Delaware held its general election on November 8, 2016, deciding 52 legislative seats and 3 statewide offices led by the governorship. No chamber changed party control.
Highlights
- Democrats kept full control of state government, but their Senate majority shrank to 11-10, and a February 2017 special election decided the chamber. Stephanie Hansen (D) beat John Marino (R) by about 17 points for the seat Lieutenant Governor-elect Bethany Hall-Long (D) gave up, a win that kept the Senate in Democratic hands.
- The one seat that changed hands cost the Senate its top Democrat. Anthony Delcollo (R), a 31-year-old attorney new to politics, unseated Senate President Pro Tempore Patricia Blevins (D), who had served since 1990, by about 200 votes in Senate District 7. Senate Democrats picked David McBride to replace her as president pro tempore.
- In the open governor's race, U.S. Rep. John Carney (D) defeated state Sen. Colin Bonini (R) by about 19 points. Carney succeeded Jack Markell, who had beaten him in the 2008 Democratic primary.
- Democrats held the other two statewide offices by similar margins: Hall-Long beat La Mar Gunn (R) for lieutenant governor, and Trinidad Navarro (D) beat Jeff Cragg (R) for insurance commissioner, each by about 19 points. In 25 legislative races, only one candidate was on the ballot.
Legislature
- House (41 seats): 25 D, 16 R before the election, 25 D, 16 R after; control stayed with Democrats.
- Senate (21 seats): 12 D, 9 R before the election, 11 D, 10 R after; control stayed with Democrats.
Statewide races
| Race | Winner | Others | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | John Carney (D) 58.34% | Colin Bonini (R) 39.18%, Andrew Groff (G) 1.39% | |
| Insurance Commissioner | Trinidad Navarro (D) 59.29% | Jeff Cragg (R) 40.71% | |
| Lt. Governor | Bethany Hall-Long (D) 59.44% | La Mar Gunn (R) 40.56% |