Delaware lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2024 (September 10 Democratic primary)
 |
U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Governor • Lt. Gov • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • All other local • How to run for office |
 |
|
← 2020
|
| Lieutenant 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): Bethany Hall-Long (D) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Delaware |
| 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 |
A Democratic Party primary took place on September 10, 2024, in Delaware to determine which candidate would earn the right to run as the party's nominee in the state's lieutenant gubernatorial election on November 5, 2024.
Kyle Evans Gay advanced from the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Delaware.
This page focuses on Delaware's Democratic Party lieutenant gubernatorial primary. For more in-depth information on Delaware's Republican lieutenant gubernatorial primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- Delaware lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2024 (September 10 Republican primary)
- Delaware lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2024
Candidates and election results
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Delaware
Kyle Evans Gay defeated Sherry Dorsey Walker and Debbie Harrington in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Delaware on September 10, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kyle Evans Gay  | 48.2 | 40,638 |
 | Sherry Dorsey Walker | 36.8 | 31,035 | |
 | Debbie Harrington | 15.0 | 12,640 | |
| Total votes: 84,313 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
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.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "Hi, I’m Kyle, and I’m running to be Delaware’s 27th Lieutenant Governor. I’m a mom, an advocate, an attorney, and a State Senator. I was elected to represent Delaware’s 5th Senate District in 2020, flipping a 40-year Republican-held seat from red to blue. Since then, I’ve worked hard to advocate and pass legislation to promote the ideals I campaigned on, including abortion access, voting rights, gun safety, and investment in childcare and education. I’m proud of my record as a State Senator, and I’m now running for Lieutenant Governor to advance my work. If elected, I will continue to lead on legislation that will help expand abortion access, create an economy that works for everyone, invest in our schools and childcare, protect our state from the threats of climate change, and foster safer communities in Delaware."
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Lieutenant Governor of Delaware in 2024.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "Dr. Debbie Harrington, a highly skilled leader, community and social justice advocate, and dedicated mother, brings over 25 years of executive leadership experience as a highly decorated U.S. Army Colonel. With a background in organizational structure and strategic planning in transportation and logistics, Dr. Harrington is a graduate of the National Defense War College and holds a Doctorate of Education in Innovation and Organizational Leadership. Her commitment to community advocacy is evident through her involvement in various organizations. She sat on the Middletown Police Advisory Board, Vocational Rehabilitation Advisory Council for Blind/Visual Impaired, Commission for Statewide Contracts to Support Employment for Individuals with Disabilities, and remains the 2nd Vice Chair for Delaware Democratic Party, 1st Vice Chair of Delaware State University Board of Trustees, member of Delaware Board of Examiners of Psychologists, Early College School Board of Directors, House of Hope for Women, Special Education Strategic Plan Advisory Council, and the NAACP- M.O.T. Chapter where she was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for Community Service. She is a dedicated wife and mother of three adult children, one of whom was born with exceptionalities. For over 25 years, Dr. Harrington has been a staunch advocate for her daughter's education, employment, and quality of life rights through legislation, regulation, and programs. Now, she is running for Lt Governor of Delaware"
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Lieutenant Governor of Delaware in 2024.
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Delaware
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.
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[1] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
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 |
| 2016 | 59.5% |
38.6%
|
| 2012 | 58.3% |
39.2%
|
| 2008 | 69.3% |
28.6%
|
| 2004 | 67.5% |
32.1%
|
| 2000 | 50.9% |
45.8%
|
| Average | 61.1 | 36.9 |
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.[2] 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
- More...
See also
| Delaware | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2020, 2016, and 2012," accessed December 15, 2023
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
 |
State of Delaware Dover (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
