Delaware gubernatorial elections
A table showing the results of general elections for the Governor of Delaware, beginning in 1792 when the Delaware Constitution of 1792 went into effect, providing for the popular election of Governors.
The Governor serves as head of the executive branch of the state's government. Beginning in 1792, the Governor was popularly elected, at first for a three-year term, changing to a four-year term in 1831. Elections were held the first Tuesday in October until 1831, when they were changed to the first Tuesday after November 1.
Governors of Delaware
| Year | Elected | Party | Votes | % | Opponent | Party | Votes | % | Notes | |||
| 1792 | Joshua Clayton | Federalist | 2,209 | 48% | Thomas Montgomery | Republican | 1,902 | 42% | ||||
| 1795 | Gunning Bedford, Sr. | Federalist | 2,352 | 52% | Archibald Alexander | Republican | 2,142 | 48% | ||||
| 1798 | Richard Bassett | Federalist | 2,490 | 52% | David Hall | Republican | 2,068 | 44% | ||||
| 1801 | David Hall | Republican | 3,475 | 50% | Nathaniel Mitchell | Federalist | 3,457 | 50% | ||||
| 1804 | Nathaniel Mitchell | Federalist | 4,391 | 52% | Joseph Haslet | Republican | 4,050 | 48% | ||||
| 1807 | George Truitt | Federalist | 3,309 | 52% | Joseph Haslet | Republican | 3,062 | 48% | ||||
| 1810 | Joseph Haslet | Republican | 3,664 | 50% | Daniel Rodney | Federalist | 3,593 | 50% | ||||
| 1813 | Daniel Rodney | Federalist | 4,643 | 55% | James Riddle | Republican | 3,768 | 45% | ||||
| 1816 | John Clark | Federalist | 4,008 | 53% | Manaen Bull | Republican | 3,517 | 47% | ||||
| 1819 | Henry Molleston | Federalist | 3,823 | 55% | Manaen Bull | Republican | 3,185 | 45% | ||||
| 1820 | John Collins | Republican | 3,970 | 53% | Jesse Green | Federalist | 3,520 | 47% | ||||
| 1822 | Joseph Haslet | Republican | 3,784 | 50% | James Booth | Federalist | 3,762 | 50% | ||||
| 1823 | Samuel Paynter | Federalist | 4,348 | 52% | David Hazzard | Republican | 4,051 | 48% | ||||
| 1826 | Charles Polk, Jr. | Federalist | 4,333 | 51% | David Hazzard | Republican | 4,238 | 49% | ||||
| 1829 | David Hazzard | National Republican | 4,215 | 51% | Allen Thompson | Democratic | 4,046 | 49% | ||||
| 1832 | Caleb P. Bennett | Democratic | 4,220 | 50% | Arnold Naudain | Whig | 4,166 | 50% | ||||
| 1836 | Cornelius P. Comegys | Whig | 4,693 | 52% | Nehemiah Clark | Democratic | 4,276 | 48% | ||||
| 1840 | William B. Cooper | Whig | 5,850 | 54% | Warren Jefferson | Democratic | 5,024 | 46% | ||||
| 1844 | Thomas Stockton | Whig | 6,140 | 50% | William Tharp | Democratic | 6,095 | 50% | ||||
| 1846 | William Tharp | Democratic | 6,148 | 51% | Peter F. Causey | Whig | 6,012 | 49% | ||||
| 1850 | William H. H. Ross | Democratic | 6,001 | 49% | Peter F. Causey | Whig | 5,978 | 48% | ||||
| 1854 | Peter F. Causey | American | 6,941 | 53% | William Burton | Democratic | 6,244 | 47% | ||||
| 1858 | William Burton | Democratic | 7,758 | 51% | James S. Buckmaster | People's | 7,554 | 49% | ||||
| 1862 | William Cannon | Republican | 8,155 | 50% | Samuel Jefferson | Democratic | 8,044 | 50% | ||||
| 1866 | Gove Saulsbury | Democratic | 9,810 | 53% | James Riddle | Republican | 8,598 | 47% | ||||
| 1870 | James Ponder | Democratic | 11,464 | 56% | Thomas B. Coursey | Republican | 9,130 | 44% | ||||
| 1874 | John P. Cochran | Democratic | 12,488 | 53% | Isaac Jump | Republican | 11,259 | 47% | ||||
| 1878 | John W. Hall | Democratic | 10,730 | 79% | Kensey J. Stewart | Greenback | 2,835 | 21% | ||||
| 1882 | Charles C. Stockley | Democratic | 16,558 | 53% | Albert Curry | Republican | 14,620 | 47% | ||||
| 1886 | Benjamin T. Biggs | Democratic | 13,942 | 64% | James R. Hoffecker | Temperance Reform | 7,835 | 36% | ||||
| 1890 | Robert J. Reynolds | Democratic | 17,801 | 51% | Harry A. Richardson | Republican | 17,258 | 49% | ||||
| 1894 | Joshua H. Marvil | Republican | 19,880 | 50% | Ebe W. Tunnell | Democratic | 18,659 | 47% | ||||
| 1896 | Ebe W. Tunnell | Democratic | 15,507 | 44% | James R. Hoffecker | Republican | 11,014 | 31% | ||||
| 1900 | John Hunn | Republican | 22,421 | 53% | Peter J. Ford | Democratic | 18,808 | 45% | ||||
| 1904 | Preston Lea | Republican | 22,532 | 51% | Caleb S. Pennewill | Democratic | 19,780 | 45% | ||||
| 1908 | Simeon S. Pennewill | Republican | 24,905 | 52% | Rowland G. Paynter | Democratic | 22,794 | 48% | ||||
| 1912 | Charles R. Miller | Republican | 22,745 | 47% | Thomas M. Monaghan | Democratic | 21,460 | 44% | ||||
| 1916 | John G. Townsend, Jr. | Republican | 26,664 | 52% | James H. Hughes | Democratic | 24,053 | 47% | ||||
| 1920 | William D. Denney | Republican | 51,895 | 55% | Andrew J. Lynch | Democratic | 41,038 | 44% | ||||
| 1924 | Robert P. Robinson | Republican | 53,046 | 60% | Joseph Bancroft | Democratic | 34,830 | 39% | ||||
| 1928 | C. Douglass Buck | Republican | 63,716 | 61% | Charles M. Wharton | Democratic | 40,346 | 39% | ||||
| 1932 | C. Douglass Buck | Republican | 60,903 | 54% | Landreth L. Layton | Democratic | 50,401 | 45% | ||||
| 1936 | Richard C. McMullen | Democratic | 65,437 | 52% | Harry L. Cannon | Republican | 52,782 | 42% | ||||
| 1940 | Walter W. Bacon | Republican | 70,909 | 52% | Josiah Marvel, Jr. | Democratic | 61,237 | 45% | ||||
| 1944 | Walter W. Bacon | Republican | 63,829 | 51% | Isaac J. MacCollum | Democratic | 62,156 | 49% | ||||
| 1948 | Elbert N. Carvel | Democratic | 75,339 | 54% | Hyland P. George | Republican | 64,996 | 46% | ||||
| 1952 | J. Caleb Boggs | Republican | 88,977 | 52% | Elbert N. Carvel | Democratic | 81,772 | 48% | ||||
| 1956 | J. Caleb Boggs | Republican | 91,965 | 52% | J. H.Tyler McConnell | Democratic | 85,047 | 48% | ||||
| 1960 | Elbert N. Carvel | Democratic | 100,792 | 52% | John W. Rollins | Republican | 94,043 | 48% | ||||
| 1964 | Charles L. Terry, Jr. | Democratic | 102,797 | 51% | David P. Buckson | Republican | 97,374 | 49% | ||||
| 1968 | Russell W. Peterson | Republican | 104,474 | 51% | Charles L. Terry, Jr. | Democratic | 102,360 | 49% | ||||
| 1972 | Sherman W. Tribbitt | Democratic | 117,274 | 51% | Russell W. Peterson | Republican | 109,583 | 48% | ||||
| 1976 | Pierre S. du Pont, IV | Republican | 130,531 | 57% | Sherman W. Tribbitt | Democratic | 97,480 | 42% | ||||
| 1980 | Pierre S. du Pont, IV | Republican | 159,004 | 71% | William J. Gordy | Democratic | 64,217 | 29% | ||||
| 1984 | Michael N. Castle | Republican | 135,250 | 55% | William T. Quillen | Democratic | 108,315 | 45% | ||||
| 1988 | Michael N. Castle | Republican | 169,733 | 71% | Jacob Kreshtool | Democratic | 70,236 | 29% | ||||
| 1992 | Thomas R. Carper | Democratic | 179,268 | 66% | B. Gary Scott | Republican | 90,747 | 34% | ||||
| 1996 | Thomas R. Carper | Democratic | 188,300 | 70% | Janet C. Rzewnicki | Republican | 82,654 | 30% | ||||
| 2000 | Ruth Ann Minner | Democratic | 191,695 | 60% | John M. Burris | Republican | 128,603 | 40% | ||||
| 2004 | Ruth Ann Minner | Democratic | 185,687 | 51% | William Swain Lee | Republican | 167,115 | 46% | ||||
| 2008 | Jack Markell | Democratic | 266,861 | 68% | William Swain Lee | Republican | 126,662 | 32% | ||||
| 2012 | Jack Markell | Democratic | 275,991 | 69% | Jeff Cragg | Republican | 113,792 | 29% | ||||
| 2016 | John Carney | Democratic | 248,404 | 58% | Colin Bonini | Republican | 166,852 | 39% |