pollution.”

O’Mara earned a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College and Oxford University before serving as a University Fellow at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He earned a master's degree from Syracuse University and was an adjunct professor of climate change and environmental justice at the University of Delaware. O’Mara was the Secretary of Natural Resources and Environmental Control from 2009-2014 and was the chief executive officer of the National Wildlife Federation at the time of the election.

O’Mara described himself as the most progressive candidate, saying, “I’m running for governor to offer an ambitious agenda and provide a progressive alternative on the ballot for Democrats. Being the First State can’t just be our history, it has to be our future.” O’Mara’s top priorities included updating the public school funding formula, providing universal pre-K and free school meals, and achieving 100% clean electricity.

At the time of the election, Delaware had a Democratic trifecta, meaning the Democratic Party controlled the governorship and both chambers of the state legislature. As of the 2024 primary, Delaware had not had a Republican governor since 1992.

This page focuses on Delaware's Democratic Party gubernatorial primary. For more in-depth information on Delaware's Republican gubernatorial primary and the general election, see the following pages:

• Delaware gubernatorial election, 2024 (September 10 Republican primary)
• Delaware gubernatorial election, 2024

Candidates and election results

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Delaware

Matt Meyer defeated Bethany Hall-Long and Collin O'Mara in the Democratic primary for Governor of Delaware on September 10, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Matt Meyer	47.0	40,518
		Bethany Hall-Long	36.6	31,588
		Collin O'Mara	16.4	14,142

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 86,248
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Voting information

See also: Voting in Delaware

Election information in Delaware: Sep. 10, 2024, election.

What was the voter registration deadline?

• In-person: Aug. 17, 2024
• By mail: Postmarked by Aug. 17, 2024
• Online: Aug. 17, 2024

Was absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

No

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

• In-person: Sep. 9, 2024
• By mail: Received by Sep. 6, 2024
• Online: Sep. 6, 2024

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

• In-person: Sep. 10, 2024
• By mail: Received by Sep. 10, 2024

Was early voting available to all voters?

N/A

What were the early voting start and end dates?

Aug. 28, 2024 to Sep. 8, 2024

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When were polls open on Election Day?

7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (EST)

Candidate comparison

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Bethany Hall-Long

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

• Lieutenant Governor of Delaware (Assumed office: 2017)
• Delaware State Senate (2008-2017)
• Delaware House of Representatives (2002-2008)

Biography:  Hall-Long earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Thomas Jefferson University, a master’s degree in nursing from the Medical University of South Carolina, and a doctorate in health policy and nursing administration from George Mason University. She worked as a nurse and taught at the University of Delaware.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Hall-Long’s campaign website listed several education initiatives as top priorities, including universal early education, better learning and working conditions, and equitable school funding. Hall-Long said, “We have got to fix the broken funding formula, and we’re going to do that in a mechanism using the skills that I have had in the legislature for over 20 years,” and added, “We’re going to have to move that funding formula forward for equity.”

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On the economy, Hall-Long said she would “[make] sure people have good-paying jobs and an environment where small and big business can thrive.” Her campaign website also listed workforce development, job creation, infrastructure, innovation and entrepreneurship, and long-term competitiveness and sustainable growth as key economic development initiatives.

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Hall-Long’s campaign website said, “The U.S. and the State of Delaware face a severe affordable housing crisis driven primarily by a lack of sufficient housing supply. ... Homes are not built overnight, so long-term planning is essential.”

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Show sources

Sources: Bethany Hall-Long 2024 campaign website, “Education,” accessed August 14, 2024; Delaware Live, “The 5 candidates for governor talk education in Delaware,” May 9, 2024; WHYY News, “Delaware’s primary is a year away, but Dems Hall-Long and Meyer are staking their claim to succeed Gov. Carney,” September 25, 2023; Bethany Hall-Long 2024 campaign website, “Economic Development,” accessed August 14, 2024; Bethany Hall-Long 2024 campaign website, “Housing,” accessed August 14, 2024 ; Bethany Hall-Long 2024 campaign website, “About,” accessed August 14, 2024; Delaware.gov, “Office of the Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long,” accessed August 14, 2024

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of Delaware in 2024.

Matt Meyer

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I am a former 6th and 7th grade math teacher and small business owner who has served as New Castle County Executive since 2017. As the leader of Delaware’s largest local government, I have worked to deliver real results for Delaware’s working families. My administration has made historic investments in education, expanded access to affordable housing, tackled gun violence, and led on criminal justice reform. In my 8 years leading our state’s largest county, we created over 13,000 jobs, improved accountability, transparency and ethics in government, created the state’s largest and most comprehensive emergency shelter, cut taxes for the first time in over 50 years, improved public health, and strengthened emergency services. I am running for Governor to bring that same result-driven leadership across our state by creating an effective government that reflects our values and priorities. I am also a proud husband and father. My wife Lauren is an emergency room physician. Our son, Levi, is 6 months old and loves story time but hates car seats."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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I am running to fix our state’s broken and underfunded education system so every student can get a world-class education and every teacher can thrive.

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I am running to expand access to affordable housing and lower the cost of living so working families can finally get ahead.

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I am running to improve the quality, affordability, and accessibility of our healthcare system by reducing wait times and limiting costs.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of Delaware in 2024.

Collin O'Mara

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  O’Mara earned a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College and Oxford University and a master's degree in public administration from Syracuse University. He was an adjunct professor on climate change and environmental justice at the University of Delaware. O’Mara served as Secretary of Natural Resources and Environmental Control from 2009 to 2014. He was also the CEO of the National Wildlife Federation.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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O’Mara said, “We can’t have a strong state if we don’t have strong schools.” O’Mara said he supported universal pre-K, free school breakfast and lunch, and pay increases for educators. His campaign website also included as educational priorities: “Ensur[ing] all public schools have safe drinking water (no lead pipes), clean air (no mold, asbestos, or particulate matter), and modern equipment for science and technology” and “Protect[ing] all students from any form of discrimination.”

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O’Mara stated, “We’ll create thousands of union jobs in offshore wind, green hydrogen, and solar and become the first state to achieve 100% clean electricity.” O’Mara said he supported “leveraging federal investment in clean energy, fintech, semiconductors, life sciences, and agriculture.”

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O’Mara supported campaign finance reform. His campaign website stated, “Right now, too many lobbyists, developers, corporations, and special interests are using campaign donations to buy access to policymakers and block policies that would support working families.” O’Mara said, “I'd like to see us get as much money out of politics as we humanly can.”

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Show sources

Sources: Delaware Public Media, “Former DNREC Secretary Collin O'Mara officially joins 2024 governor's race,” March 13, 2024; Collin O’Mara 2024 campaign website, “Priorities,” accessed August 14, 2024; WDEL, “Democratic gubernatorial candidates debate over campaign finances and more in WDEL debate,” August 13, 2024; Collin O’Mara 2024 campaign website, “Meet Collin,” accessed August 22, 2024; Linkedin, "Collin O'Mara," accessed August 22, 2024

This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of Delaware in 2024.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Matt Meyer (D)

I am running to fix our state’s broken and underfunded education system so every student can get a world-class education and every teacher can thrive.

I am running to expand access to affordable housing and lower the cost of living so working families can finally get ahead.

I am running to improve the quality, affordability, and accessibility of our healthcare system by reducing wait times and limiting costs.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Matt Meyer (D)

Education, Housing, Economic Development, Healthcare, Environment, Criminal Justice Reform.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Matt Meyer (D)

All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten, by Robert Fulghum

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Matt Meyer (D)

Honesty, transparency, accountability, effectiveness and innovation.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Matt Meyer (D)

It is the responsibility of the Governor to lead our state forward, to deliver real results for real people, and make real progress in Delaware. We need an effective government that reflects Delaware’s values and priorities.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Matt Meyer (D)

My wife Lauren and I have a 6 month old son, Levi. Lately, our biggest struggles have been diaper changes and sleeping more than two hours uninterrupted.

A governor is the top executive authority in his or her state. What does that mean do you?

Matt Meyer (D)

We don't just make promises. We make plans. And we turn those plans into progress.

Leadership matters. And it starts with listening, building an inclusive government that works every day to deliver real progress to real people.

Being governor means being a steward of our state's values, resources, and aspirations. We will embrace this responsibility and deliver for all Delawareans.

Governors have many responsibilities, which vary from state to state. Which of those do you personally consider the most important in your state?

Matt Meyer (D)

The President is the Commander in Chief of our armed forces. Delaware's Governor is the Commander in Chief of our state's education system. There is nothing more important to our economy, to our public safety, to our shared sense of community and to our collective future than meaningful high quality education for every Delaware child.

Different states require governors to have different degrees of responsibility for the state budgeting process. If it were your choice, what do you believe is the appropriate degree of gubernatorial involvement with this process in your state?

Matt Meyer (D)

Budgets represent our values. As Governor, I plan to be deeply involved in this process to ensure that our state budget represents the values and priorities of Delawareans.

In most states, governors have the power to make line-item vetoes. If that is true in your state, what would be your philosophy for how and when to use this power?

Matt Meyer (D)

As Governor, I am elected to serve every Delaware family. When a legislative initiative passes through both the House and the Senate, and I believe it is not in the best interest of Delawareans, I will use my veto power.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Matt Meyer (D)

The Governor and state legislature must have a collaborative, communicative working relationship. I understand that on most initiatives, priorities, bills and proposals there will be a wide variety of passions, positions, arguments and beliefs. In a vibrant democracy, that is how it should be. I will work tirelessly to preserve a Delaware Way that enables the discussion and resolution of our most challenging issues with respect, honesty and decorum, and I will work tirelessly to disrupt a Delaware Way that favors closed door deals for the well connected that leaves out you and me.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Matt Meyer (D)

Transparency and accountability are essential. When I became New Castle County Executive, I promised to bring accountability and transparency to the County government. Within my first six months in office, I put the county's checkbook online so every resident could see how their tax dollars were being spent. In the two years prior to my leading Delaware's largest local government, there were 35 ethics complaints against the over 2000 County employees. Last year there was one complaint. We need that same level of transparency and accountability in state government. Delawareans deserve leaders they can trust.

Campaign ads

This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, please email us.

Bethany Hall-Long

August 5, 2024

March 8, 2024

February 15, 2024

View more ads here:

• YouTube
• Facebook
• Twitter

Matt Meyer

August 9, 2024

July 9, 2024

June 6, 2023

View more ads here:

• YouTube
• Facebook
• Twitter

Collin O'Mara

March 13, 2024

View more ads here:

• YouTube
• Facebook
• Twitter

Endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

Click the links below to see official endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites for any candidates that make that information available. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.

• Bethany Hall-Long

Election competitiveness

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Polls are conducted with a variety of methodologies and have margins of error or credibility intervals. The Pew Research Center wrote, "A margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level means that if we fielded the same survey 100 times, we would expect the result to be within 3 percentage points of the true population value 95 of those times." For tips on reading polls from FiveThirtyEight, click here. For tips from Pew, click here.

The links below show polls for this race aggregated by FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, where available. Click here to read about FiveThirtyEight's criteria for including polls in its aggregation.

• FiveThirtyEight

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: Delaware gubernatorial election, 2024
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 5, 2024	October 29, 2024	October 22, 2024	October 15, 2024
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic	Solid Democratic
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Safe Democratic	Safe Democratic	Safe Democratic	Safe Democratic
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Election spending

Campaign finance

Candidates in this election submitted campaign finance reports to the Delaware Department of Elections. Click here to access those reports.

Satellite spending

Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.

If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.

Noteworthy events

Campaign finance violations

In September 2023, staff on the Hall-Long campaign discovered discrepancies while reviewing years of campaign finance reports.

In November 2023, Hall-Long submitted several years of amended campaign finance reports, acknowledging that she and her husband had made campaign-related expenses that had not been properly reported. According to election officials, the amended reports still did not bring Hall-Long into compliance with state campaign finance laws.

On July 13, 2024, the Delaware Department of Elections released a report that found improprieties in the campaign finances of Hall-Long. Hall-Long said in a statement, “As I’ve always done, I have voluntarily cooperated with the Delaware Department of Elections and I will continue to do just that.”

Election analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.

• Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
• Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
• State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
• Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.

• Presidential elections
• Statewide elections
• State partisanship
• Demographics

See also: Presidential voting trends in Delaware and The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Cook PVI by congressional district

Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for Delaware, 2024
District	Incumbent	Party	PVI
Delaware's At-Large	Open (Lisa Blunt Rochester)	Democratic	D+7

2020 presidential results by 2024 congressional district lines

2020 presidential results in congressional districts based on 2024 district lines, Delaware
District	Joe Biden	Donald Trump
Delaware's At-Large	58.8%	39.8%

2012-2020

How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:

County-level voting pattern categories
Democratic
Status	2012	2016	2020
Solid Democratic	D	D	D
Trending Democratic	R	D	D
Battleground Democratic	D	R	D
New Democratic	R	R	D
Republican
Status	2012	2016	2020
Solid Republican	R	R	R
Trending Republican	D	R	R
Battleground Republican	R	D	R
New Republican	D	D	R

Following the 2020 presidential election, 57.7% of Delawareans lived in New Castle County, the state's one Solid Democratic county, which voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 2012 to 2020, and 24.0% lived in Sussex County, the state's one Solid Republican county. Overall, Delaware was Solid Democratic, having voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2012, Hillary Clinton (D) in 2016, and Joe Biden (D) in 2020. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Delaware following the 2020 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.

Delaware county-level statistics, 2020
Solid Democratic	1	57.7%
Solid Republican	1	24.0%
Battleground Democratic	1	18.4%
Total voted Democratic	2	76.0%
Total voted Republican	1	24.0%

Historical voting trends

Delaware presidential election results (1900-2020)

• 15 Democratic wins
• 16 Republican wins

Year	1900	1904	1908	1912	1916	1920	1924	1928	1932	1936	1940	1944	1948	1952	1956	1960	1964	1968	1972	1976	1980	1984	1988	1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012	2016	2020
Winning Party	R	R	R	D	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	R	R	R	D	D	R	R	D	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D

This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.

U.S. Senate elections

See also: List of United States Senators from Delaware

The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Delaware.

U.S. Senate election results in Delaware
Race	Winner	Runner up
2020	59.4%	37.9%
2018	60.0%	37.8%
2014	55.8%	42.4%
2012	66.4%	29.0%
2010	56.6%	40.0%
Average	59.6	37.4

Gubernatorial elections

See also: Governor of Delaware

The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Delaware.

Gubernatorial election results in Delaware
Race	Winner	Runner up
2020	59.5%	38.6%
2016	58.3%	39.2%
2012	69.3%	28.6%
2008	67.5%	32.1%
2004	50.9%	45.8%
Average	61.1	36.9

See also: Party control of Delaware state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Delaware's congressional delegation as of May 2024.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Delaware
Party	U.S. Senate	U.S. House	Total
Democratic	2	1	3
Republican	0	0	0
Independent	0	0	0
Vacancies	0	0	0
Total	2	1	3

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Delaware's top four state executive offices as of May 2024.

State executive officials in Delaware, May 2024
Office	Officeholder
Governor	John Carney Jr.
Lieutenant Governor	Bethany Hall-Long
Secretary of State	Jeffrey W. Bullock
Attorney General	Kathy Jennings

State legislature

Delaware State Senate

Party		As of February 2024
	Democratic Party	15
	Republican Party	6
	Other	0
	Vacancies	0
Total		21

Delaware House of Representatives

Party		As of February 2024
	Democratic Party	26
	Republican Party	15
	Other	0
	Vacancies	0
Total		41

Trifecta control

The table below shows the state's trifecta status from 1992 until the 2024 election.

Delaware Party Control: 1992-2024
Sixteen 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
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
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
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

The table below details demographic data in Delaware and compares it to the broader United States as of 2022.

Demographic Data for Delaware
	Delaware	United States
Population	989,948	331,449,281
Land area (sq mi)	1,948	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White	63.8%	65.9%
Black/African American	22%	12.5%
Asian	4.1%	5.8%
Native American	0.3%	0.8%
Pacific Islander	0%	0.2%
Other (single race)	3.3%	6%
Multiple	6.5%	8.8%
Hispanic/Latino	9.9%	18.7%
Education
High school graduation rate	91.2%	89.1%
College graduation rate	34.5%	34.3%
Income
Median household income	$79,325	$75,149
Persons below poverty level	7.5%	8.8%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2017-2022).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

State profile

Demographic data for Delaware
	Delaware	U.S.
Total population:	944,076	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	1,949	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	69.4%	73.6%
Black/African American:	21.6%	12.6%
Asian:	3.6%	5.1%
Native American:	0.3%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.7%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	8.7%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	88.4%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	30%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$60,509	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	13.9%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Delaware. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Delaware

Delaware voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, one is located in Delaware, accounting for 0.5 percent of the total pivot counties. As of May 2017, eight state House districts and five state Senate districts intersected with a Pivot County in Delaware. The state has one at-large congressional district.

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Delaware had one Boomerang Pivot County, 4.00% of all Boomerang Pivot Counties.

More Delaware coverage on Ballotpedia

• Elections in Delaware
• United States congressional delegations from Delaware
• Public policy in Delaware
• Endorsers in Delaware
• Delaware fact checks
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Election context

Ballot access requirements

The table below details filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates in Delaware in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Delaware, click here.

Filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates, 2024
State	Office	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source	Qualifications
Delaware	Governor	N/A	Set by party	7/9/2024	Source	Must be at least 30 years old, have resided in the state for six years, and have been a U.S. citizen and inhabitant for 12 years.

Past elections

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2012.

2020

See also: Delaware gubernatorial election, 2020

General election candidates

• John C. Carney Jr.  (Incumbent) (Democratic Party) ✔
• Julianne Murray  (Republican Party) 
• Kathy DeMatteis  (Independent Party) 
• John Machurek  (Libertarian Party)

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
 Democratic primary candidates

• John C. Carney Jr. (Incumbent) ✔
• David Lamar Williams Jr. 

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
 Republican primary candidates

• Colin Bonini 
• David Bosco
• David Graham
• Julianne Murray ✔ 
• Bryant Richardson
• Scott Walker

Did not make the ballot:

• Neil Shea

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

2016

See also: Delaware gubernatorial election, 2016

The general election for governor was held on November 8, 2016.

John Carney defeated Colin Bonini, Andrew Groff, Sean Goward, and Benjamin Hollinger in the Delaware governor election.

Delaware Governor, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Carney	58.34%	248,404
	Republican	Colin Bonini	39.19%	166,852
	Green	Andrew Groff	1.40%	5,951
	Libertarian	Sean Goward	1.07%	4,577
	Write-in	Benjamin Hollinger	0.00%	0
Total Votes				425,784
Source: Delaware Secretary of State

2012

See also: Delaware gubernatorial election, 2012

Incumbent Jack Markell (D) defeated challengers Jeff Cragg (R), Jesse McVay (L) and Mark Joseph Perri (G) in the November 6, 2012 general election.

Governor of Delaware General Election, 2012
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Jack Markell Incumbent	69.3%	275,993
	Republican	Jeff Cragg	28.6%	113,793
	Libertarian	Jesse McVay	0.9%	3,668
	Green	Mark Joseph Perri	1.1%	4,575
Total Votes				398,029
Election results via Delaware Board of Elections

External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic
• Governor of Delaware official website

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