United States Senate election in Delaware, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Delaware

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tom Carper (D)	60.0	217,385
		Robert Arlett (R)	37.8	137,127
		Demitri Theodoropoulos (G)	1.2	4,170
		Nadine Frost (L)	1.1	3,910

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 362,592 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Elections in Delaware, 2018

• General election: Nov. 6
• Voter registration deadline: Oct. 13
• Early voting: N/A
• Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6

• Online registration: Yes
• Same-day registration: No
• Voter ID: Non-photo ID requested
• Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

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On the ballot: U.S. Senate • U.S. House • Attorney General • State executive offices • State Senate • State House • Democratic primaries • Republican primaries

2020 → ← 2014
U.S. Senate, Delaware
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: July 10, 2018
Primary: September 6, 2018 General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent: Tom Carper (Democrat)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Delaware
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Democratic Inside Elections: Solid Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
See also
U.S. Senate, Delaware U.S. Senate • At-large Delaware elections, 2018 U.S. Congress elections, 2018 U.S. Senate elections, 2018 U.S. House elections, 2018 Arizona U.S. Senate raceCalifornia U.S. Senate raceConnecticut U.S. Senate raceDelaware U.S. Senate raceFlorida U.S. Senate raceHawaii U.S. Senate raceIndiana U.S. Senate raceMaine U.S. Senate raceMaryland U.S. Senate raceMassachusetts U.S. Senate raceMichigan U.S. Senate raceMinnesota U.S. Senate raceMinnesota U.S. Senate race (special)Mississippi U.S. Senate raceMississippi U.S. Senate race (special)Missouri U.S. Senate raceMontana U.S. Senate raceNebraska U.S. Senate raceNevada U.S. Senate raceNew Jersey U.S. Senate raceNew Mexico U.S. Senate raceNew York U.S. Senate raceNorth Dakota U.S. Senate raceOhio U.S. Senate racePennsylvania U.S. Senate raceRhode Island U.S. Senate raceTennessee U.S. Senate raceTexas U.S. Senate raceUtah U.S. Senate raceVermont U.S. Senate raceVirginia U.S. Senate raceWashington U.S. Senate raceWest Virginia U.S. Senate raceWisconsin U.S. Senate raceWyoming U.S. Senate raceSubmit

Voters in Delaware elected one member to the U.S. Senate in the election on November 6, 2018.

The election filled the Class 1 Senate seat held by Tom Carper (D). He was first elected in 2000.

Candidates and election results

See also: Statistics on U.S. Congress candidates, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Delaware

Incumbent Tom Carper defeated Robert Arlett, Demitri Theodoropoulos, and Nadine Frost in the general election for U.S. Senate Delaware on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tom Carper (D)	60.0	217,385
		Robert Arlett (R)	37.8	137,127
		Demitri Theodoropoulos (G)	1.2	4,170
		Nadine Frost (L)	1.1	3,910

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 362,592 (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 U.S. Senate Delaware

Incumbent Tom Carper defeated Kerri Evelyn Harris in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Delaware on September 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tom Carper	64.6	53,635
		Kerri Evelyn Harris	35.4	29,407

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 83,042
= 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

• Tykiem Booker (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Delaware

Robert Arlett defeated Gene Truono and Roque De La Fuente in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Delaware on September 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Robert Arlett	66.8	25,284
		Gene Truono	28.0	10,588
		Roque De La Fuente	5.3	1,998

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 37,870
= 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

• Chuck Boyce (R)

Campaign themes

Tom Carper

The following campaign themes were taken from Carper's campaign website.

“	Making health care more affordable In the Declaration of Independence our nation’s founders set forth one of the earliest promises of our country: that every American would have the unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The fact is that none of those rights can exist without access to health care. When the Affordable Care Act (ACA) became law of the land, millions of American families gained health insurance, many for the first time in their lives. In addition to expanding coverage, the ACA made great strides in transforming our country’s network of doctors, hospitals and clinics from a “sick care” system to a “health care” system, helping hospitals and doctors coordinate care for their patients and deliver better, healthier outcomes. Helping to pass the ACA was one of my proudest achievements as a senator, but just like Medicare before it, we didn’t get everything right the first time and we need to make it better. We should be working together, Republican and Democrat alike, to continue to improve our health care system and reduce out-of-pocket costs for consumers. Creating jobs and growing the economy As a recovering governor, I believe that one of the most important roles of government is to create a nurturing environment for job creation and job preservation. How do we do that? We need to invest in a world-class workforce by making our schools second to none. We need to facilitate commerce with a bold infrastructure plan that would rebuild and maintain our roads, highways, bridges and transit systems, while making key investments that reduce congestion and make it easier for goods and people to travel across this great land. We need to pursue every opportunity to export American goods by breaking down trade barriers and helping our farmers and manufacturers reach new markets across the globe. And we need to reform our tax code to spark innovation and encourage businesses to expand and create good-paying jobs here in the United States. If we do these things, we will see fortunes rise and communities thrive in every corner of our country. Fighting for clean air and clean water for every American Every American, no matter where they live, should have clean air to breathe and safe water to drink. Over the last few decades, our country has made significant progress to protect our environment and public health. Unfortunately, the current administration is putting the health of every American at great risk by rolling back common-sense consumer protections that keep families safe, denying the threat of climate change and ignoring the sacred responsibility to pass onto the next generation a healthier, more sustainable environment. It’s up to Congress to fight back. I’ve long said we don’t have to choose between strong environmental protections and jobs. Moving our country toward a clean energy future goes hand in hand with job creation. By encouraging companies to reduce their carbon footprint and invest in green technology, we can harness American innovation, lead the world in developing new clean energy technologies and create the clean-energy manufacturing jobs of the future. I believe that the reality of climate change is undeniable. From our coastal communities dealing with rising sea levels to our rural communities faced with more unpredictable growing seasons, the threat of climate change is real and growing. I believe we need to take action on a global scale to curb the human contribution to climate change. Holding Washington accountable As a U.S. Senator I’ve championed efforts to crack down on waste, fraud and abuse across the federal government. I authored bills to rein in outsize federal spending and reduce the billions of dollars wasted annually on bad contracts and foolish projects, empowering agency managers to end federal programs that don’t work and rooting out unnecessary earmarks that help members of Congress, not the public good. More than ever, it’s critical that Congress shines sunlight on the inner workings of our executive branch. I believe that the business of the President of the United States is the business of the people of the United States. That’s why I’ve raised a number of concerns about the lack of transparency, questionable ethics and potential for conflicts of interest within the Trump administration. Our democracy hinges on public trust in our political institutions, and that trust is eroding. Conducting rigorous oversight is key to restoring public trust in American democracy and holding Washington accountable to taxpayers.	”
—Tom Carper's campaign website (2018)

Robert Arlett

Arlett’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Economy, Jobs, & Trade Delaware families want good paying jobs, safe communities and a fair shot at the American dream. Rob understands that the best economic program is the dignity of work and a paycheck. As a business owner and leader, Rob has a proven track record of creating jobs and helping Delaware families. As your Senator in Washington: Rob will go to Washington to remove burdensome, job-killing regulations, unleashing the American dream for Delawareans. Rob knows that the Delawarean workforce is the best in the world and is ready to fight to enact economic reforms to lift up Delaware’s small businesses and create high-paying jobs that will modern our workforce. Free trade is vital to America’s long-term economic prosperity. The Port of Wilmington is vital to Delaware’s economic prosperity. As a Senator in Washington, I will not only fight for free and fair trade, but also for border security for our nation’s ports like the Port of Wilmington, so that these ports are safe to allow for goods to be exported and imported without issue. Delaware is home to many multi-national financial institutions. As Senator in Washington, I will work tirelessly to ensure banks are lending safely and securely which leads to economic expansion not only in Delaware, but across the nation. Rob will remove barriers to making Delaware the FinTech capital bridging existing financial institutions and technology innovators to bring new, secure financial solutions to market. FinTech build on STEM are the key to Delaware’s 21st century long-term competitiveness. Rob will ensure that the programs of the Departments of Commerce, Labor and Small Business Administration are working to pave the way for Delawareans who want to start or expand a business can. Small business development is the engine for economic vitality not only for Delaware, but for the United States. Health Care Delaware families deserve high-quality, affordable health care. Rob understands the Affordable Care Act was not the answer to allowing Delawareans the ability to afford quality health care. As your Senator, Rob will go to Washington to repeal the Affordable Care Act with free-market based health insurance model allowing the purchase of insurance across state lines. This will open up the health insurance market beyond the one insurance provider in the State of Delaware. Rob will also fight to enact health tort reform which will remove the costly premiums already in cost health care and insurance plans. Rob will fight to ban Big Pharma kickbacks that skyrocket pharmaceutical pricing. Delaware is one of only a few states without a medical school, and that needs to change. Having Delawareans go to medical school outside of the state of Delaware means good doctors rarely return to our great state. As Senator, I will work tirelessly to remove barriers to bring a medical school within Delaware. Delaware can be a champion in quality medicine through education and innovation. Education As a father of two adult children, Rob understands that quality education is paramount to a student’s future success. As your next Senator, Rob will go to Washington to protect parental rights in their children’s education, and ensure every child has quality, affordable education regardless of their zip code. Rob understands that Washington does not have all of the answers in education, but that those answers are with teachers and parents. Immigration As the Husband of a legal immigrant from Vietnam, Rob knows that immigration can be great for America. Rob knows that we must respect our country’s laws and border security to ensure that all people who want to come to America and contribute to our great country do so legally. Rob will remain steadfast in following through on immigration reform to ensure that the legal process of immigration into the U.S. is shorter, but thorough with full and comprehensive background checks. 2nd Amendment As a person who has raised his right hand twice to Defend our Constitution, Rob will always fight up for American’s right to defend themselves and their families Defending the Constitution and Religious Liberties Supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States means abiding by it as written. I will fight to preserve the separation of powers, fight for limited government and will approve justices who will interpret the constitution as written. Defending Religious Liberty – As a proud Christian man of faith, Rob will always fight for equality and justice for all Americans no matter their background. In his eyes, everyone is a child of God who deserves the opportunity to thrive in our great country. Understanding that the freedom of practice one’s faith freely, as a Senator in Washington, Rob will fight to defend and preserve the natural right to the free practice of religion. National and Border Security Rob believes that sovereign nations must have secure borders and entry points. As your Senator in Washington: Rob will work tirelessly to ensure both the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security are adequately funded. Both departments are vital to maintaining our national defense and keeping our homeland secure. Delaware is home to several military installations including Dover Air Force Base and several Air and Army National Guard bases, all of which have been used for national and international security missions. Maintaining these installations are vital not only to Delaware, but to our nation. Rob will support Kate’s Law and will work to defund sanctuary cities that undermine federal immigration law. Rob supports real border security to ensure points of entry allow for legal immigration into the United States of America. Federal Budget, Debt, Deficit and Taxes Our national debt is a national security issue. The high cost of maintaining this debt costs Americans way too much and limits the true capabilities of our great nation. As your Senator in Washington: Rob will work to enact a Balanced Budget Amendment. Rob is also committed to ending the high cost of government waste and will seek ways to assess existing federal government agencies for fit and purchase with the goal of consolidation or elimination. Rob supports the 2017 Tax Reform signed into law by President Trump as the first step of many to lead to economic revitalization. When more companies are able to hire, corporate and individual payroll revenues lead to higher federal tax revenues and reductions in the national deficit. Higher national GDP metrics will lead to long-term reductions in the national debt. Rob will work tirelessly to make the federal tax cuts permanent for individual taxpayers. Veterans As a former U.S. Naval Reserve Intelligence Specialist, as well as a father, son, uncle, and brother to veterans, Rob will serve our many veterans, allowing a smooth transition back to civilian life and providing them and their families access to mental, physical and economic security. As a veteran small business owner, Rob is best equipped to be a Senator in Washington to push for veterans’ issues ranging from health care to career placement. As your Senator in Washington, Rob will be the voice of Delaware veterans ensuring the Department of Veterans Affairs is adequately providing health care to our veterans. Our veterans sacrificed so much for our nation, and our nation must provide that and more for them in return. Entitlement Reforms While dependency on the government should never be the destiny of any American, hardworking and honest Delawareans of all generations are owed a return on their lifelong investments in these programs. As a Senator in Washington, Rob work to eliminate poverty, working to transition those from benefits to a paycheck. Infrastructure Our nation’s infrastructure is vital not only to our economy, our national security but our way of life. Delaware’s highways being strategically located within the Northeast corridor are some of the most traveled. The people of the state of Delaware deserve an infrastructure free from disrepair and potholes. Opioid Epidemic As a compassionate conservative, Rob supports the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 which includes tougher drug enforcement efforts at our borders, as well as increased access to mental health and drug treatment for all those in need of help and care. Rob will not standby when thousands of American’s lives are ended too early by the dangerous drugs on our streets. Protecting the Family and Human Life As a husband and father, Rob knows the importance of family. Rob believes that families are the basic economic unit that leads to economic prosperity. As a Senator in Washington, Rob will protect human life from natural conception to natural death.	”
—Robert Arlett’s campaign website (2018)

Demitri Theodoropoulos

Note: Ballotpedia did not find campaign themes information on Demitri Theodoropoulos' campaign website on October 18, 2018.

Nadine Frost

Note: Ballotpedia did not find campaign themes information on Nadine Frost's campaign website on October 18, 2018.

Barry Eveland

Note: Ballotpedia did not find campaign themes information on Barry Eveland's campaign website on October 18, 2018.

Peter Farina

Note: Ballotpedia did not find campaign themes information on Peter Farina's campaign website on October 18, 2018.

Matthew Stout

Note: Ballotpedia did not find campaign themes information on Matthew Stout's campaign website on October 18, 2018.

Key votes

Key votes cast by Carper

Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) cast the following key votes—votes that help citizens understand where their legislators stand on major policy issues—during the 115th Congress, which convened on January 3, 2017, and adjourned on January 3, 2019.

Click show to see key votes for Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) →

Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018 For detailed information about each vote, click here. Votes on domestic policy (click to expand) Voted Yea on: First Step Act of 2018 (S 756)  Motion Agreed to (87-12) on December 18, 2018 Proposed making changes to the criminal justice system. Voted Yea on: Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (HR 2)  Conference Report Agreed to (87-13) on December 11, 2018 Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance through fiscal year 2023. Voted Nay on: "Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States" (PN2259)  Nomination Confirmed (50-48) on October 6, 2018 Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Voted Nay on: "Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States" (PN2259)  Cloture Motion Agreed to (51-49) on October 5, 2018 Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2)  Bill Passed (86-11, 3/5 majority required) on June 28, 2018 Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance. Voted Nay on: Immigration reform proposal from Sen. Chuck Grassley and the Trump administration (S Amdt 1959 to HR 2579)  Cloture Motion Rejected (39-60, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed providing a path to citizenship for 1.8 million individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children, $25 billion for border security, limits on chain migration or family-based migration, and eliminating the visa lottery system. Voted Yea on: Immigration reform proposal from the Common Sense Coalition (S Amdt 1958 to HR 2579)  Cloture Motion Rejected (54-45, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed providing a path to citizenship for individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children, $25 billion for border security, and limitations on chain or family-based immigration. Voted Nay on: Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act amendment (S Amdt 1948 to S Amdt 1959)  Cloture Motion Rejected (54-45, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed withholding funding from sanctuary jurisdictions for not cooperating with federal immigration officials. Voted Yea on: Coons-McCain immigration plan (S Amdt 1955 to S Amdt 1958)  Cloture Motion Rejected (52-47, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed providing a path to citizenship for individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children and conducting a study to determine what border security measures were needed. It also proposed requiring the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to secure the U.S.-Mexico border by 2021. Voted Nay on: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (S 2311)  Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Rejected (51-46, 3/5 majority required) on January 29, 2018 Proposed amending the federal criminal code to make it a crime for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus was 20 weeks or more. The bill proposed providing exceptions for an abortion: (1) that was necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest. Voted Nay on: An amendment to repeal the requirements for individuals to enroll in health insurance and for employers to offer it—"Skinny bill" (S Amdt 667 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628 the American Health Care Act of 2017)  Amendment Rejected (49-51) on July 28, 2017 The amendment proposed repealing the requirements for individuals to enroll in health insurance and for employers to offer it. Voted Nay on: An amendment to repeal the ACA, including Paul amendment (No. 271) (S Amdt 271 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628)  Amendment Rejected (45-55) on July 26, 2017 An amendment to repeal the ACA, including Paul amendment (No. 271) Voted Nay on: Motion to advance the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, including Cruz and Portman amendments (S Amdt 270 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628)  Motion Rejected (43-57, 3/5 majority required) on July 25, 2017 A procedural vote to advance the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BCRA), including the Cruz and Portman amendments. Voted Nay on: Motion to begin debate on the American Health Care Act of 2017 (HR 1628)  Motion to Proceed Agreed to (50-50, Vice President voted Yea) on July 25, 2017 Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to title II of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2017. Voted Nay on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(4)—confirmation vote)  Nomination Confirmed (54-45) on April 7, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—confirmation vote. Voted Nay on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(3))  Cloture Motion Agreed to (55-45) on April 6, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—second vote to end debate and move to a vote on Gorsuch's nomination under the new precedent requiring only a simple majority to pass. Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(2))  Decision of Chair Not Sustained (48-52) on April 6, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—a vote to keep the Senate precedent of requiring 60 votes to close debate on Supreme Court nominations. Voted Nay on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55)  Cloture Motion Rejected (55-45, 3/5 majority required) on April 6, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—initial vote to end debate and move to a vote on Gorsuch's nomination. Votes on economic affairs and regulations (click to expand) Voted Yea on: "Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 6157)  Conference Report Agreed to (93-7) on September 18, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education. Voted Yea on: "Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 5895)  Conference Report Agreed to (92-5) on September 12, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs. Voted Yea on: "Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 6157)  Bill Passed (85-7) on August 23, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education. Voted Yea on: "Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 5895)  Bill Passed (86-5) on June 25, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs. Voted Yea on: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1625)  Motion Agreed to (65-32) on March 23, 2018 Proposed providing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes. Voted Yea on: The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (HR 1892)  Motion Agreed to (71-28) on February 9, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through March 23, 2018 Voted Nay on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 695)  Cloture Motion Rejected (55-44, 3/5 majority required) on February 8, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through March 23, 2018. Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)  Motion Agreed to (81-18) on January 22, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018. Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)  Cloture Motion Agreed to (81-18, 3/5 majority required) on January 22, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018. Voted Nay on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)  Cloture Motion Rejected (50-49, 3/5 majority required) on January 19, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018. Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1370)  Motion Agreed to (66-32, 3/5 majority required) on December 21, 2017 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018. Voted Nay on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)  Motion Agreed to (51-48) on December 20, 2017 Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018 and proposed changes to the tax code. Voted Yea on: "A joint resolution making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes." (HJ Res 123)  Joint Resolution Passed (81-14) on December 7, 2017 Proposed funding the government until December 22, 2017. Voted Nay on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)  Bill Passed (51-49) on December 2, 2017 Proposed amending the Internal Revenue Code to reduce tax rates and modify policies, credits, and deductions for individuals and businesses. Voted Nay on: A concurrent resolution establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)  Concurrent Resolution Agreed to (51-49) on October 19, 2017 Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. Voted Yea on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (Included amendments to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government) (HR 601)  Motion Agreed to (80-17) on September 7, 2017 Proposed suspending the debt ceiling and funding the government until December 8, 2017, and providing funding for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma relief efforts. Voted Yea on: Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 (HR 244)  Motion Agreed to (79-18) on May 4, 2017 The $1.2 trillion budget bill proposed funding the government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2017. Votes on foreign policy and national security issues (click to expand) Voted Yea on: "A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress." (SJ Res 54)  Joint Resolution Passed (56-41) on December 13, 2018 Proposed removing United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that were not authorized by Congress. Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 2810)  Bill Passed (89-8) on September 18, 2017 Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, and to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes. On November 15, 2017, the Senate passed the defense policy bill by voice vote. This bill was the result of compromises made in the conference report. For more information on the compromise bill, click here. Voted Yea on: Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (HR 3364)  Bill Passed (98-2) on July 27, 2017 Proposed providing congressional review and proposed countering aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes. Voted Yea on: Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017 (S 722)  Bill Passed (98-2) on June 15, 2017 Proposed providing congressional review and proposed countering aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes.

2016 Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties and Congressional districts intersecting with Pivot Counties

Delaware's single congressional district intersects with one or more Pivot Counties. These 206 Pivot Counties voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012.

The 206 Pivot Counties are located in 34 states. Iowa, with 31, had the most such counties. The partisan makeup of the 108 congressional districts intersecting with Pivot Counties is more Republican than the partisan breakdown of the U.S. House. Of the 108 congressional districts that have at least one Pivot County, 63 percent are held by a Republican incumbent, while 55.4 percent of U.S. House seats were won by a Republican in the 2016 elections.

Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Tom Carper	Democratic Party	$4,394,417	$4,887,154	$360,642	As of December 31, 2018
Robert Arlett	Republican Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Demitri Theodoropoulos	Green Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Nadine Frost	Libertarian Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2018. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election. *** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

Noteworthy events

Brett Kavanaugh confirmation vote

See also: Supreme Court vacancy, 2018: An overview

On October 6, 2018, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. Fifty Senators voted to confirm Kavanaugh's nomination, 48 voted against, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) voted present. A simple majority was required to confirm Kavanaugh.

Carper voted against Kavanaugh's confirmation. In a speech on the Senate floor, he said, "To my colleagues still wavering on Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination, I will leave you with this.We will not only be judged by voters this November; we will be judged by history. Let’s show that we are still worthy of being called the world’s greatest deliberative body. Let’s show that we have made progress since 1991. Let’s show that we are willing to take a stand and do the right thing. Because if we are not, any short-term political wins will be forever eclipsed by the permanent stain left on our legacies and this body from which, I fear, there may be no recovering."

Wave election analysis

See also: Wave elections (1918-2016)

The term wave election is frequently used to describe an election cycle in which one party makes significant electoral gains. How many seats would Republicans have had to lose for the 2018 midterm election to be considered a wave election?

Ballotpedia examined the results of the 50 election cycles that occurred between 1918 and 2016—spanning from President Woodrow Wilson's (D) second midterm in 1918 to Donald Trump's (R) first presidential election in 2016. We define wave elections as the 20 percent of elections in that period resulting in the greatest seat swings against the president's party.

Applying this definition to U.S. Senate elections, we found that Republicans needed to lose seven seats for 2018 to qualify as a wave election.

The chart below shows the number of seats the president's party lost in the 10 U.S. Senate waves from 1918 to 2016. Click here to read the full report.

U.S. Senate wave elections
Year	President	Party	Election type	Senate seats change	Senate majority
1932	Hoover	R	Presidential	-13	D (flipped)
1958	Eisenhower	R	Second midterm	-12	D
1946	Truman	D	First midterm	-10	R (flipped)
1980	Carter	D	Presidential	-9	R (flipped)
2014	Obama	D	Second midterm	-9	R (flipped)
1942	Roosevelt	D	Third midterm	-8	D
2008	George W. Bush	D	Presidential	-8	D
1926	Coolidge	R	First midterm	-7	R
1930	Hoover	R	First midterm	-7	R
1986	Reagan	R	Second midterm	-7	D (flipped)

Election history

2014

U.S. Senate, Delaware General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Chris Coons Incumbent	55.8%	130,655
	Republican	Kevin Wade	42.2%	98,823
	Green	Andrew Groff	1.9%	4,560
Total Votes				234,038
Source: U.S. House Clerk "2014 Election Statistics"

2012

U.S. Senate, Delaware General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Thomas Carper Incumbent	66.4%	265,415
	Republican	Kevin Wade	29%	115,700
	Green	Alexander Pires	3.8%	15,300
	Independent	Andrew Richard Groff	0.8%	3,191
Total Votes				399,606
Source: U.S. House Clerk "2012 Election Statistics"

State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Delaware heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

• Following the 2016 elections, Democrats held both U.S. Senate seats in Delaware.
• Democrats held the only U.S. House seat in Delaware.

State executives

• As of September 2018, Democrats held 5 of 12 state executive positions, Republicans held two, and the remaining positions were officially nonpartisan.
• The governor of Delaware was Democrat John Carney Jr. The state held elections for governor and lieutenant governor on November 3, 2020.

State legislature

• Democrats controlled both chambers of the Delaware General Assembly. They had a 25-16 majority in the state House and a 11-10 majority in the state Senate.

Trifecta status

• Delaware was a Democratic trifecta, meaning that the Democratic Party controlled the office of the governor, the state House, and the state Senate.

2018 elections

See also: Delaware elections, 2018

Delaware held elections for the following positions in 2018:

• One U.S. Senate seat
• One U.S. House seat
• Three lower state executive positions
• Ten of 21 state Senate seats
• 41 state House seats

Demographics

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.

As of July 2016, Delaware's three largest cities were Wilmington (pop. est. 71,106), Dover (pop. est. 37,538), and Newark (pop. est. 33,858).

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Delaware from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Delaware State Department of Elections.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Delaware every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Delaware 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	Hillary Clinton	53.4%	Donald Trump	41.9%	11.5%
2012	Barack Obama	58.6%	Mitt Romney	40.0%	18.6%
2008	Barack Obama	61.9%	John McCain	36.9%	25.0%
2004	John Kerry	53.4%	George W. Bush	45.7%	7.7%
2000	Al Gore	54.9%	George W. Bush	41.9%	13.0%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Delaware from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Delaware 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2014	Chris Coons	55.8%	Kevin Wade	42.2%	13.6%
2012	Thomas Carper	66.4%	Kevin Wade	29.0%	37.4%
2010	Chris Coons	56.6%	Christine O'Donnell	40.0%	16.6%
2008	Joe Biden	64.7%	Christine O'Donnell	35.3%	29.4%
2006	Tom Carper	67.1%	Jan Ting	27.4%	39.7%
2002	Joe Biden	58.2%	Raymond Clatworthy	40.8%	17.4%
2000	Tom Carper	55.5%	William Roth	43.7%	11.8%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Delaware.

Election results (Governor), Delaware 2000-2016
Year	First-place candidate	First-place candidate votes (%)	Second-place candidate	Second-place candidate votes (%)	Margin of victory (%)
2016	John Carney	58.3%	Colin Bonini	39.2%	19.9%
2012	Jack Markell	69.3%	Jeff Cragg	28.6%	40.7%
2008	Jack Markell	67.5%	William Swain Lee	32.0%	35.5%
2004	Ruth Ann Minner	50.9%	William Swain Lee	45.8%	5.1%
2000	Ruth Ann Minner	59.2%	John Burris	39.7%	19.5%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Delaware in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Delaware 2000-2016
Year	Republicans	Republicans (%)	Democrats	Democrats (%)	Balance of power
2016	1	100%	0	0%	D+1
2014	1	100%	0	0%	D+1
2012	1	100%	0	0%	D+1
2010	1	100%	0	0%	D+1
2008	1	100%	0	0%	R+1
2006	1	100%	0	0%	R+1
2004	1	100%	0	0%	R+1
2002	1	100%	0	0%	R+1
2000	1	100%	0	0%	R+1

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

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
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

See also

• United States House of Representatives election in Delaware, 2018
• United States Senate elections, 2018
• Tom Carper
• United States Senate election in Delaware (September 6, 2018 Democratic primary)
• United States Senate election in Delaware (September 6, 2018 Republican primary)

Footnotes

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Delaware's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Lisa Blunt Rochester (D)

Chris Coons (D)

Representatives

Sarah McBride (D)

Democratic Party (3)