Delaware State Senate elections, 2020

• Presidential election
  • Presidential candidates
• Congress elections
  • U.S. Congress
  • U.S. Senate
  • U.S. House
  • Congressional special elections
• State elections
  • Ballot measures
  • State executives
  • State legislatures
  • State legislature special elections
  • State supreme courts
  • Intermediate appellate courts
• Local elections
  • Ballot measures
  • Municipal government
  • Mayors
  • School boards
  • Trial courts
  • Political recalls
• Voter information
  • Sample ballot
  • Election calendar
  • Election results
  • Poll opening and closing times
  • Voting policies

2020 Delaware Senate Elections
General	November 3, 2020
Primary	September 15, 2020

Past Election Results

2018・2016・2014 2012・2010・2008

2020 Elections
Choose a chamber below:
Select an election Alaska Senate Alaska House Arizona Senate Arizona House Arkansas Senate Arkansas House California Senate California Assembly Colorado Senate Colorado House Connecticut Senate Connecticut House Delaware Senate Delaware House Florida Senate Florida House Georgia Senate Georgia House Hawaii Senate Hawaii House Idaho Senate Idaho House Illinois Senate Illinois House Indiana Senate Indiana House Iowa Senate Iowa House Kansas Senate Kansas House Kentucky Senate Kentucky House Maine Senate Maine House Massachusetts Senate Massachusetts House Michigan House Minnesota Senate Minnesota House Missouri Senate Missouri House Montana Senate Montana House Nebraska Senate Nevada Senate Nevada Assembly New Hampshire Senate New Hampshire House New Mexico Senate New Mexico House New York Senate New York Assembly North Carolina Senate North Carolina House North Dakota Senate North Dakota House Ohio Senate Ohio House Oklahoma Senate Oklahoma House Oregon Senate Oregon House Pennsylvania Senate Pennsylvania House Rhode Island Senate Rhode Island House South Carolina Senate South Carolina House South Dakota Senate South Dakota House Tennessee Senate Tennessee House Texas Senate Texas House Utah Senate Utah House Vermont Senate Vermont House Washington Senate Washington House West Virginia Senate West Virginia House Wisconsin Senate Wisconsin Assembly Wyoming Senate Wyoming House

Democrats two seats and a supermajority in the 2020 elections for Delaware State Senate. Eleven seats in the chamber were up for election in 2020. Heading into the election, Democrats controlled 12 seats to Republicans' 9. Democrats gained a net two seats from Republicans, leaving the Democratic Party with a 14-7 supermajority. In the 2018 elections, Democrats gained one seat, winning a 12-9 majority.

The Delaware State Senate was one of 86 state legislative chambers with elections in 2020. A total of 11 of 21 Delaware Senate seats were up for election in 2020. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In 2018, 87 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections.

Ballotpedia identified two of the races as battlegrounds. Republicans held both of these districts. The two battleground districts were District 5 and District 7.

This race had the potential to influence the trifecta status of the state. Delaware had been under a Democratic trifecta since 2009 when Democrats took control of the House. In order to flip this chamber and break the Democratic trifecta, Republicans needed to gain at least two seats.

Delaware's 2020 gubernatorial and state legislative elections affected partisan control of redistricting following the 2020 census. In Delaware, the state legislature is responsible for drafting both congressional and state legislative district plans. District plans are subject to gubernatorial veto.

Heading into the 2020 general election, Democrats controlled 39 out of 99 state legislative chambers in the U.S., while Republicans controlled 59 chambers. The Alaska House was the sole chamber in which there was a power-sharing agreement between the parties. Delaware was one of 15 states that had a Democratic trifecta heading into the 2020 general election. A party has a trifecta when it controls the governorship and majorities in both state legislative chambers.

This election was a battleground race. Other 2020 battlegrounds included:

City elections in Minneapolis, Minnesota (2020) Texas' 17th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 3 Republican primary) United States Senate election in Colorado, 2020

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Delaware modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

• Absentee/mail-in voting: Vote-by-mail applications were sent to all registered voters in the general election.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Party control

See also: Partisan composition of state senates and State government trifectas

Delaware State Senate
Party		As of November 3, 2020	After November 4, 2020
	Democratic Party	12	14
	Republican Party	9	7
Total		21	21

Districts

See also: Delaware state legislative districts

Use the interactive map below to find your district.

General election

   font-size: 16px !important;

} .thirdpartyname:not(:first-child) { padding-top: 5px; } .thirdpartyname { margin:0; } .candidate:last-child { padding-bottom: 5px; } @media only screen and (max-width: 600px) { .candidateListTablePartisan td { font-size: 12px !important; vertical-align: top; }

 }



Primary election

   font-size: 16px !important;

}
.thirdpartyname:not(:first-child) {
			padding-top: 5px;
}
.thirdpartyname {
	margin:0;
}
.candidate:last-child {
	padding-bottom: 5px;
}
@media only screen and (max-width: 600px) {
	.candidateListTablePartisan td {
		font-size: 12px !important;
		vertical-align: top;
	}

 }



 
2020 battleground chamber

See also: State legislative battleground chambers, 2020

The Delaware State Senate was among 24 state legislative chambers Ballotpedia identified as battleground chambers for the 2020 cycle. Click here for more information on state legislative battlegrounds.

What was at stake?

• Republicans needed to gain two seats to take control of the chamber in 2020.

• If Republicans had flipped the chamber, they would have broken the Democratic trifecta. If Democrats had maintained their majorities in the state House and Senate and held the governorship, they would have preserved their trifecta.

Why was it a battleground?

• Seats decided by 10% or less in 2016: The last time this set of seats was up, two races (18% of the total) were decided by a margin of 10% or smaller.

• 2018 battleground chamber: The Delaware State Senate was a battleground chamber in 2018. That year, Democrats won a single seat from Republicans. Read more about the 2018 elections here.

• Race ratings: The Cook Political Report rated the Delaware State Senate a likely Democratic chamber in 2020, meaning Republicans had a chance to flip the chamber but Democrats were favored to retain control.

Battleground races

Delaware State Senate Battleground races
Republican seats
District 5
District 7

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia identified two battleground races in the Delaware State Senate 2020 elections, both of which were Republican-held seats. Based on analysis of these districts' electoral histories, these races had the potential to be more competitive than other races and could possibly have led to shifts in a chamber's partisan balance.

To determine state legislative battleground races in 2020, Ballotpedia looked for races that fit one or more of the four factors listed below:

1. In the last state legislative election, the winner received less than 55% of the vote.
2. The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and the most recent state legislative election winner won by a margin of 10 percentage points or less.
3. The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and the incumbent is not on the ballot this year.
4. The presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and that presidential candidate won the district by a margin of 20 percentage points or more.

District 5

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Catherine Cloutier (incumbent) Kyle Evans Gay

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and that presidential candidate won the district by a margin of 20 percentage points or more. In 2016, Catherine Cloutier (R) received 59.5 percent of the vote and defeated her Democratic challenger by 19 percentage points. However, Hillary Clinton won the district with 57.7 percent of the vote, beating Donald Trump by 20.8 percentage points.

District 7

What party controlled the seat heading into the election?

The Republican Party

Who were the candidates running?

Anthony Delcollo (incumbent) Spiros Mantzavinos

What made this a battleground race?

This was a district where the winner received less than 55% of the vote in the previous state legislative election, the presidential candidate who won the district in 2016 is of a different party than the most recent state legislative election winner in the district, and the most recent state legislative election winner won by a margin of 10 percentage points or less.. Anthony Delcollo (R) was first elected in 2016 where he received 50.5 percent of the vote and defeated Patricia Blevins (D) by 1 percentage point. Hillary Clinton won this district with 55.3 percent of the vote, beating Donald Trump by 16.2 percentage points.

Incumbents who were not re-elected

See also: Annual State Legislative Competitiveness Report: Vol. 10, 2020

Incumbents defeated in the general election

Two incumbents lost in the Nov. 3 general election. Those incumbents were:

Name	Party	Office
Catherine Cloutier	Republican	Senate District 5
Anthony Delcollo	Republican	Senate District 7

Incumbents defeated in primary elections

One incumbent—Senate President Pro Tempore David McBride (D)—lost in the Sept. 15 primaries.

Name	Party	Office
David McBride	Democratic	Senate District 13

Retiring incumbents

One incumbent was not on the ballot in 2020. That incumbent was:

Name	Party	Office	Reason
Harris McDowell	Democratic	Senate District 1	Retired

The one retirement in 2020 represented a decrease from four in 2018. The table below shows the number of open seats in each election held between 2010 and 2020.

Open Seats in Delaware State Senate elections: 2010 - 2020
Year	Total seats	Open seats	Seats with incumbents running for re-election
2020	11	1 (9 percent)	10 (91 percent)
2018	10	4 (40 percent)	6 (60 percent)
2016	11	1 (9 percent)	10 (91 percent)
2014	10	0 (0 percent)	10 (100 percent)
2012	21	2 (10 percent)	19 (90 percent)
2010	11	0 (0 percent)	10 (100 percent)

Redistricting in Delaware

See also: Redistricting in Delaware

Because Delaware has only one congressional district, congressional redistricting is not necessary. The state legislature draws state legislative district lines. The governor may veto the lines drawn by the state legislature.

State law requires that state legislative districts be "insofar as possible, contiguous and bounded by roads, streams and other natural boundaries." Further, state law stipulates that district lines "may not be drawn to unduly favor any person or political party." Because these requirements are statutory, the legislature may amend them at its discretion.

Process to become a candidate

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Delaware

See statutes: Title 15 of the Delaware Code

Major party candidates

A major party candidate may be nominated in one of two ways: by filing a notice of candidacy or by being nominated at convention.

Filing a notice of candidacy

To be nominated at the primary election, a major party candidate must file by this method. The candidate must first file a notice of candidacy. If filing for a statewide office, the candidate must file this form with the chair of the state committee of his or her party. If seeking district office, the candidate must file this form with the chair of the county committee of his or her party. The notice of candidacy must include the signature, printed name, and address of the candidate. A candidate must be a registered member of the party he or she is seeking to represent in the election.

A major party candidate must file a copy of the original notice of candidacy with the state election commissioner and pay the party filing fee by noon on the second Tuesday in July. Filing fees are determined by the political parties but cannot be greater than 1 percent of the total salary for the entire term of the office being sought by the candidate.

A candidate may file an in-lieu-of-filing-fee petition if he or she is considered indigent by the state. To be considered indigent by the state, the candidate must be receiving benefits under the Supplemental Security Income Program for Aged, Blind, and Disabled, or the state election commissioner must determine that the candidate meets the income and resources test to receive such benefits. In order to determine indigent status, the candidate must provide copies of his or her income tax returns and must authorize the state election commissioner to receive any other information that might be needed from banks, credit reporting services, etc.

The in-lieu-of-filing-fee petition must be signed by a number of registered voters equal to 1 percent of all registered voters in the election district(s) in which the candidate will appear on the ballot. These petitions cannot be circulated until after January 1 of the year of the election in which the candidate is running.

Nomination at a party convention

A major party candidate may be nominated at a state convention only for offices for which no candidate has filed or for offices for which minor party candidates have been selected. A candidate nominated at a convention must be registered with the party he or she seeks to represent at the time of the convention. Conventions to nominate such candidates must be held before August 1 of the year of the election. If any candidates are nominated by convention, the presiding officer and secretary of the convention must submit a certificate of nomination to the state election commissioner by September 1 in the year of the election. If September 1 falls on a weekend or holiday, this certificate must be filed by the next business day.

Minor party candidates

Minor party candidates are selected by conventions. To be nominated at a convention, a candidate must be a registered member of the minor party. These nominating conventions must be held on or before August 1 in the year of the election. For a candidate for statewide office, the party must file a nominating resolution with the state election commissioner by 4:30 p.m. on August 15 in the year of the election. For a candidate for a district office, the party must file a nominating resolution with the appropriate local election official by 4:30 p.m. on August 15 in the year of the election. A nominating resolution must contain the candidate's name and address and the office for which he or she was nominated. Certificates of nomination for each candidate must be filed by September 1 in the year of the election.

Unaffiliated candidates

Unaffiliated candidates petition to gain access to the general election ballot. An unaffiliated candidate must collect signatures equal to 1 percent of all eligible voters as of December 31 of the year prior to the election. The petition can be circulated between January 1 and July 15 of the election year and must be filed with the department of elections in each county in which the petition was circulated. An unaffiliated candidate must also file a sworn declaration stating that he or she has not been affiliated with any political party for at least three months prior to filing as an unaffiliated candidate. This form is filed with the state election commissioner.

Write-in candidates

Write-in candidates are only permitted to run in general or special elections. To have his or her votes counted, a write-in candidate must file a declaration form. If running for statewide office, the candidate must file this form with the state election commissioner. If running for a district office, the form must be filed with the appropriate local department of elections.

A candidate cannot run as a write-in if he or she has already been placed on the general election ballot. Additionally, a candidate cannot run as a write-in if he or she withdrew as a candidate in the same election year.

Residency requirements

A candidate for elective office must provide the state election commissioner with proof of residency. Proof of residency must show that the candidate lives in the district or area that the candidate seeks to represent.

2020 ballot access requirements

The table below details filing requirements for Delaware State Senate candidates in the 2020 election cycle.

Filing requirements for state legislative candidates, 2020
Chamber name	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
Delaware State Senate	Qualified party	N/A	$945.00	7/14/2020	Source
Delaware State Senate	Unaffiliated	1% of registered voters residing in the district	N/A	9/1/2020	Source

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Article II, Section 3 of the Delaware Constitution states: No person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained the age of twenty-seven years and have been a citizen and inhabitant of the State three years next preceding the day of his election and the last year of that term an inhabitant of the Senatorial District in which he shall be chosen, unless he shall have been absent on the public business of the United States or of this State.

Salaries and per diem

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

State legislative salaries, 2024
Salary	Per diem
$50,678/year	No per diem is paid.

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Delaware legislators assume office the first Wednesday after the first Monday in November (the day after election day).

Delaware political history

Trifectas

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.

Delaware Party Control: 1992-2024
Sixteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
Governor	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
House	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D

Presidential politics in Delaware

2016 Presidential election results

U.S. presidential election, Delaware, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes	Electoral votes
	Democratic	Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine	53.4%	235,603	3
	Republican	Donald Trump/Mike Pence	41.9%	185,127	0
	Libertarian	Gary Johnson/Bill Weld	3.3%	14,757	0
	Green	Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka	1.4%	6,103	0
Total Votes				441,590	3
Election results via: Delaware Department of Elections

Voter information

How the primary works

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Delaware utilizes a closed primary process, in which the selection of a party's candidates in an election is limited to registered party members.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Poll times

In Delaware, polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.

Registration requirements

Check your voter registration status here.

To vote in Delaware, an individual must meet the following requirements:

• The individual must be a United States citizen.
• The individual must be a resident of Delaware.
• The individual must be 18 years of age by Election Day.
• The individual must be mentally competent.
• The individual must not be under a felony sentence or convicted of a disqualifying felony.

According to the Delaware Department of Elections, "The voter registration deadline is the 4th Saturday before a Primary and General Election. Voter registration applications submitted via the voter portal, ivote.de.gov, by the deadline, or received by mail by the Department and postmarked by the deadline, will be considered to be submitted by the deadline."

Automatic registration

Delaware practices automatic voter registration through Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) locations and website. Individuals that complete an in-person or online application for a drivers license, learners permit, or identification card, or completes an in-person or online application to change their name or address on these documents, are atumatically registerd to vote. An individual whose eligibility and citizenship status have been confirmed by the DMV is also automatically registered.

According to the Department of Election's website, voters that are automatically registered are mailed a "“Notice of Automatic Voter Registration”, which includes a “Response to Automatic Voter Registration” form. AVR voters may use the form to update their voter registration, choose a party affiliation, or cancel their voter registration."

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Delaware has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Delaware does not allow same-day voter registration.

Residency requirements

To register to vote in Delaware, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Delaware does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, "if you register to vote even though you know you are not eligible, you can be fined between $50.00 - $200.00 or imprisoned for 30 days to two years, or both."

All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment. As of November 2024, five states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

Verifying your registration

The state's voter portal allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Voter ID requirements

Delaware requires voters to present non-photo identification while voting.

As of July 2024, the state website said:

“

When arriving at a polling place, a poll worker will ask you for proof of identity. A photo ID is not required. Examples of acceptable IDs: Delaware Driver’s License Delaware Identification Card U.S. Passport Signed Polling Place card Signed Social Security card Signed vehicle registration Signed credit card with photo ... When arriving at an Early Voting Site, a poll worker will ask you for proof of identity. A photo ID is not required. Permitted forms of identification include current: Valid Photo ID Copy of utility bill Bank statement Government check, paycheck, or other government document that displays your address

”

Voters who do not present proof of identity can "sign an affidavit of affirmation that the voter is the person listed on the election district record," according to Delaware Code.

Early voting

Delaware permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

On June 28, 2024, the Delaware Supreme Court struck down a ruling from the Delaware Superior Court and reinstated early voting in the state. In a 5-0 decision, the court ruled that plaintiffs failed to prove that they would be harmed by laws permitting early voting, and therefore had no standing to sue. The decision, therefore, did not rule on the lower court's determination that early voting was prohibited by the Delaware Constitution. The court agreed to hear the case on an expedited basis to provide clarity to voters and election administrators before the November election. To read more about this case, see here.

Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.

Absentee voting

The deadline for eligible voters to request an absentee/mail-in ballot is no later than four days before an election.

According to the state's absentee/mail-in ballot application, an individual is eligible for any of the following reasons:

“

I am in public service of the United States (U.S.) or the State of Delaware, or I am a citizen of the U.S. temporarily residing outside the territorial limits of the U.S. and the District of Columbia, or such person’s spouse or dependent when residing with or accompanying such person, or absent from this State because of illness or injury while serving the armed forces of the U.S. I am in the armed forces of the U.S. or the merchant marine of the US., or attached to and serving with the armed forces of the U.S. in the American Red Cross or United Service Organizations. Due to the nature of my business or occupation. This reason includes: the business or occupaton of providing care to my parent, spouse, or child who is living at home and requires constant care due to illness, disability, or injury; students; and otherwise eligible persons who are incarcerated. I am sick or physically disabled (temporarily or permanently). I am absent from the district while on vacation. I am unable to vote at a certain Ɵme or on a certain day due to the tenets or teachings of my religion. I am otherwise authorized pursuant to the Federal Uniformed and Overseas Citzens Absentee Voting Act to vote by absentee ballot. I am otherwise authorized by federal law to vote by absentee ballot.

”

Certain of these voters are eligible for a permanent absentee/mail-in voting status and may request to be added to the permanent list on their ballot application.

On October 7, 2022, the Delaware Supreme Court struck down a state law allowing any registered voter to vote by absentee/mail-in ballot.

On eligibility, Article V, Section 4A, of the Delaware Constitution reads:

“

The General Assembly shall enact general laws providing that any qualified elector of this State, duly registered, who shall be unable to appear to cast his or her ballot at any general election at the regular polling place of the election district in which he or she is registered, either because of being in the public service of the United States or of this State, or his or her spouse or dependents when residing with or accompanying him or her because of the nature of his or her business or occupation, because of his or her sickness or physical disability, because of his or her absence from the district while on vacation, or because of the tenets or teachings of his or her religion, may cast a ballot at such general election to be counted in such election district.

”

See also

• Delaware State Senate
• Delaware State Legislature
• State legislative elections, 2020

External links

Suggest a link

• Delaware State Legislature

Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Delaware State Senate

Leadership

Majority Leader:Bryan Townsend

Minority Leader:Gerald Hocker

Senators

District 1

Sarah McBride (D)

District 2

Darius Brown (D)

District 3

S. Elizabeth Lockman (D)

District 4

Laura Sturgeon (D)

District 5

Kyle Gay (D)

District 6

Russ Huxtable (D)

District 7

Spiros Mantzavinos (D)

District 8

David Sokola (D)

District 9

Jack Walsh (D)

District 10

Stephanie Hansen (D)

District 11

Bryan Townsend (D)

District 12

Nicole Poore (D)

District 13

Marie Pinkney (D)

District 14

Kyra Hoffner (D)

District 15

David Lawson (R)

District 16

Eric Buckson (R)

District 17

Trey Paradee (D)

District 18

David Wilson (R)

District 19

Brian Pettyjohn (R)

District 20

Gerald Hocker (R)

District 21

Bryant Richardson (R)

Democratic Party (15)

Republican Party (6)