James DeMartino

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

James DeMartino

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

September 15, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, 1979

Law

Fordham University School of Law, 1984

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Marine Corps

Years of service

1981 - 2001

Personal

Birthplace

New York, N.Y.

Religion

Catholic

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Personal LinkedIn

James DeMartino (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Delaware. He lost in the Republican primary on September 15, 2020.

DeMartino completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

DeMartino was a 2016 Republican candidate for District 14 of the Delaware House of Representatives.

Biography

James DeMartino was born in New York, New York. He obtained a bachelor's degree from The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, in 1979 and a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in 1984. DeMartino served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1981 to 2001, where he was a Major working in intelligence. He also served as a Judge Advocate and in civil affairs. DeMartino's professional experience includes working as an attorney. He is involved with the Marine Corps League, the Marine Corps Reserve Association, the American Legion, the National Republican Lawyers Association, the National Rifle Association, the Delaware State Sportsman's Association, Gun Rights of America, and the Republican Party of Delaware.

Elections

2020

See also: United States Senate election in Delaware, 2020

United States Senate election in Delaware, 2020 (September 15 Democratic primary)

United States Senate election in Delaware, 2020 (September 15 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Delaware

Incumbent Chris Coons defeated Lauren Witzke, Mark Turley, and Nadine Frost in the general election for U.S. Senate Delaware on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Chris Coons (D)	59.4	291,804
		Lauren Witzke (R)	37.9	186,054
		Mark Turley (Independent Party)	1.6	7,833
		Nadine Frost (L)	1.1	5,244

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 490,935
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Delaware

Incumbent Chris Coons defeated Jessica Scarane in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Delaware on September 15, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Chris Coons	72.9	87,332
		Jessica Scarane	27.1	32,547

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 119,879
= 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

• Scott Walker (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Delaware

Lauren Witzke defeated James DeMartino in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Delaware on September 15, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lauren Witzke	56.9	30,702
		James DeMartino	43.1	23,266

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 53,968
= 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.

2018

See also: Delaware House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for Delaware House of Representatives District 14

Incumbent Peter Schwartzkopf defeated James DeMartino in the general election for Delaware House of Representatives District 14 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Peter Schwartzkopf (D)	62.5	8,530
		James DeMartino (R)	37.5	5,125

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,655 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= 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.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Delaware House of Representatives District 14

Incumbent Peter Schwartzkopf advanced from the Democratic primary for Delaware House of Representatives District 14 on September 6, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Peter Schwartzkopf

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source
= 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.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Delaware House of Representatives District 14

James DeMartino advanced from the Republican primary for Delaware House of Representatives District 14 on September 6, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		James DeMartino

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= 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.

2016

See also: Delaware House of Representatives elections, 2016

Elections for the Delaware House of Representatives 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.

Incumbent Peter Schwartzkopf defeated James DeMartino in the Delaware House of Representatives District 14 general election.

Delaware House of Representatives, District 14 General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Peter Schwartzkopf Incumbent	63.55%	9,297
	Republican	James DeMartino	36.45%	5,332
Total Votes				14,629
Source: Delaware Department of Elections

Incumbent Peter Schwartzkopf defeated Don Peterson in the Delaware House of Representatives District 14 Democratic primary.

Delaware House of Representatives, District 14 Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Peter Schwartzkopf Incumbent	73.89%	1,868
	Democratic	Don Peterson	26.11%	660
Total Votes				2,528

James DeMartino ran unopposed in the Delaware House of Representatives District 14 Republican primary.

Delaware House of Representatives, District 14 Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate
	Republican	James DeMartino  (unopposed)

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

James DeMartino completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by DeMartino's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a Marine Corps veteran, small business owner and attorney. When commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps I swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution and I will continue to do so as a U.S. Senator. At this year's State Republican Party convention, I won the endorsement of the party by a 74% landslide. In 2016 and 2018 I ran as a Republican for State Representative District 14 in Delaware against the 16 and 18 year, respectively, Democrat incumbent Speaker of the House. I am a graduate of The Citadel and Fordham Law school. I was raised in New York City and graduated Xavier High School. I grew up working in our family owned business, DeMartino's Seafood Market in New York City. I spent over 15 years in the U.S. Marine Corps entering in the Judge Advocate program and completing my service as an intelligence officer at the rank of Major. I then spent 10 years as a defense contractor and program manager supporting U.S. Navy weapon systems development. I am currently practicing law in the areas of contracts, intellectual property and criminal.

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?

• Stature, Credibility and Competence
• A U.S. Marine who puts America First
• Father and Patriot

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Number one issue is Law and Order. I have been frustrated with the far-left empowering mob rule to destroy our cities and businesses by lawless rioting and I vow to fight for law and order. We must protect our individual rights and property. I will uphold our U.S. Constitution. Laws as written must be enforced and applied equally for all Americans. This includes immigration laws and defending our borders.
My second priority is the economy which must be restored to pre-COVID crisis conditions as soon as possible by supporting small business and getting Americans back to work. My third area of concern is healthcare and affordable insurance for individuals and business owners. Insurance must be competitive and cost effective. Another major policy area is national defense and the support of our military and veterans.

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

Honesty, integrity and moral courage. We must be true to ourselves and our principles. My principles are based on God, Family and Country. I am a steadfast patriot that will support and defend our Constitution. I am running for the U.S. Senate to serve our country and represent the people of Delaware.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I have experience as an officer of Marines. I have been a Program Manager for a defense contractor, Alion Science and Technology and a Corporate Attorney for Oracle Corporation. These experiences have provided me leadership, business management and legal skills. I have worked in many different locations with a diversity of people. All of these experience will assist me in representing the needs and goals of Delawareans in the U.S. Senate.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember the military funeral procession of John F. Kennedy. I was six (6) years old. The horse drawn caisson and the playing of taps was a sight and sound that remains with me until this day. That historical event was instrumental in my desire to join the military and ultimately the U.S. Marine Corps.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Hard Country, Back Lands and The Last Ranch by Michael McGarrity (a trilogy about the history of Southern New Mexico)

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Knockin' Boots by Luke Bryan

What criteria would you apply when deciding whether to confirm presidential appointees?

I would consider the appointee's character, integrity and appropriate experience for the position. If the appointee is being considered for a Supreme Court justice or Federal Court judge I would evaluate their previous decisions and determine their conservative interpretation of the U.S. Constitution.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other senators?

Yes, it is important to build a relationship with all associates in business and politics. A good relationship helps in negotiating agreements in business or legislation in politics. Knowing a persons background, interests and goals leads to effective negotiations and successful outcomes. This is exactly what is needed in Congress. We need to solve our country's problems and it must start with good relationships among Senators.

If you are not a current senator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

The three committees are the Intelligence Committee, Armed Services Committee and the Judiciary Committee. As a former Marine Corps intelligence officer with over 15 years of service and currently a practicing attorney with over 20 years of legal experience, these committees would be ideal.

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.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms James DeMartino Delaware House. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

James DeMartino - Google News

See also

2020 Elections

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Government

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External links

Suggest a link

• Delaware Legislature

Footnotes

[show]

Delaware's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Lisa Blunt Rochester (D)

Chris Coons (D)

Representatives

Sarah McBride (D)

Democratic Party (3)