List of Governors of Delaware

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This is a chronological listing of the Presidents and Governors of Delaware.

The Governor serves as head of the executive branch of the state's government, and was called President under the Delaware Constitution of 1776. With the Delaware Constitution of 1792 the name was changed to conform with usage in the rest of the states. The Presidents were particularly weak executive officials, being elected by the legislature, having no legislative veto, ineligible for immediate reelection, and whose actions required the approval of an executive Privy Council. Starting in 1792 the Governor was popularly elected and the Privy Council was abolished, but it wasn't until 1897 that a veto or election to a second term was possible. As a result, the office was part time and largely ceremonial until the mid twentieth century.

Presidents under the Constitution of 1776

The General Assembly chose the State President for a term of three years.

#	Name	Took Office	Left Office	Party Before 1792 shading indicates association with loose factions that were precursors to parties.	Residence	County	Occupation	notes
1	John McKinly	February 12, 1777	September 22, 1777	no parties	Wilmington	New Castle	Physician	resigned McKinly was captured and taken prisoner by the British.
2	Thomas McKean	September 22, 1777	October 20, 1777	no parties	New Castle	New Castle	Lawyer	acting
3	George Read	October 20, 1777	March 31, 1778	no parties	New Castle	New Castle	Lawyer	acting
4	Caesar Rodney	March 31, 1778	November 6, 1781	no parties	Dover	Kent	Lawyer
5	John Dickinson	November 13, 1781	November 4, 1782	no parties	Wilmington	New Castle	Lawyer	resigned
6	John Cook	November 4, 1782	February 1, 1783	no parties	Smyrna	Kent	Farmer	acting
7	Nicholas Van Dyke	February 1, 1783	October 27, 1786	no parties	New Castle	New Castle	Lawyer
8	Thomas Collins	October 27, 1786	March 29, 1789	no parties	Smyrna	Kent	Lawyer	died in office
9	Jehu Davis	March 29, 1789	June 2, 1789	no parties	Milford	Kent	Farmer	acting
10	Joshua Clayton	June 2, 1789	January 15, 1793	no parties	Pencader	New Castle	Physician

Governors under the Constitution of 1792

Elections were held the first week of October. The Governor took office the third Tuesday in January, for a term of three years.

#	Name	Took Office	Left Office	Party	Residence	County	Occupation	notes
10	Joshua Clayton	January 15, 1793	January 19, 1796	Federalist	Pencader	New Castle	Physician
11	Gunning Bedford, Sr.	January 19, 1796	September 28, 1797	Federalist	New Castle	New Castle	Lawyer	died in office
12	Daniel Rogers	September 28, 1797	January 15, 1799	Federalist	Milford	Sussex	Miller	acting
13	Richard Bassett	January 15, 1799	February 20, 1801	Federalist	Pencader	New Castle	Lawyer	resigned
14	James Sykes, Jr.	March 4, 1801	January 19, 1802	Federalist	Dover	Kent	Physician	acting
15	David Hall	January 19, 1802	January 15, 1805	Democratic- Republican	Lewes	Sussex	Lawyer
16	Nathaniel Mitchell	January 15, 1805	January 19, 1808	Federalist	Laurel	Sussex	Lawyer
17	George Truitt	January 19, 1808	January 15, 1811	Federalist	Felton	Kent	Farmer
18	Joseph Haslet	January 15, 1811	January 18, 1814	Democratic- Republican	Cedar Creek	Sussex	Farmer
19	Daniel Rodney	January 18, 1814	January 21, 1817	Federalist	Lewes	Sussex	Merchant
20	John Clark	January 21, 1817	January 15, 1820	Federalist	Blackbird	New Castle	Farmer
	Henry Molleston			Federalist	Dover	Kent	Physician	died Molleston died before taking office. He never served as Governor.
21	Jacob Stout	January 18, 1820	January 16, 1821	Federalist	Smyrna	Kent	Farmer	acting
22	John Collins	January 16, 1821	April 16, 1822	Democratic- Republican	Laurel	Sussex	Miller	died in office
23	Caleb Rodney	April 23, 1822	January 21, 1823	Federalist	Lewes	Sussex	Merchant	acting
24	Joseph Haslet	January 21, 1823	June 20, 1823	Democratic- Republican	Cedar Creek	Sussex	Farmer	died in office
25	Charles Thomas	June 24, 1823	January 20, 1824	Democratic- Republican	New Castle	New Castle	Lawyer	acting
26	Samuel Paynter	January 20, 1824	January 16, 1827	Federalist	Broadkill	Sussex	Merchant
27	Charles Polk, Jr.	January 16, 1827	January 19, 1830	Federalist	Milford	Kent	Farmer
28	David Hazzard	January 19, 1830	January 15, 1833	National Republican	Milton	Sussex	Merchant

Governors under the Constitution of 1831

Elections were held the first week of November. The Governor took office the third Tuesday in January, for a term of four years.

#	Name	Took Office	Left Office	Party	Residence	County	Occupation	notes
29	Caleb P. Bennett	January 15, 1833	July 11, 1836	Democratic	Wilmington	New Castle	Soldier	died in office
30	Charles Polk, Jr.	July 11, 1836	January 17, 1837	Whig	Milford	Kent	Farmer	acting
31	Cornelius P. Comegys	January 17, 1837	January 19, 1841	Whig	Little Creek	Kent	Farmer
32	William B. Cooper	January 19, 1841	January 21, 1845	Whig	Laurel	Sussex	Farmer
33	Thomas Stockton	January 21, 1845	March 2, 1846	Whig	New Castle	New Castle	Soldier	died in office
34	Joseph Maull	March 2, 1846	May 3, 1846	Whig	Lewes	Sussex	Physician	acting Maull was acting Governor and then died in office himself.
35	William Temple	May 6, 1846	January 19, 1847	Whig	Smyrna	Kent	Merchant	acting
36	William Tharp	January 19, 1847	January 21, 1851	Democratic	Milford	Kent	Farmer
37	William H.H. Ross	January 21, 1851	January 14, 1855	Democratic	Seaford	Sussex	Farmer
38	Peter F. Causey	January 14, 1855	January 18, 1859	American	Milford	Sussex	Merchant
39	William Burton	January 18, 1859	January 20, 1863	Democratic	Milford	Sussex	Physician
40	William Cannon	January 20, 1863	March 1, 1865	Republican	Bridgeville	Sussex	Farmer	died in office
41	Gove Saulsbury	March 1, 1865	January 17, 1871	Democratic	Dover	Kent	Physician	acting Saulsbury completed Cannon's term and then was elected Governor for a complete term of his own.
42	James Ponder	January 17, 1871	January 19, 1875	Democratic	Milton	Sussex	Merchant
43	John P. Cochran	January 19, 1875	January 21, 1879	Democratic	Middletown	New Castle	Farmer
44	John W. Hall	January 21, 1879	January 16, 1883	Democratic	Frederica	Kent	Merchant
45	Charles C. Stockley	January 16, 1883	January 18, 1887	Democratic	Georgetown	Sussex	Farmer
46	Benjamin T. Biggs	January 18, 1887	January 20, 1891	Democratic	Middletown	New Castle	Farmer
47	Robert J. Reynolds	January 20, 1891	January 15, 1895	Democratic	Petersburg	Kent	Farmer
48	Joshua H. Marvil	January 15, 1895	April 8, 1895	Republican	Laurel	Sussex	Farmer	died in office
49	William T. Watson	April 8, 1895	January 19, 1897	Democratic	Milford	Kent	Banker	acting
50	Ebe W. Tunnell	January 19, 1897	January 15, 1901	Democratic	Lewes	Sussex	Merchant

Governors under the Constitution of 1897

Elections are held the first week of November. The Governor takes office the third Tuesday in January, for a term of four years.

#	Name	Took Office	Left Office	Party	Residence	County	Occupation	notes
51	John Hunn	January 15, 1901	January 17, 1905	Republican	Camden	Kent	Businessman
52	Preston Lea	January 17, 1905	January 19, 1909	Republican	New Castle	New Castle	Miller
53	Simeon S. Pennewill	January 19, 1909	January 21, 1913	Republican	Dover	Sussex	Farmer |
54	Charles R. Miller	January 21, 1913	January 16, 1917	Republican	Wilmington	New Castle	Lawyer
55	John G. Townsend, Jr.	January 16, 1917	January 18, 1921	Republican	Shelbyville	Sussex	Farmer
56	William D. Denney	January 18, 1921	January 20, 1925	Republican	Dover	Kent	Businessman
57	Robert P. Robinson	January 20, 1925	January 15, 1929	Republican	Wilmington	New Castle	Banker
58	C. Douglass Buck	January 15, 1929	January 19, 1937	Republican	New Castle	New Castle	Engineer
59	Richard C. McMullen	January 19, 1937	January 21, 1941	Democratic	Wilmington	New Castle	Executive
60	Walter W. Bacon	January 21, 1941	January 18, 1949	Republican	Wilmington	New Castle	Accountant
61	Elbert N. Carvel	January 18, 1949	January 20, 1953	Democratic	Laurel	Sussex	Businessman
62	J. Caleb Boggs	January 20, 1953	December 30, 1960	Republican	Claymont	New Castle	Lawyer	resigned
63	David P. Buckson	December 30, 1960	January 17, 1961	Republican	Camden	Kent	Lawyer	acting
64	Elbert N. Carvel	January 17, 1961	January 19, 1965	Democratic	Laurel	Sussex	Businessman
65	Charles L. Terry, Jr.	January 19, 1965	January 21, 1969	Democratic	Dover	Kent	Lawyer
66	Russell W. Peterson	January 21, 1969	January 16, 1973	Republican	Wilmington	New Castle	Chemist
67	Sherman W. Tribbitt	January 16, 1973	January 18, 1977	Democratic	Odessa	New Castle	Merchant
68	Pierre S. du Pont, IV	January 18, 1977	January 15, 1985	Republican	Rockland	New Castle	Lawyer
69	Michael N. Castle	January 15, 1985	December 31, 1992	Republican	Wilmington	New Castle	Lawyer	resigned
70	Dale E. Wolf	December 31, 1992	January 19, 1993	Republican	Wilmington	New Castle	Executive	acting
71	Thomas R. Carper	January 19, 1993	January 3, 2001	Democratic	Wilmington	New Castle	Economist	resigned
72	Ruth Ann Minner	January 3, 2001	incumbent Present term ends January 20, 2009	Democratic	Milford	Kent	Businesswoman

Notes

References

See also

• Directors-General of New Netherland, 1624-1664.
• Governors of New Sweden, 1638-1655.
• List of Proprietors of Pennsylvania and the Lower Counties, 1682-1776.
• List of Colonial Lieutenant Governors of Pennsylvania and the Lower Counties, 1682-1776.

State of Delaware • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

 

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