2010 Delaware elections

{{Short description|none}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}

Elections were held in Delaware on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. Primary elections were held on September 14, 2010.

Federal

= Senate =

{{main|2010 United States Senate special election in Delaware}}

The 2010 election for the United States Senate was an open seat special election to finish the term ending in January 2015. Joe Biden, the 36-year Senator from the seat, was reelected to his Senate seat in 2008 and was simultaneously elected Vice President of the United States. He resigned on January 16, 2009, in order to take his seat as Vice President (he was sworn in five days later, on January 20, Inauguration Day). Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner announced her intention to appoint Biden's longtime aide and chief of staff Edward E. "Ted" Kaufman on November 24, 2008, and made the appointment the same day Biden resigned. Kaufman was sworn in as a Senator the next day. He made clear that he would not be a candidate for election in 2010.

Biden's son Beau Biden, the state Attorney General, considered entering the race but decided not to. Democrat Chris Coons, the county executive of New Castle County, entered the race instead and won the Democratic nomination unopposed. In a widely publicized Republican primary, Michael Castle, the former governor and nine-term U.S. Representative for Delaware's sole congressional seat who was initially heavily favored to win the primary and then the general election, was defeated in an upset by Tea Party movement-aligned marketing consultant Christine O'Donnell. Coons went on to defeat O'Donnell, as well as minor-party candidates Glenn A. Miller (Independent Party of Delaware) and James W. Rash (Libertarian), by a wide margin.

{{Election box begin | title=2010 election, U.S. Senator for Delaware}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Chris Coons

|votes = 174,012

|percentage = 56.6

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Christine O'Donnell

|votes = 123,053

|percentage = 40

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Independent Party of Delaware

|candidate = Glenn A. Miller

|votes = 8,201

|percentage = 2.7

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Libertarian Party (United States)

|candidate = James W. Rash

|votes = 2,101

|percentage = 0.7

}}

{{Election box end}}

= House of Representatives =

{{main|United States House of Representatives election in Delaware, 2010}}

{{see also|United States House of Representatives elections, 2010}}

John Carney was elected to Delaware's sole seat in the House of Representatives, replacing Republican Mike Castle, who vacated his seat to unsuccessfully run for the Senate. This was one of just three House seats to be picked up by the Democrats; the others were Cedric Richmond in Louisiana's 2nd congressional district and Colleen Hanabusa in Hawaii's 1st congressional district.

{{Election box begin | title=2010 election, Delaware's at-large congressional district}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = John Carney

|votes = 173,543

|percentage = 56.8

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Glen Urquhart

|votes = 125,442

|percentage = 41

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Independent Party of Delaware

|candidate = Earl R. Lofland

|votes = 3,704

|percentage = 1.2

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Libertarian Party (United States)

|candidate = Brent A. Wangen

|votes = 1,986

|percentage = 0.6

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Blue Enigma Party

|candidate = Jeffrey Brown

|votes = 961

|percentage = 0.4

}}

{{Election box end}}

State

=Constitutional officers=

==Attorney General==

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 2010 Delaware Attorney General election

| country = Delaware

| type = presidential

| ongoing = no

| previous_election = 2006 Delaware elections

| previous_year = 2006

| next_election = 2014 Delaware Attorney General election

| next_year = 2014

| image1 = File:Beau Biden 2013 (cropped).jpg

| nominee1 = Beau Biden

| party1 = Democratic Party (US)

| popular_vote1 = 203,931

| percentage1 = 78.9%

| image2 = 3x4.svg

| nominee2 = Doug Camp

| party2 = Independent Party of Delaware

| popular_vote2 = 54,503

| percentage2 = 21.1%

| map_image = {{switcher |110px |County results |110px |House district results |default=1}}

| map_caption = Biden: {{legend0|#6674de|60–70%}} {{legend0|#584cde|70–80%}} {{legend0|#3933e5|80–90%}} {{legend0|#0D0596|>90%}}

| map_size= 110px

| title = Attorney General

| before_election = Beau Biden

| before_party = Democratic Party (US)

| after_election = Beau Biden

| after_party = Democratic Party (US)

}}

Joseph Robinette "Beau" Biden III, son of Vice President Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr., cruised to reelection as Delaware Attorney General with no major-party opposition and a commanding 58-point margin of victory. Beau Biden had considered running in the special Senate election held simultaneously with the general election to serve the balance of his father's unexpired Senate term. (His father resigned to become vice president). However, Beau chose to run for reelection as attorney general instead.

{{Election box begin | title=2010 election, Delaware Attorney General}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Beau Biden

|votes = 203,931

|percentage = 78.9

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Independent Party of Delaware

|candidate = Doug Camp

|votes = 54,503

|percentage = 21.1

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Clear}}

==Treasurer==

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 2010 Delaware State Treasurer election

| country = Delaware

| type = presidential

| ongoing = no

| previous_election = 2006 Delaware elections#Treasurer

| previous_year = 2006

| next_election = 2014 Delaware elections#Treasurer

| next_year = 2014

| image2 = File:Colin Bonini 2 (cropped).jpg

| nominee2 = Colin Bonini

| party1 = Democratic Party (United States)

| popular_vote1 = 153,203

| percentage1 = 51.0%

| image1 = File:Chip Campaign Official Photo.jpeg

| image_size = 150x150px

| nominee1 = Chipman Flowers Jr.

| party2 = Republican Party (United States)

| popular_vote2 = 147,031

| percentage2 = 48.9%

| map_image = {{switcher |110px |County results |110px |House district results |default=1}}

| map_size = 210px

| map_caption = Flowers: {{legend0|#7996e2|50–60%}} {{legend0|#6674de|60–70%}} {{legend0|#584cde|70–80%}} {{legend0|#3933e5|80–90%}}
Bonini: {{legend0|#E27F7F|50–60%}} {{legend0|#d75d5d|60–70%}} {{legend0|#D72F30|70–80%}}

| title = Treasurer

| before_election = Velda Jones-Potter

| before_party = Democratic Party (United States)

| after_election = Chipman Flowers Jr.

| after_party = Democratic Party (United States)

}}

In this race, Democrat Chipman "Chip" Flowers Jr., a 35-year-old attorney from Middletown, narrowly edging out Republican Colin R. J. Bonini of Magnolia, a 45-year-old state Senator representing District 16. Flowers will replace Velda Jones-Potter, the incumbent Treasurer appointed by Governor Jack Markell to finish out his term as treasurer when he was elected to the governorship in the 2008 election. Jones-Potter ran for the Democratic nomination, but was defeated by Flowers in the primary. Flowers became Delaware's first African American elected to statewide office. Bonini remained a state Senator until 2010.[http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20101103/NEWS02/11030358/Flowers-edges-Bonini-in-hard-fought-Delaware-treasuer-s-race ]{{dead link|date=August 2022}}

{{Election box begin | title=2010 election, Delaware State Treasurer}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Chip Flowers, Jr.

|votes = 153,203

|percentage = 51

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Colin R. J. Bonini

|votes = 147,031

|percentage = 49

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Clear}}

==Auditor of Accounts==

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 2010 Delaware State Auditor election

| country = Delaware

| type = presidential

| ongoing = no

| previous_election = 2006 Delaware elections#Auditor of Accounts

| previous_year = 2006

| next_election = 2014 Delaware elections#Auditor of Accounts

| next_year = 2014

| image2 = 3x4.svg

| nominee2 = Richard Korn

| party2 = Democratic Party (United States)

| alliance1 =

| popular_vote1 = 150,156

| percentage1 = 50.4%

| image1 = File:Auditor Tom Wagner.jpg

| image_size = 150x150px

| nominee1 = Tom Wagner

| party1 = Republican Party (United States)

| alliance2 =

| popular_vote2 = 147,593

| percentage2 = 49.6%

| map_image = {{switcher |110px |County results |110px |House district results |default=1}}

| map_size = 210px

| map_caption = Wagner: {{legend0|#E27F7F|50–60%}} {{legend0|#d75d5d|60–70%}} {{legend0|#D72F30|70–80%}}
Korn: {{legend0|#7996e2|50–60%}} {{legend0|#6674de|60–70%}} {{legend0|#584cde|70–80%}} {{legend0|#3933e5|80–90%}}

| title = Auditor

| before_election = Tom Wagner

| before_party = Republican Party (United States)

| after_election = Tom Wagner

| after_party = Republican Party (United States)

}}

In this race, longtime State Auditor R. Thomas "Tom" Wagner Jr. of Dover, the Republican nominee and 21-year incumbent, won a sixth term in office by just 2,563 votes (0.8 percent) over Democratic nominee Richard Korn of Wilmington, the president and CEO of Franklin Strategies, a political consulting firm. This was the closest statewide race in Delaware in the 2010 general elections.

{{Election box begin | title=2010 election, Delaware Auditor of Accounts}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = R. Thomas Wagner Jr.

|votes = 150,156

|percentage = 50.4

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Richard Korn

|votes = 147,593

|percentage = 49.6

}}

{{Election box end}}

{{Clear}}

=General Assembly=

==Senate==

Half of the seats of the Delaware Senate are up for election in 2010.

In District 1, longtime incumbent Senator Harris B. McDowell III of North Wilmington, son of former Congressman Harris B. McDowell, Jr., won unopposed. McDowell, first elected in 1976, is the longest-serving senator.

{{Election box begin | title=2010 election, Delaware Senate - District 1}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Harris B. McDowell III

|votes = 11,862

|percentage = 100

}}

{{Election box end}}

In District 5, incumbent Senator Catherine (Cathy) Cloutier of Heatherbrooke, a Republican who also had the Working Families ballot line, won reelection to the Brandywine Hundred Senate seat she has held since 2000, defeating Democratic nominee Christopher (Chris) Counihan, a first-time candidate and university professor.{{cite web |url=http://www.udreview.com/news/university-professor-loses-in-close-state-senate-race-1.1742681 |title = The Review - University professor loses in close state senate race |access-date=2010-11-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101108014442/http://www.udreview.com/news/university-professor-loses-in-close-state-senate-race-1.1742681 |archive-date=2010-11-08 }}[http://www.communitypub.com/brandywine/x4795030/Cloutier-defeats-Counihan-heads-for-second-decade-in-senate]

{{Election box begin | title=2010 election, Delaware Senate - District 5}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Catherine Cloutier

|votes = 7649

|percentage = 53.8

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Christopher Counihan

|votes = 6,411

|percentage = 45.1

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Working Families Party

|candidate = Catherine Cloutier

|votes = 165

|percentage = 1.1

}}

{{Election box end}}

In District 7, incumbent Democrat Patricia M. Blevins, who has served in the Senate since 1990, defeated Republican businessman Fredrick R. Cullis, 61-39 percent.

{{Election box begin | title=2010 election, Delaware Senate - District 7}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Patricia M. Blevins

|votes = 7,877

|percentage = 61

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Fredrick R. Cullis

|votes = 5,044

|percentage = 39

}}

{{Election box end}}

In District 8, Democrat David P. (Dave) Sokola, who had been in the Senate since 1990, defeated Republican first-time candidate A. Louis Saindon, 60.6-39.4 percent.{{cite web |url=http://www.communitypub.com/election/local/x1348971362/Democrat-Sokola-overcomes-challenge-from-Republican-newcomer-Saindon |title = Democrat Sokola overcomes challenge from Republican newcomer Saindon - Hockessin, DE - The Community News |access-date=2010-11-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718111634/http://www.communitypub.com/election/local/x1348971362/Democrat-Sokola-overcomes-challenge-from-Republican-newcomer-Saindon |archive-date=2011-07-18 }}

{{Election box begin | title=2010 election, Delaware Senate - District 8}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = David P. Sokola

|votes = 8,572

|percentage = 60.6

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = A. Louis Saindon

|votes = 5,583

|percentage = 39.4

}}

{{Election box end}}

In District 14, incumbent Democratic Senator Bruce C. Ennis of Smyrna, a legislator since 1982, first in the House and since 2006 in the Senate, easily defeated Republican challenger John A. Moritz.

{{Election box begin | title=2010 election, Delaware Senate - District 14}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Bruce C. Ennis

|votes = 12,238

|percentage = 65.6

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = John A. Moritz

|votes = 6,427

|percentage = 34.4.

}}

{{Election box end}}

In District 15, longtime Democratic Senator Nancy W. Cook, 74, first elected in 1974 after the death of her husband Allen J. Cook, who had held the seat for 16 years, lost to Republican first-time candidate David G. Lawson of Marydel, 63, a former state trooper and gun-shop owner. Cook was the only General Assembly incumbent running for reelection to be defeated and the only Democrat-to-Republican flip (Democrats picked up two state House seats).{{cite web|url=http://www.nfib.com/delaware/nfib-in-my-state-content?cmsid=55249|title = Home}} The race was especially significant because Cook was the longtime co-chair of the budget-drafting Joint Finance Committee.{{cite web | url=http://www.doverpost.com/news/x1109354451/Newsmaker-Q-A-Former-state-senator-Nancy-Cook |title = Newsmaker Q&A: Former state senator Nancy Cook}}[http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20101104/NEWS02/11040370/As-Delaware-budget-is-built-Nancy-Cook-s-absence-will-be-felt ]{{dead link|date=August 2022}}{{cite web |url=http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20101103/NEWS02/11030362/Democrats-retain-control-of-Delaware-House-Senate |title=Democrats retain control of Delaware House, Senate |first=J. L. |last=Miller |date=2010-11-03 |publisher=DelawareOnline.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101107162511/http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20101103/NEWS02/11030362/Democrats-retain-control-of-Delaware-House-Senate |archive-date=2010-11-07}} District 15 covers a sprawling area including almost all of western Kent County, from Smyrna to the outskirts of Harrington.

{{Election box begin | title=2010 election, Delaware Senate - District 15}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = David G. Lawson

|votes = 8,370

|percentage = 52.3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Nancy W. Cook

|votes = 7,623

|percentage = 47.7

}}

{{Election box end}}

District 19 was uncontested in the general election. Incumbent Republican Joseph W. (Joe) Booth of Georgetown won his first full term in office. Booth, a dry cleaning-store owner and former Georgetown mayor, Indian River school board member, and seven-year state House Representative, won a special election to replace longtime Senator Thurman Adams, a conservative Democrat, who died in office. Booth beat back a Republican primary challenge from Tea Party and 9-12 activist Eric R. Bodenweiser.{{cite web |url=http://www.capegazette.com/storiescurrent/200906/adamsthurman26.html |title=Sen. Adams' death stuns state, family - by Kevin Spence - CapeGazette.com - Covering Delaware's Cape Region - Inland Bays, Atlantic Ocean, Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, Milton, Dewey Beach, USA |access-date=2010-11-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722143408/http://www.capegazette.com/storiescurrent/200906/adamsthurman26.html |archive-date=2012-07-22 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.capegazette.com/storiescurrent/201004/bodenweiser30.html |title=Eric Bodenweiser runs for Booth's state Senate seat - by Kevin Spence - CapeGazette.com - Covering Delaware's Cape Region - Inland Bays, Atlantic Ocean, Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, Milton, Dewey Beach, USA |access-date=2010-11-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120724133013/http://www.capegazette.com/storiescurrent/201004/bodenweiser30.html |archive-date=2012-07-24 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.wgmd.com/?p=9830 |title = State Senator Joe Booth responds to allegations by 19th District Senate race opponent Eric Bodenweiser - WGMD.COM |access-date=2010-11-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718040046/http://www.wgmd.com/?p=9830 |archive-date=2011-07-18 }}

{{Election box begin | title=2010 election, Delaware Senate - District 19}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Joseph W. Booth

|votes = 10,554

|percentage = 100

}}

{{Election box end}}

District 20 was uncontested. Democrat George H. Bunting Jr. of Bethany Beach won another term.

==House of Representatives==

{{Main|Delaware House of Representatives election, 2010}}

All of the seats in the Delaware House of Representatives are up for election in 2010.

Local

=Sheriffs=

The countywide position of sheriff was up for election in all of Delaware's three counties.

In heavily Democratic New Castle County, Democratic nominee Trinidad Navarro, 40, a senior corporal and chief media spokesman with the New Castle County Police, won with a very wide margin, defeating Republican William Hart, a commercial construction project manager and Independence Party of Delaware candidate Joseph O'Leary. In the Democratic primaries, Navarro routed 30-year incumbent Sheriff Mike Walsh, 72, with 63.3 percent of the vote. In the Republican primary, Hart defeated O'Leary, 14,377 to 11,105, but O'Leary chose to run as an Independence Party candidate.http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100915/NEWS02/9150359/Delaware-elections-Trinidad-Navarro-defeats-30-year-incumbent-sheriff [http://www.middletowntranscript.com/county_news/x782430685/Democrat-Trinidad-Navarro-is-the-new-sheriff-in-town][http://www.communitypub.com/county_news/x718559406/Navarro-defeats-Sheriff-Mike-Hart-wins-GOP-primary]

{{Election box begin | title=2010 election, Sheriff of New Castle County}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Trinidad Navarro

|votes = 125,133

|percentage = 68.8

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = William Hart

|votes = 48,437

|percentage = 26.6

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Independent Party of Delaware

|candidate = Joseph O'Leary

|votes = 8,414

|percentage = 4.6

}}

{{Election box end}}

In Sussex County, Republican Jeffrey Scott Christopher, 46, of Greenwood, a former Sussex County sheriff's chief deputy, won with 53.8 percent of the vote, defeating incumbent Democrat Eric D. Swanson, 56, of Lewes, who had been sheriff since 2007 and prior to that a Delaware State Policeman.{{cite web |url=http://www.capegazette.com/storiescurrent/201010-01-15/15015-sheriffs-race.html |title=Jeffrey Scott Christopher challenges Eric Swanson for sheriff's seat - by Kara Nuzback - CapeGazette.com - Covering Delaware's Cape Region - Inland Bays, Atlantic Ocean, Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, Milton, Dewey Beach, USA |access-date=2010-11-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722135452/http://www.capegazette.com/storiescurrent/201010-01-15/15015-sheriffs-race.html |archive-date=2012-07-22 }}

{{Election box begin | title=2010 election, Sheriff of Sussex County}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Jeffrey S. Christopher

|votes = 36,900

|percentage = 53.8

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Eric D. Swanson

|votes = 31,635

|percentage = 46.2

}}

{{Election box end}}

In Kent County, Democrat Norman Wood of Camden, a Smyrna Police Department lieutenant, defeated Republican incumbent Sheriff James A. Higdon Jr. of Dover.{{cite web |url=http://www.doverpost.com/communities/camden-wyoming/x767634371/Smyrna-PD-s-Norman-Wood-to-run-for-Kent-sheriff |title = Smyrna PD's Norman Wood to run for Kent sheriff - Dover, DE - Dover Post |access-date=2010-11-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718151928/http://www.doverpost.com/communities/camden-wyoming/x767634371/Smyrna-PD-s-Norman-Wood-to-run-for-Kent-sheriff |archive-date=2011-07-18 }}{{cite web | url=http://www.doverpost.com/news/x1617319655/Newsmaker-Q-A-Kent-County-sheriff-elect-Norman-Wood | title=Newsmaker Q&A: Kent County sheriff-elect Norman Wood}} Higdon pleaded guilty in July 2010 to driving under the influence on May 29, 2010. First elected in 1994, he won reelection three more times, in 1998, 2002, and 2006, and only in 1998 had an opponent.{{cite web |url=http://www.wgmd.com/?p=6802 |title = Kent County Sheriff James Higdon pleads guilty to DUI - WGMD.COM |access-date=2010-11-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718035759/http://www.wgmd.com/?p=6802 |archive-date=2011-07-18 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.doverpost.com/communities/dover/x1332181510/Kent-County-sheriff-awaits-his-day-in-court |title = Kent County sheriff awaits his day in court - Dover, DE - Dover Post |access-date=2010-11-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718152125/http://www.doverpost.com/communities/dover/x1332181510/Kent-County-sheriff-awaits-his-day-in-court |archive-date=2011-07-18 }}

{{Election box begin | title=2010 election, Sheriff of Kent County}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Norman Wood

|votes = 25,136

|percentage = 52

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = James Higdon Jr.

|votes = 20,010

|percentage = 41.4

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change|

|party = Independent Party of Delaware

|candidate = Christopher Tallman

|votes = 3188

|percentage = 6.6

}}

{{Election box end}}

References