List of Governors of Delaware
Governor of Delaware | |
---|---|
150px | |
Style | The Honorable |
Residence | Delaware Governor's Mansion Dover, Delaware |
Term length | Four years, renewable once |
Inaugural holder | John McKinly |
Formation | February 12, 1777 |
Deputy | Matthew P. Denn |
Salary | $171,000 (2013)[1] |
Website | governor.delaware.gov |
The Governor of Delaware (President of Delaware from 1776 to 1792) is the head of the executive branch of Delaware's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Delaware Legislature, to convene the legislature,[2] and to grant pardons, except in cases of impeachment, and only with the recommendation of the Board of Pardons.[3]
There have been 70 people who have served as governor, over 73 distinct terms. Additionally, Henry Molleston was elected, but died before he could take office. Only four governors have been elected to two consecutive terms, with the longest-serving being Ruth Ann Minner, who was elected twice after succeeding to the office, serving a total of just over eight years. The shortest term is that of Dale E. Wolf, who served 18 days following his predecessor's resignation; David P. Buckson served 19 days under similar circumstances. The current governor is Jack Markell, who took office on January 20, 2009; his second term expires on January 17, 2017.
Contents
Governors
- For the period before independence, see the List of colonial governors of Pennsylvania.
Between 1681 and 1776, Delaware was a colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain, administered by colonial governors in Pennsylvania as the "Lower Counties on Delaware".
In 1776, soon after Delaware and the other Thirteen Colonies declared independence from Britain, the state adopted its first state constitution. It created the office of President of Delaware, a chief executive to be chosen by the legislature to serve a term of three years.[4]
The office of President was renamed Governor by the constitution of 1792,[5] which set the commencement date of the term to the third Tuesday in the January following an election, and limited governors to serving only three out of any six years.[6] The term was lengthened to four years by the 1831 constitution, but governors were limited to a single term.[7] The current constitution of 1897 allows governors to serve two terms.[8]
The 1776 constitution stated that if the presidency were vacant, the speaker of the legislative council would be a vice-president.[9] The 1792 constitution has the speaker of the senate exercising the office when it is vacant, and the 1897 constitution created the office of lieutenant governor,[10] upon whom the office devolves in case of vacancy.[11] The offices of governor and lieutenant governor are elected at the same time but not on the same ticket.
- Parties
American (1) Democratic (21)[lower-alpha 1] Democratic-Republican (5)[lower-alpha 1] Federalist (13)[lower-alpha 2] National Republican (1) No party (9) Republican (17) Whig (6)[lower-alpha 1]
#[lower-alpha 3] | Portrait | Governor[lower-alpha 4] | Term in office | Party | Term[lower-alpha 5] | Lt. Governor[lower-alpha 6][lower-alpha 7] | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 75px | John McKinly | February 12, 1777 — September 12, 1777 | No parties | 1[lower-alpha 8] | Office did not exist | ||
2 | Thomas McKean | September 22, 1777 — October 20, 1777 | ||||||
3 | 75px | George Read | October 20, 1777 — March 31, 1778 | |||||
4 | 75px | Caesar Rodney | March 31, 1778 — November 6, 1781 | 2 | ||||
5 | 75px | John Dickinson | November 13, 1781 — January 12, 1783 | 3[lower-alpha 9] | ||||
6 | 75px | John Cook | November 4, 1782 — February 1, 1783 | |||||
7 | 75px | Nicholas Van Dyke | February 1, 1783 — October 28, 1786 | 4 | ||||
8 | 75px | Thomas Collins | October 28, 1786 — March 29, 1789 | 5[lower-alpha 10] | ||||
9 | 75px | Jehu Davis | March 29, 1789 — June 2, 1789 | |||||
10 | 75px | Joshua Clayton | June 2, 1789 — January 19, 1796 | Federalist | 6 | |||
7 | ||||||||
11 | 75px | Gunning Bedford, Sr. | January 19, 1796 — September 30, 1797 | Federalist | 8[lower-alpha 11] | |||
12 | 75px | Daniel Rogers | September 30, 1797 — January 9, 1799 | Federalist | ||||
13 | 75px | Richard Bassett | January 9, 1799 — March 3, 1801 | Federalist | 9[lower-alpha 12] | |||
14 | 75px | James Sykes | March 3, 1801 — January 19, 1802 | Federalist | ||||
15 | 75px | David Hall | January 19, 1802 — January 15, 1805 | Democratic-Republican | 10 | |||
16 | 75px | Nathaniel Mitchell | January 15, 1805 — January 19, 1808 | Federalist | 11 | |||
17 | 75px | George Truitt | January 19, 1808 — January 15, 1811 | Federalist | 12 | |||
18 | 75px | Joseph Haslet | January 15, 1811 — January 18, 1814 | Democratic-Republican | 13 | |||
19 | 75px | Daniel Rodney | January 18, 1814 — January 21, 1817 | Federalist | 14 | |||
20 | 75px | John Clark | January 21, 1817 — January 18, 1820 | Federalist | 15 | |||
— | 75px | Henry Molleston | — | Federalist | 16[lower-alpha 13] | |||
21 | 75px | Jacob Stout | January 18, 1820 — January 16, 1821 | Federalist | ||||
22 | 75px | John Collins | January 16, 1821 — April 16, 1822 | Democratic-Republican | ||||
23 | 75px | Caleb Rodney | April 23, 1822 — January 21, 1823 | Federalist | ||||
24 | 75px | Joseph Haslet | January 21, 1823 — June 20, 1823 | Democratic-Republican | 17[lower-alpha 14] | |||
25 | 75px | Charles Thomas | June 23, 1823 — January 20, 1824 | Democratic-Republican | ||||
26 | 75px | Samuel Paynter | January 20, 1824 — January 16, 1827 | Federalist | 18 | |||
27 | 75px | Charles Polk, Jr. | January 16, 1827 — January 19, 1830 | Federalist | 19 | |||
28 | 75px | David Hazzard | January 19, 1830 — January 15, 1833 | National Republican | 20 | |||
29 | 75px | Caleb P. Bennett | January 15, 1833 — July 11, 1836 | Democratic | 21[lower-alpha 15][lower-alpha 16] | |||
30 | 75px | Charles Polk, Jr. | July 11, 1836 — January 17, 1837 | Whig | ||||
31 | 75px | Cornelius P. Comegys | January 17, 1837 — January 19, 1841 | Whig | 22 | |||
32 | 75px | William B. Cooper | January 19, 1841 — January 21, 1845 | Whig | 23 | |||
33 | 75px | Thomas Stockton | January 21, 1845 — March 2, 1846 | Whig | 24[lower-alpha 17] | |||
34 | 75px | Joseph Maull | March 2, 1846 — May 3, 1846 | Whig | ||||
35 | 75px | William Temple | May 6, 1846 — January 19, 1847 | Whig | ||||
36 | 75px | William Tharp | January 19, 1847 — January 21, 1851 | Democratic | 25 | |||
37 | 75px | William H. H. Ross | January 21, 1851 — January 16, 1855 | Democratic | 26 | |||
38 | 75px | Peter F. Causey | January 16, 1855 — January 18, 1859 | American | 27 | |||
39 | 75px | William Burton | January 18, 1859 — January 20, 1863 | Democratic | 28 | |||
40 | 75px | William Cannon | January 20, 1863 — March 1, 1865 | Republican | 29[lower-alpha 18] | |||
41 | 75px | Gove Saulsbury | March 1, 1865 — January 17, 1871 | Democratic | ||||
42 | 75px | James Ponder | January 17, 1871 — January 19, 1875 | Democratic | 30 | |||
43 | 75px | John P. Cochran | January 19, 1875 — January 21, 1879 | Democratic | 31 | |||
44 | 75px | John W. Hall | January 21, 1879 — January 16, 1883 | Democratic | 32 | |||
45 | 75px | Charles C. Stockley | January 16, 1883 — January 18, 1887 | Democratic | 33 | |||
46 | Benjamin T. Biggs | January 18, 1887 — January 20, 1891 | Democratic | 34 | ||||
47 | 75px | Robert J. Reynolds | January 20, 1891 — January 15, 1895 | Democratic | 35 | |||
48 | 75px | Joshua H. Marvil | January 15, 1895 — April 8, 1895 | Republican | 36[lower-alpha 19] | |||
49 | 75px | William T. Watson | April 8, 1895 — January 19, 1897 | Democratic | ||||
50 | 75px | Ebe W. Tunnell | January 19, 1897 — January 15, 1901 | Democratic | 37 | |||
51 | 75px | John Hunn | January 15, 1901 — January 17, 1905 | Republican | 38 | Philip L. Cannon | ||
52 | 75px | Preston Lea | January 17, 1905 — January 19, 1909 | Republican | 39 | Isaac T. Parker | ||
53 | 75px | Simeon S. Pennewill | January 19, 1909 — January 21, 1913 | Republican | 40 | John M. Mendinhall | ||
54 | 75px | Charles R. Miller | January 21, 1913 — January 16, 1917 | Republican | 41 | Colen Ferguson[lower-alpha 20] | ||
55 | 75px | John G. Townsend, Jr. | January 16, 1917 — January 18, 1921 | Republican | 42 | Lewis T. Eliason[lower-alpha 20] | ||
56 | 75px | William D. Denney | January 18, 1921 — January 20, 1925 | Republican | 43 | J. Danforth Bush | ||
57 | 75px | Robert P. Robinson | January 20, 1925 — January 15, 1929 | Republican | 44 | James H. Anderson | ||
58 | 75px | C. Douglass Buck | January 15, 1929 — January 19, 1937 | Republican | 45 | James H. Hazel | ||
46 | Roy F. Corley | |||||||
59 | 75px | Richard C. McMullen | January 19, 1937 — January 21, 1941 | Democratic | 47 | Edward W. Cooch | ||
60 | 75px | Walter W. Bacon | January 21, 1941 — January 18, 1949 | Republican | 48 | Isaac J. MacCollum[lower-alpha 20] | ||
49 | Elbert N. Carvel[lower-alpha 20] | |||||||
61 | 75px | Elbert N. Carvel | January 18, 1949 — January 20, 1953 | Democratic | 50 | Alexis I. du Pont Bayard | ||
62 | 75px | J. Caleb Boggs | January 20, 1953 — December 30, 1960 | Republican | 51 | John W. Rollins | ||
52[lower-alpha 21] | David P. Buckson | |||||||
63 | 75px | David P. Buckson | December 30, 1960 — January 17, 1961 | Republican | Vacant | |||
64 | 75px | Elbert N. Carvel | January 17, 1961 — January 19, 1965 | Democratic | 53 | Eugene Lammot | ||
65 | 75px | Charles L. Terry, Jr. | January 19, 1965 — January 21, 1969 | Democratic | 54 | Sherman W. Tribbitt | ||
66 | 75px | Russell W. Peterson | January 21, 1969 — January 16, 1973 | Republican | 55 | Eugene Bookhammer[lower-alpha 22] | ||
67 | 75px | Sherman W. Tribbitt | January 16, 1973 — January 18, 1977 | Democratic | 56 | |||
68 | 75px | Pierre S. du Pont, IV | January 18, 1977 — January 15, 1985 | Republican | 57 | James D. McGinnis[lower-alpha 20] | ||
58 | Michael Castle | |||||||
69 | 75px | Michael Castle | January 15, 1985 — December 31, 1992 | Republican | 59 | Shien Biau Woo[lower-alpha 20] | ||
60[lower-alpha 23] | Dale E. Wolf | |||||||
70 | 75px | Dale E. Wolf | December 31, 1992 — January 19, 1993 | Republican | Vacant | |||
71 | 75px | Thomas R. Carper | January 19, 1993 — January 3, 2001 | Democratic | 61 | Ruth Ann Minner | ||
62[lower-alpha 24] | ||||||||
72 | 75px | Ruth Ann Minner | January 3, 2001 — January 20, 2009 | Democratic | Vacant | |||
63 | John Carney | |||||||
64 | ||||||||
73 | Jack Markell | January 20, 2009 — Incumbent | Democratic | 65 | Matthew P. Denn[lower-alpha 25] | |||
66[lower-alpha 26] | ||||||||
Vacant |
Other high offices held
Seventeen of Delaware's governors have held other high offices, with six representing Delaware in the Continental Congress and twelve representing the state in the U.S. Congress. Two have served as President of Pennsylvania. Four (marked with *) resigned to take other offices, three in the U.S. Congress and one to be President of Pennsylvania.
All representatives and senators listed represented Delaware except where noted.
Governor | Gubernatorial term | Other offices held | Source |
---|---|---|---|
Thomas McKean | 1777 | Continental Delegate (including President of the Continental Congress), President of Pennsylvania | [20] |
George Read | 1777–1778 | Continental Delegate, Senator | [21] |
Caesar Rodney | 1778–1781 | Continental Delegate | [22] |
John Dickinson | 1781–1783 | Continental Delegate, Continental Delegate from Pennsylvania, President of Pennsylvania* | [23] |
Nicholas Van Dyke | 1783–1786 | Continental Delegate | [24] |
Joshua Clayton | 1789–1796 | Senator | [25] |
Richard Bassett | 1799–1801 | Senator | [26] |
Nathaniel Mitchell | 1805–1808 | Continental Delegate | [27] |
Daniel Rodney | 1814–1817 | Representative, Senator | [28] |
William Temple | 1846–1847 | Representative | [29] |
Benjamin T. Biggs | 1887–1891 | Representative | [30] |
John G. Townsend, Jr. | 1917–1921 | Senator | [31] |
C. Douglass Buck | 1929–1937 | Senator | [32] |
J. Caleb Boggs | 1953–1960 | Senator* | [33] |
Pierre S. du Pont, IV | 1977–1985 | Representative | [34] |
Michael Castle | 1985–1992 | Representative* | [35] |
Thomas R. Carper | 1993–2001 | Representative, Senator* | [36] |
Living former U.S. governors of Delaware
As of May 2015[update], there are six former U.S. governors who are currently living at this time, the oldest being David P. Buckson (1960–1961, born 1920). The most recent death of a former U.S. governor of Delaware was that of Russell W. Peterson (1969–1973), who died on February 20, 2011. The most recently serving U.S. governor of Delaware to die was Sherman W. Tribbitt (1973–1977), who died on August 14, 2010.
Governor | Gubernatorial term | Date of birth (and age) |
---|---|---|
David P. Buckson | 1960–1961 | July 25, 1920 |
Pierre S. du Pont, IV | 1977–1985 | January 22, 1935 |
Michael Castle | 1985–1992 | July 2, 1939 |
Dale E. Wolf | 1992–1993 | September 6, 1924 |
Thomas R. Carper | 1993–2001 | January 23, 1947 |
Ruth Ann Minner | 2001–2009 | January 17, 1935 |
See also
Notes
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References
- General
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- Constitutions
- Specific
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External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Governors of Delaware. |
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ DE Const. art. III
- ↑ DE Const. art. VII, § 1
- ↑ 1776 Const. art 7
- ↑ 1792 Const. art. III, § 1
- ↑ 1792 Const. art. III, § 3
- ↑ 1831 Const. art III, § 3
- ↑ DE Const. art. III, § 5
- ↑ 1776 Const. art. 7
- ↑ DE Const. art. III, § 19
- ↑ DE Const. art. III, § 20
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- ↑ Thorpe pp. 568–582
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