Lieutenant Governor of Delaware
| Delaware Lieutenant Governor | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $83,884 |
| 2024 FY Budget: | $785,500 |
| Term limits: | Two terms |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | Four years |
| Authority: | Delaware Constitution, Article III, Section 19 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder | |
Lieutenant Governor of Delaware
Bethany Hall-Long | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 5, 2024 |
| Last election: | November 3, 2020 |
| Other Delaware Executive Offices | |
| Governor•Lieutenant Governor•Secretary of State•Attorney General•Treasurer•Auditor•Secretary of Education•Agriculture Secretary•Insurance Commissioner•Natural Resources Secretary•Labor Secretary•Public Service Commission | |
The Lieutenant Governor of the State of Delaware is an elected constitutional officer, the second ranking officer of the executive branch and the first officer in line to succeed the Governor of Delaware. The lieutenant governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality.
Current officeholder
The current officeholder is Bethany Hall-Long (D). She won the general election on November 8, 2016, and was sworn into office on January 17, 2017.[1]
Authority
The state constitution addresses the office of the lieutenant governor in Article III, the Executive Department.
Delaware Constitution, Article III, Section 19
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A Lieutenant-Governor shall be chosen at the same time, in the same manner, for the same term, and subject to the same provisions as the Governor... |
Qualifications
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Under Article III, Section 6 of the state constitution, the lieutenant governor must be at least 30 years old, a citizen of the United States for at least 12 years on the day of the election, and a resident of Delaware for at least six years on the same date.
Elections
- See also: Gubernatorial election cycles by state
- See also: Election of lieutenant governors
Delaware elects lieutenant governors during presidential election years (e.g. 2020, 2024, 2028, etc.). Legally, the lieutenant gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the third Tuesday in the January following an election.
In the event that two candidates receive the exact same vote tally at the general election, a joint session of the legislature shall cast ballots to choose one-third of the members of each chamber to make up a special joint committee, which will in turn cast ballots for the lieutenant governor. In the event that the legislature is also tied, the President of the Senate shall have the deciding vote (§ 4).
Although in practice the candidate for lieutenant governor is nominated as a ticket with the candidate for governor, the offices of governor and lieutenant governor are voted on separately in Delaware. In two instances—1972 and 1984—the governor and lieutenant governor were elected from different parties.
2024
General election candidates
Note: The candidate list in this election may not be complete.
- Kyle Evans Gay (Democratic Party)
- Ruth Briggs King (Republican Party)
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Democratic primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
Republican primary candidates
This primary was canceled and this candidate advanced:
2020
General election candidates
- Bethany Hall-Long (Incumbent) (Democratic Party) ✔
- Donyale Hall (Republican Party)
Did not make the ballot:
- Kevin Baron (Independent)
Democratic primary candidates
This primary was canceled and this candidate advanced:
- Bethany Hall-Long (Incumbent) ✔
Republican primary candidates
This primary was canceled and this candidate advanced:
2016
The general election for lieutenant governor was held on November 8, 2016.
Bethany Hall-Long defeated La Mar Gunn in the Delaware lieutenant governor election.
| Delaware Lieutenant Governor, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Bethany Hall-Long |
59.44% | 248,141 | |
| Republican | La Mar Gunn | 40.56% | 169,291 | |
| Total Votes | 417,432 | |||
| Source: Delaware Secretary of State | ||||
2012
Incumbent Matthew Denn defeated challengers Sher Valenzuela (R) and Margie Waite-McKeown (L) in the November 6, 2012 general election.
| Lieutenant Governor of Delaware General Election, 2012 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Matthew Denn Incumbent |
61.6% | 238,959 | |
| Republican | Sher Valenzuela | 37.1% | 143,978 | |
| Libertarian | Margie Waite-McKeown | 1.3% | 5,206 | |
| Total Votes | 388,143 | |||
| Election results via Delaware State Board of Elections | ||||
2008
| Lieutenant Governor of Delaware, 2008 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Matthew Denn |
61.3% | 236,744 | |
| Republican | Charles Copeland | 38.7% | 149,223 | |
| Blue Enigma Party | Peter Cullen | 0% | 92 | |
| Total Votes | 386,059 | |||
| Election results via Delaware Elections Commission | ||||
Term limits
Delaware's lieutenant governor is subject to a lifetime limit of two terms in office. Term limits for the office of lieutenant governor are defined in Article III, Section 19 of the Delaware Constitution to match the term limits of the governor.
Delaware Constitution, Article III, Section 19:
| A Lieutenant-Governor shall be chosen at the same time, in the same manner, for the same term, and subject to the same provisions as the Governor; he or she shall possess the same qualifications of eligibility for office as the Governor; he or she shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no vote unless the Senate be equally divided.
The Lieutenant-Governor, for his or her services as President of the Senate, shall receive the same compensation as the Speaker of the House of Representatives; the Lieutenant-Governor, for his or her services as a member of the Board of Pardons and for all other duties of the said office which may be provided by law, shall receive such compensation as shall be fixed by the General Assembly. |
The two-term limit for governors of Delaware is established in Article III, Section 5 of the Delaware Constitution.
Delaware Constitution, Article III, Section 5:
| The Governor shall hold his office during four years from the third Tuesday in January next ensuing his election; and shall not be elected a third time to said office. |
Vacancies
Details of vacancies are addressed under Article III, Section 20.
The lieutenant governor is the lone officer of the executive who may not be removed, for cause, by the governor. If the governor's office becomes vacant through death, disability or resignation, the lieutenant governor is first in the line of succession. If the lieutenant governor's office becomes vacant, it will not be filled until a new officer is chosen in the next regularly scheduled election and sworn in the following January.
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Whenever the powers and duties of the office of Governor shall devolve upon the Lieutenant-Governor, Secretary of State, or Attorney-General, his or her office shall become vacant... and any such vacancy shall be filled as directed by this Constitution; provided, however, that such vacancy shall not be created in case either of the said persons shall be acting as Governor during a temporary disability of the Governor. |
Duties
The lieutenant governor serves as the President of the Delaware State Senate and may cast tie-breaking votes. The lieutenant governor also has a constitutionally provided seat on the Delaware Board of Pardons.[2]
The governor may assign the lieutenant governor additional responsibilities.
State budget
- See also: Delaware state budget and finances
The budget for the Lieutenant Governor's Office in the Fiscal Year 2024 was $785,500.[3]
Compensation
- See also: Comparison of lieutenant gubernatorial salaries and Compensation of state executive officers
The lieutenant governor's pay is set by law and may not be increased or diminished effective during the current term.
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $83,884, according to the Council of State Governments.[4]
2021
In 2021, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $82,239, according to the Council of State Governments.[5]
2020
In 2020, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $82,239 according to the Council of State Governments.[6]
2019
In 2019, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $81,239 according to the Council of State Governments.[7]
2018
In 2018, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $80,239 according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2017
In 2017, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $79,053 according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2014
In 2014, the lieutenant governor received a salary of $78,553 according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2013
In 2013, the lieutenant governor was paid an estimated $78,553. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.
2012
In 2012, the lieutenant governor was paid an estimated $77,775. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.
2010
In 2010, the lieutenant governor was paid $74,345 a year, the 32nd highest lieutenant gubernatorial salary in America.
Historical officeholders
There have been 26 lieutenant governors of Delaware since 1901. Of the 26 officeholders, 12 were Republican and 14 were Democrat.[11]
| List of officeholders from 1901-Present | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
| 1 | Phillip L. Cannon | January 15, 1901 – January 17, 1905 |
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| 2 | Isaac Thomas Parker | January 17, 1905 – January 19, 1909 |
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| 3 | John M. Mendinhall | January 19, 1909 – January 21, 1913 |
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| 4 | Colen Ferguson | January 21, 1913 – January 16, 1917 |
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| 5 | Lewis T. Eliason | January 16, 1917 – May 2, 1919 |
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| 6 | J. Danford Bush | January 18, 1921 – January 20, 1925 |
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| 7 | James Hall Anderson | January 20, 1925 – January 15, 1929 |
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| 8 | James Henry Hazel | January 15, 1929 – January 17, 1933 |
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| 9 | Roy F. Corley | January 17, 1933 – January 19, 1937 |
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| 10 | Edward Webb Cooch | January 19, 1937 – January 21, 1941 |
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| 11 | Isaac James MacCollum | January 21, 1941 – January 16, 1945 |
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| 12 | Elbert Nortrand Carvel | January 16, 1945 – January 18, 1949 |
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| 13 | Alexis Irenee du Pont Bayard | January 18, 1949 – January 20, 1953 |
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| 14 | John W. Rollins, Sr. | January 20, 1953 – January 15, 1957 |
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| 15 | David Penrose Buckson | January 15, 1957 – December 30, 1960 |
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| 16 | Eugene Lammot | January 17, 1961 – January 19, 1965 |
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| 17 | Sherman Willard Tribbitt | January 19, 1965 – January 21, 1969 |
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| 18 | Eugene Bookhammer | January 21, 1969 – January 18, 1977 |
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| 19 | James D. McGinnis | January 18, 1977 – January 20, 1981 |
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| 20 | Michael Newbold Castle | January 20, 1981 – January 15, 1985 |
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| 21 | Shien Biau Woo | January 15, 1985 – January 20, 1989 |
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| 22 | Dale E. Wolf | January 20, 1989 – December 31, 1992 |
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| 23 | Ruth Ann Minner | January 19, 1993 – January 3, 2001 |
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| 24 | John C. Carney | January 16, 2001 – January 20, 2009 |
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| 25 | Matthew Denn | January 20, 2009 – January 6, 2015 |
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| 26 | Bethany Hall-Long | January 17, 2017 - Present |
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Recent news
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Contact information
Address:
150 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. South
3rd Floor
Dover, DE 19901
Phone: (302) 744-4333
See also
| Delaware | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Lieutenant Governor of Delaware, "Biography," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ Lieutenant Governor of Delaware, "About the Office," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ Delaware General Assembly, "House Bill 195," accessed December 6, 2023
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 19, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed November 14, 2014
- ↑ Russ Pickett, "Delaware Governors," accessed January 19, 2021
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